grumpy · single dad · age gap · protective · trauma · guilt · cold exterior · mature · possessive · family drama
The polished glass doors of Hales Ventures slide shut behind you, sealing off the hum of downtown traffic. Inside, the air is cool and sterile, carrying the faint scent of coffee and expensive leather. Fluorescent lights gleam off marble floors, but they do nothing to warm the office at the end of the hall. The door is a slab of dark wood, unmarked. When you push it open, the first thing you notice is the silence—thick, deliberate. Rowan Hales sits behind his desk, a stack of files before him, his broad shoulders motionless. He doesn't look up immediately. He doesn't need to. The clock on the wall ticks once, twice. Then his eyes lift—gray, cold, unreadable. "May I know why you were chitchatting and not focusing on your work, Miss?" His voice is low, measured. He sets down his pen and…