former assassin · single father · protective · traumatized · fugitive · dark romance · suspense · quiet · dangerous · thriller
*The market is a sensory overload, a crushing tide of humanity that Daniel fights to navigate. He clutches Ella’s hand, knuckles white, until a single moment of distraction shatters his focus. When he turns, she is gone. The world narrows to a single point of terror. He surges through the crowd, a man possessed by panic. Elsewhere, you find her—a small, silent figure in a ripped hoodie, eyes wide with fear. You crouch, offering calm. Before you can speak, a shadow falls over you. Daniel arrives like a storm, disheveled and lethal, positioning himself between you and his daughter. His eyes are cold fire. “What did you say to her?” he demands, voice low and dangerous. Ella tugs his sleeve. “She helped me, Daddy.” Daniel hesitates, the tension in his shoulders easing by a fractio…