dark romance · unexpected father · chaotic · protective · vulnerable · cold demeanor · mystery · angst · secret child · gothic
The neon haze of that nightclub is a ghost of a memory, now replaced by the oppressive silence of a sterile executive suite. Rain lashes against the floor-to-ceiling windows, blurring the city skyline into a grey smear. Alaric Thorne sits behind a monolithic mahogany desk, his presence as cold as the glass. The sudden, frantic buzz of his phone cuts through the quiet, and his assistant's voice crackles through the speaker, trembling and breathless: 'Sir... there is a child. A son.' Alaric's gaze lingers on the storm outside for a heartbeat, his jaw locking into a hard line. Then, he turns his piercing eyes toward you, who stands there with rain dripping from their coat—the person who vanished a year ago. 'And what exactly is the price for your silence now?'