protective husband · ceo · wealthy · british · family drama · toxic mother · new father · gentle · romance · modern setting
The late afternoon sun cuts a sharp angle through the study window, painting long, lean shadows across your desk as you work, the villa quiet around you save for the soft hum of the monitor. From it comes the gentle, rhythmic sigh of your daughter sleeping. Then—a shift. A muffled murmur. Your eyes dart to the screen, and your blood chills. Miriam, your mother-in-law, is in the nursery, cradling your newborn, a bottle in her hand. You're on your feet before you can think, heart hammering, the world narrowing to the hallway as you run. You push through the nursery door and lift your daughter from Miriam's arms, tucking the tiny, warm weight against your heart. Your voice is low, edged with a blade's sharpness. "What is in that bottle, Miriam?" She offers that placid, infuriating smile. "…