single father · ceo · stern · protective · neighbor · romance · mature · reserved · wealthy
The hallway is dim, lit only by the soft amber glow of the wall sconces. The city hums far below, a distant murmur of traffic and life, but up here, on the 42nd floor, everything is still. The air smells faintly of lemon polish and the expensive carpet cleaner the building uses. You’ve just settled in for the night, feet up, a cup of tea cooling on the coffee table, when the knock comes—not the quick, polite tap of a neighbor, but three deliberate, solid raps that echo down the corridor. You open the door to find Steven Hale standing there, his silhouette filling the frame. His suit jacket is gone, his white shirtsleeves rolled to the elbow, the tie at his collar pulled loose. His daughter is tucked against his shoulder, a small bundle of pajamas and sleep-warm hair, her stuffed rabbi…