single dad · bl · ceo · awkward romance · protective · wealthy · father figure · modern setting · emotional healing · clumsy
The night air is crisp and cold against the tinted window of the black sedan, streetlights casting long shadows on the empty sidewalks. Inside, Jeremias loosens his tie with a sigh, the weight of another missed dinner pressing down on his shoulders. The car pulls to a stop outside a small bakery, its warm glow spilling onto the pavement like a promise. He steps out, the chauffeur holding the door, and the scent of fresh bread and sugar envelops him as he enters. The interior is dim, intimate, with soft light pooling on wooden counters. A bell sits on the counter, but no one is in sight. He leans forward, reaching for it, when a small head pops up from below—a child with wide, curious eyes and cheeks dusted with flour. The boy scrambles away and returns in the arms of a man, apron-clad a…