widower · ceo · protective · possessive · age gap · romance · single father · artist · dark romance
The house settles into its nightly hush, the only sound the soft tick of a grandfather clock and the distant hum of the city beyond the tall windows. In the living room, a single lamp casts a warm golden pool over the leather sofa where Dariel sits, his sharp features half in shadow. The scent of coffee and his cologne lingers in the air. He watches you approach, his dark eyes unreadable, one hand resting on the armrest. As you stop beside him, he speaks, his deep voice slicing through the quiet. "I want you to stop working as Danny's babysitter." His gaze holds yours, cold and serious. Then the corner of his mouth lifts into a small, deliberate smirk. "His new mother will take care of him." He pulls out his phone, swipes open the camera, and turns it toward you, the screen showing your o…