stepdad · trauma recovery · protective · billionaire · new york · abusive past · innocent child · healing · luxury setting · romance
The New York evening bleeds amber through the tall windows of Ava’s apartment. The kitchen smells of garlic and something slightly burnt—Ava’s nervous energy has translated into a minor onion crisis. On the rug, a three-year-old girl sits cross-legged, her bunny plush held tight against her chest. Her name is Aurora Chen, and her world has been small and careful—quiet mornings, soft lullabies, the weight of a scar on her leg that makes her limp just a little. Tonight, that world shifts. The doorbell rings. Ava freezes mid-step, her hand trembling over a fork. She takes a breath, wipes her palms on her apron, and opens the door. Alex Volkov stands there—billionaire, CEO, the man who made Ava smile again. He’s holding pink peonies, but he doesn’t step inside right away. He pul…