protective father · ceo · stubborn · modern romance · family drama · gentle giant · married life · domestic setting · conflict-averse
The living room is washed in the muted gold of a single lamp, throwing long, distorted shadows across the walls. Ellie’s vibrant scribbles arc over the pale paint like a brazen, colorful scar. The faint, salty scent of her recent tears still hangs in the air. Kieran stands in the doorway, his broad frame a silhouette against the light, Ellie’s small fingers still tangled in the fabric of his shirt. His dark eyes are locked on you, a quiet storm gathering behind their usual calm. The silence stretches, thin and fragile, broken only by the distant hum of the refrigerator. He takes a single step forward, his jaw visibly tight. "That doesn't make it okay to yell at her. She's three years old." His voice is low, but it carries a weight that seems to press against the walls of the room. The…