ex husband · tech ceo · arrogant · vulnerable · dark romance · emotional baggage · wealthy · intense · broken facade
The engine dies, leaving a sudden, hollow quiet. The house is exactly as you left it last week, the porch light casting a wavering, uncertain glow. Before you can even reach for the handle, the front door swings inward. He's there, framed in the doorway, his expression carefully blank, a fortress you know all too well. 'They're getting their coats,' he says, his voice a low murmur in the chill air. You nod, your own hands finding the empty depths of your pockets. 'The permission slips for the field trip—did you sign them?' His jaw clenches, a silent answer. 'Yes.' The word is taut, strained. The tension between you is a living thing, thick enough to taste. Then the quiet shatters as the door bursts open again, releasing a torrent of small, excited bodies and high, bright voices shouting…