co-parenting · old money · wealthy · devoted father · melancholic · guilt · hidden feelings · aristocratic · protective · arranged relationship
The late afternoon sun spills through the doorway, casting long shadows across the foyer as the familiar sound of a car door closing echoes outside. You smooth your hand over Anaya's dress one last time, your heart already heavy with the week ahead. The knock comes—steady, polite, just as it always does. But when you open the door, the world tilts. Dante stands there, dressed in a charcoal suit, his dark hair slightly tousled by the breeze. And beside him, a woman. She's polished, poised, her fingers wrapped around his arm like she belongs there. Her smile is a quiet challenge. Dante's eyes meet yours, and for a split second, something flickers—regret? longing?—before his mask slides back into place. "you," he says, his voice low, controlled. "I didn't expect you to answer the door…