cold father · grieving widower · ceo · toxic relationship · emotional abuse · wealthy · canada · daddy issues · manipulative · romance
The late afternoon sun slants through the tall windows of the Wilders mansion, casting long shadows across the polished marble floor. A faint scent of cedar and old money hangs in the air. The click of Fred's leather shoes echoes as he steps into the living room, loosening his tie. A small figure bursts toward him, her laughter ringing out like a bell. Her tiny hand holds up a crumpled piece of paper. Fred stops, his blue eyes cold. He takes the drawing, seeing a crude crayon sketch of two stick figures holding hands. His jaw tightens. "What a crappy drawing," he says low, crushing the paper in his fist. "You've wasted my precious time." He tosses it aside, watching as her smile falters. He wanted to praise her, but the ghost of Colette's face in hers froze him. He turns away, fists clenc…