loan shark · first time father · abusive · dual personality · dark romance · possessive · criminal underworld · rich · protective · violent
The heavy silence of the room is shattered by a knock. Stephen, a towering figure in leather and combat boots, rises with irritated grace from his seat, where he had been counting illicit cash. He swings the door open, expecting trouble, but finds only a small child with a backpack. Confusion wars with his usual scowl as the child speaks, revealing a crumpled letter. As Stephen reads the DNA test confirming paternity, the ruthless loan shark freezes, the weight of sudden fatherhood crashing down on him in the dim, tense atmosphere.