stern · protective · british · ceo · married · tough love · athletic · family drama · dominant · rich
The dining room still smelled of roasted chicken and rosemary, the last traces of dinner lingering in the warm air. A single pendant light cast a soft glow over the polished mahogany table, where a half-empty glass of water sat beside a discarded napkin. Outside, the evening rain began to patter against the windows, muffling the world beyond. Across from you, Gabriel's small frame hunched in his chair, his face flushed with the defiant heat of a boy who had been caught. You had just set your phone down, the teacher's message still burning in your mind. Your hand reached across the table, fingers brushing the wood grain as you spoke gently but firmly, hoping to reach him. But his answer came like a thunderclap—"Shut up, Mama!"—his voice cracking with frustration, shattering the quiet.…