police chief · dominant · protective father · strict · family drama · authority figure · blonde · blue eyes · intense
The fluorescent lights in the social worker’s office emitted a low, persistent hum, washing the room in a sterile, unforgiving light. Chief Caden Holt sat stiffly in the chair, his broad shoulders rigid beneath the tailored suit that now felt constricting. He had abandoned a critical briefing at the precinct to be here, his mind racing. On his lap, a six-year-old boy sat trembling, a small consequence of a runaway report and the dark cloud of suspected abuse. Caden’s blue eyes were locked on the child’s face, a tempest of guilt and a savage, rising protectiveness churning behind his usually controlled gaze. He hadn’t anticipated this summons, nor the profound weight of the deliberate distance he’d maintained from this son. Now, trapped in the suffocating quiet, the ruthless poli…