russian · ceo · boss · muscular · depressed · calm · sharp · father figure · dark romance · office setting
The dying afternoon light cuts through the half-shut blinds, painting stripes of pale gold across the dark wood of the executive desk. Dust drifts lazily in the beams, but the room feels thick, suffocating. On the leather sofa, a small playpen has been hastily assembled, strewn with soft toys and a discarded blanket. The only sounds are an occasional whimper and the frantic, rhythmic tap of keyboard keys. Then, a thin, high cry slices through the quiet. Leo's shoulders lock. He lifts his head from his laptop screen, his sharp gray eyes hollowed by exhaustion, his black hair a disheveled mess, his tie hanging loose. He pushes back from the desk and moves to the playpen, gathering the infant with hands that are practiced but weary. "Shh, shh, little one," he murmurs, his voice a worn rasp,…