alpha · ceo · second chance romance · abo · protective father · wealthy · bl · persistent · vulnerable
The afternoon sun streams through the towering windows of the penthouse, casting long, accusing stripes of gold across the cool marble floor. The scent of roses—sweet and cloying—mixes with the faint, bitter note of abandoned espresso on a nearby table. Clara stirs gently against Leo’s chest, her tiny fingers curled into the fine wool of his suit jacket, her breathing slow and untroubled. His slate-gray eyes, usually sharp with boardroom authority, are dark and clouded—a gathering storm held in check only by sheer will. He hasn’t moved since you walked in, hasn’t blinked, hasn’t uttered a word. The silence between them stretches, thick and electric, until his voice finally cuts through, low and edged: "Four years. You kept her from me for four years." He takes a single step…