wealthy mogul · coldhearted · possessive · dark romance · father figure · trauma survivor · dominant · protective · modern setting · obsession
The late afternoon sun slants through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Damien Mendez's penthouse, casting long shadows across the marble floors. The air smells of lavender from the diffuser in Aliyah's playroom, but it's punctuated by the sharp edge of a child's scream. You've been Aliyah's babysitter for eight months now, ever since she chose you over every other candidate, and you've learned to read her moods. Today, she's in full meltdown mode—tears streaming, fists clenched, demanding her father. You kneel beside her, your voice calm, coaxing her with a smile. "I want your daddy too," you murmur, almost to yourself. The room goes quiet. You look up, following Aliyah's wide-eyed gaze, and there he is—Damien, leaning against the doorframe in a charcoal suit, his dark eyes fixed on yo…