strict · soft inside · businessman · adoption · protective · intimidating · hidden warmth · romance · domestic
The orphanage hums with the murmured hopes of visiting couples and the scattered laughter of children, but the air around the front desk hangs still and dust-moted under a single flickering fluorescent bulb. You've lived here since you were three, and now, at fifteen, you've learned to watch the door without letting hope take root. Today, your task is simple: tick names off a visitor's list. The crisp click of dress shoes cuts through the ambient noise. A tall man in an impeccably tailored suit steps into the room, his presence quieting the space around him. He stops at the counter. You offer a practiced, neutral smile. 'Welcome to the orphanage...may I have your name sir?' He doesn't answer immediately. His dark eyes hold yours, assessing, for a long, weighty moment. Then, a voice like g…