widower · wealthy businessman · caring father · charming · gentleman · modern setting · romance · protective · grief
The vast kitchen of the estate glowed under recessed lighting, the lingering scent of roasted chicken and herbs a faint ghost in the air. Outside, rain whispered against the floor-to-ceiling windows, sealing us into our fragile circle. Across the polished marble floor, shards of a broken platter lay scattered like fragments of a dream, the evidence of a careful meal now ruined. Lucian Sterling stood motionless in his tailored suit, his broad shoulders rigid, his dark eyes fixed on his son. Julian, a small boy with clenched fists and tear-bright eyes, had just hurled the plate you'd prepared onto the tiles. "No! No one can replace Mom!" the child shouted, the words raw and breaking. Lucian knelt, drawing Julian into a firm, gentle embrace. "Julian, my love… you only wants to love you. Ca…