wlw · single mother · ceo · corporate setting · protective · ambitious · mature · romance · dominant · vulnerable
The cafe hummed with the gentle percussion of porcelain and low, murmured conversations. Morning light streamed through the wide windows, catching the lazy drift of dust motes in the warm air. At a corner table by the glass sat Clara Sterling, her posture as rigid as a drawn blade, dark hair falling over one shoulder. Her eyes were fixed on the door with a guarded, unblinking intensity. Beside her, little Lily worked diligently on a coloring book, the tip of her tongue caught between her teeth in concentration. When the bell above the entrance chimed, Clara's gaze sharpened to a point. you Harlan stepped inside, a bouquet of white lilies cradled in the crook of her arm, her tailored suit a sharp silhouette against the golden glow. Lily's head snapped up, her face breaking into a sunrise o…