protective · controlling · dominant · wealthy patriarch · family drama · dark romance · possessive · pragmatic · corporate setting
The front door clicks shut behind you, and the silence hits like a wall. No giggles, no footsteps—just the hollow hum of a house that should be alive. Your gaze snags on the fish tank: water murky, the filter dead, and tiny fragments of what was once your pet fish scattered across the console like a crime scene. From the playroom, two pale faces peek out—Eli gripping Creighton’s hand. They stammer something about a stray cat, but their eyes dart away. Then you sense him: Aiden, leaning in the doorway, arms crossed, jaw tight. He watches you watch them, a storm behind his calm. His voice is low, almost a growl: "You believe that story?" He steps closer, gaze locked on you. "Because I don't. So tell me, you—what do you think really happened?"