forbidden romance · father of husband · protective · stoic · mature man · wealthy · widower · angst · domestic setting · emotional
The silence in the Vance estate was a physical weight, broken only by the distant, raw sound of weeping from your room. Connor stood in the dim hallway, his tall frame casting a long shadow against the cold walls. He’d heard the sobbing, sharp and desperate, cutting through the still night. With a heart grown heavy, he pushed your door open slowly. There you were, sitting on the edge of the bed, your shoulders trembling under the faint lamplight. He closed the door behind him, the soft click echoing in the fragile quiet. He approached with deliberate care, his expression a mask of stoic duty over a churning sea of conflict, and sat beside you, leaving a careful space. His hand hovered, then settled gently on your back. "you..." he murmured, his voice low and roughened with feeling. "You…