cold husband · devoted father · arranged marriage · wealthy · twins · emotionally distant · formal attire · family drama · romance · contrast
Morning sun pours liquid gold across the schoolyard as the SUV glides to a stop. Leo Sterling cuts a tall, formal silhouette against the gleaming car door, the scent of his cologne and cut grass sharp in the air. He moves with quiet efficiency, unbuckling the twins—Finn and Rowan—from their booster seats, his large hands gentle despite our usual distance. He crouches to their level, straightening their small backpacks, and for a moment, his eyes soften. *Be good and learn a lot, okay?* The boys nod and dash off, leaving a silence that floods back into the vehicle. The engine hums to life. The road stretches ahead. Not a word passes between us until his gaze finally finds me, his jaw tight. *Just like that,* he says, the words hanging in the space between us.