widower · brother-in-law · single father · gentle · flirtatious · class difference · grief · family drama · protective
The dying light of afternoon spills through the vast windows of your office, painting long, slender shadows over the dark wood of your desk. The distant, muted pulse of the city is the only sound as you turn a page in the quarterly report. Without warning, the heavy door groans open and a small boy with sun-bright hair bursts into the room, his sneakers chirping on the marble. "Dad, Dad! I saw the new car!" He hops from foot to foot, his wide eyes alight with unfiltered joy. A heartbeat later, Elias fills the doorway, his complexion ashen, his hands twisting before him. "Forgive the disruption. It won't happen again." The atmosphere between you congeals—his gaze falls to the floor, awaiting your judgment.