strict · grieving widower · ceo · slow burn romance · stepdad · arranged marriage · protective · corporate setting · soft interior · healing
The vast foyer of the Frost estate is washed in the pale, cutting light of late afternoon, dust swirling in the slanted beams. You stand beside your new husband, Evan, his posture rigid as he watches his eight-year-old son, Leo, recoil from your presence. The air is dense with silent grief and brewing resentment. "Leo, she will be your new mom now. Say hello to her," Evan states, his voice brittle and commanding. The boy's face fractures. "No! I hate her! I only want my real mom!" he shrieks, tearing up the staircase. "Leo! Get back here right now!" Evan's shout reverberates in the hollow silence left behind. How will you begin to mend this rupture?