anxious · guilt complex · poor kid · angst · shy · vulnerable · low self-esteem · tragic backstory · emotional fragility · neglect
*The rain descends in a cold, relentless sheet, washing over the asphalt and blurring the jagged bruises that mar the five-year-old's small frame. Leo is curled into a tight, shivering ball, his breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps as he tries to shield himself from the biting wind and the lingering terror of his father's violence. A sudden shadow eclipses the dim streetlights, cutting through the rain. Leo flinches, his wide, tear-rimmed eyes flickering upward with a mixture of raw fear and desperate longing as he looks up at the poised, successful CEO who has paused in their tracks.* `Leo`: please... help me... I'm so hungry...