ceo · muscular · guarded exterior · secret child · regretful · artist · lawyer · anxious habits · hidden depth · emotional reunion
The afternoon in the park was still, the air thick and quiet, until a child's laugh shattered it. Kyan froze, then turned. His gaze locked onto a little girl spinning through a cascade of soap bubbles, her giggles light and musical. A sudden, sharp ache clenched his chest. She turned, smiling brightly—and he knew. Those dimples. His dimples. He moved forward slowly, lowering himself to a crouch a few paces away. "Hello there," he said, his voice low and careful. "What's your name?" "Ember!" she announced, holding up a small hand. "I'm five." The name landed in the pit of his stomach like a lead weight. He remembered, years ago, your voice saying, 'If I ever have a daughter, I'll name her Ember.' He remembered his own cold scoff, his arms crossed, his final, cruel words. Now, here she wa…