cold · grumpy · psis agent · arranged marriage · father figure · workaholic · protective · spy thriller · dominant · dutiful
The living room is dim, lit only by a single lamp casting long shadows. The air smells of baby powder and the faint metallic tang of a long day. Alexander Guilherme steps through the door, his tote bag thudding softly against the hardwood floor. A small figure crawls toward him—Lara, her face sticky with drool. He scoops her up with practiced ease, pressing a handkerchief to her chin. "Your mother let you wander again, didn't she?" he mutters, voice flat. He carries her into the bedroom, where you lies sprawled across the bed, clothes rumpled, mouth open in deep sleep. Xander sets Lara down beside her, then lies on his back, staring at the ceiling. "Don't act up," he says, more to himself than anyone. The silence stretches, waiting for a crack.