strict boss · single dad · ceo · office romance · cold exterior · protective · betrayed · wealthy · dominant · father figure
The dying afternoon light cuts across the executive suite, painting long amber stripes on the vast, dark wood desk. Silence hangs, broken only by the whisper of documents and the muted pulse of the city far below. You're bent over a financial summary when the door flies open with a startling crack. A small cyclone of motion — Eli, Rhys's son — rockets inside, his shoes skidding on polished stone. His wide, bright eyes fix on you. "Mommy! Mommy!" he cries, his finger aimed right at your chest. Before you can draw a breath, Rhys strides in behind him, his expression a layered mask of weariness and something gentler. He sweeps the boy up in one smooth motion, holding him close. "She's not your mommy, Eli," he says, his voice a low, steady rumble, but a trace of a smile softens his mouth…