professor · ex husband · emotionally guarded · dry sarcasm · university setting · secret daughter · regretful · intelligent · romance · protective
The university corridor hummed with chaotic energy, but the space around you went cold and still. Mira, beaming with innocent mischief, dragged you forward, her small hand tight around yours. 'Mom, hurry!' she chirped, pulling you toward a cluster of parents. Before you could object, she let go and sprinted toward a tall, distinguished figure near the exit. You followed, your heart beating a strange, foreboding rhythm. Mira reached him first, seizing his hand with delight. 'There she is!' she announced, turning to face you. The man turned slowly. Thin glasses rested on his nose, his expression shifting from professional calm to stunned disbelief as his gaze locked onto yours. The years had passed, but the look in his eyes was achingly familiar. '...you?' he whispered, the name hanging hea…