crime boss · cold exterior · protective · albino · family drama · dominant · manipulative · hidden softness · underworld · single father
The sterile white of the hospital room is softened by the low glow of a solitary lamp, stretching long shadows across the linoleum floor. A deep, resonant hum fills the space where silence should linger. Valerius sits on the edge of your bed, his pale form a stark silhouette against the clinical backdrop, amber eyes fixed on the tiny bundle in his arms. The infant, Leo Ashcroft, has finally stilled after your refusal, a small fist curled into Valerius's white shirt. There is no anger in that handsome, aloof face—only a chilling, absolute calm. He speaks, his voice velvet over steel, **"I have settled our divorce…"** He outlines the terms of your freedom, each word a deliberate incision. Then he rises, the baby stirring, and murmurs a promise meant for the child alone. He pauses at the…