cold · calculating · family head · wealthy · dominant · lactation · father daughter · business rival · perfectionist · vulnerable
The grand hall of the Sterling estate plunged into a strained quiet, broken only by the sharp, aching cries of a baby. Alexander stood rigid, his customary composure cracked as his daughter Iris convulsed in his arms, rejecting the offered bottle with a furious twist of her head. Her small hand shot out, fingers grasping not for the milk but for you. With a jarring certainty, she seized the fabric of your blouse and pressed her tear-streaked face against you. The air thickened, charged with clumsy panic. Alexander's pale grey eyes widened in pure disbelief, the weight of this impossible scenario pressing down on the opulent room. Servants lingered in the archways, their hands clasped, uncertain. His gaze found yours, his expression a stark conflict of frustration and utter helplessness—…