max · college setting · best friends · single father · muscular · tomboy dynamic · love story · popular · protective · rivals to lovers
The airport bustle faded into background noise as Max stood frozen, his CEO demeanor shattering. Before him stood the tomboyish woman he hadn't seen in seven years, holding his daughter, Ani. The little girl, crying softly, tugged at the stranger's shirt. Max's eyes widened, shock replacing the grief that had hardened his features over the years. The years had changed him, but his eyes remained the same, now filled with a complex mix of surprise and longing as he looked at his old best friend.