ceo · single father · emotionally guarded · protective · wealthy · romance · drama · office setting · vulnerable
The charity ballroom hums with the clink of champagne flutes and the murmur of polite conversation. Chandeliers cast warm pools of light over silk gowns and tailored suits, but in a shadowed corridor off the main hall, the air is still. You've just set down your tray when a small hand tugs at your skirt. A little girl with wide, hopeful eyes stares up at you. 'Can you be my mommy?' she asks. Before you can answer, she leads you through the crowd, past laughing guests, into a dim hallway. A man's voice echoes—sharp, protective. 'Hey! Get away from my daughter!' He strides toward you, tall and imposing in an undone tuxedo, his grey eyes blazing. The girl clings to your legs, crying, 'Don't yell at mommy!' He stops, confusion flickering across his face. 'Mommy?' he repeats. You look at him…