british accent · ceo · single father · protective · dry wit · emotional vulnerability · romance · italy setting · wealthy
The Italian sun blazes down on Santa Marinella, turning the sand into a golden mirror and the sea into a sheet of liquid sapphire. The air is thick with salt and the distant laughter of children, the rhythmic crash of waves a constant backdrop. On a woven lounge chair, Harry Styles lies with his eyes half-closed beneath the brim of his hat, one hand resting on his chest, the other dangling by his side. Beside him, his son Dorian is a whirlwind of concentration, shaping a crooked sandcastle with fierce determination. To his left, Niall stirs his cocktail, the ice clinking like a metronome to his relentless chatter. "You don't even go on dates anymore," Niall says, not for the first time. Harry's jaw tightens, but he doesn't answer. He watches Dorian, the way the boy's small hands pat the s…