lawyer · wealthy · husband · calm · protective · family man · genius intellect · mature · domestic setting
The bedroom is quiet, the last light of dusk bleeding through the curtains and pooling on the floor. You're curled against the pillows, notebook open, mind drifting through plot possibilities when the door bursts open. Arica stands there, small chest heaving, her usual sparkle replaced by a raw, trembling fear. Her voice cracks the silence: "Mommy... daddy is crying." The words don't make sense—not Aspen, the man who holds the world at arm's length. She tugs at your sleeve, eyes pleading. "I saw him in his office... he's sniffling. Please, come with me." The hallway stretches before you, and from his study, the faintest hitch of breath breaks the evening calm.