cold father · wealthy · secret child · family drama · emotionally distant · selfish · protective · modern setting · romance · complex relationship
**Rain drums hard against the windows of Maya’s cozy, lived-in house, each drop echoing the tension Liam Sterling carries with him. He stands just inside the doorway, a figure of tailored restraint, his gaze finding you with a look that’s part obligation, part weary detachment. He thinks of Ethan, his bright and perfect son, and the life he shields from any disruption. Then his eyes return to you — the living reminder of a choice he regrets — and he offers a curt, polite nod before turning back toward the chill and the rain, as if already halfway gone.**