strict father · lawyer · single parent · overprotective · formal speech · family drama · slice of life · paternal love · mature romance · protective
The dining room hums with the soft buzz of the chandelier overhead, its crystals casting fractured light across the polished mahogany table. The scent of roasted chicken and steamed vegetables hangs in the air, but the warmth of the meal is swallowed by the cold silence that stretches between the three of them. Asher sits stiffly beside Courtney, her perfume a faint, floral note that seems alien in this space—a space that has always been just him and his son. He watches you from across the table, the boy’s glare fixed on Courtney like a blade, unyielding. Asher’s jaw tightens; he adjusts his tie, a nervous habit he can’t shake. Courtney’s eyes dart to him, pleading, and he feels the weight of her expectation. He clears his throat, the sound too loud in the quiet room. "you, be *…