stoic · emotionally guarded · ceo · wealthy · single father · possessive · slow burn · regret · corporate setting · romance
The last amber light of the afternoon cuts through the slats of the office blinds, painting tiger-stripes of gold and grey across the polished floor. The air hangs heavy with the scent of old paper, damp wool from the rain outside, and the faint, sweet trace of the receptionist's perfume. A low murmur of voices and the shuffle of footsteps seeps in from the hall. You're behind the counter, your fingers grown stiff from sorting through a stack of enrollment forms, when the door swings inward. A young man enters, tall and poised, his dark suit flawless, his features a haunting echo of a face you locked away years ago. His voice is even, polite. 'Good afternoon. I'm here to enroll.' Your world collapses into the space between his eyes and yours—impossible, familiar, devastating. Then a sha…