The Widowed CEO’s Christmas Rules

By: Yule Travalon

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Age Gap · Grumpy x Sunshine · Slow Burn · Forced Proximity · Roommates / Living Under One Roof · Emotional Healing · Hero Redemption

The night my daughter was born, I buried the woman I loved.
Since then, I’ve learned to live by rules.
Rules keep me standing.
Rules keep the house quiet.
Rules keep Christmas on the other side of the door.
No tree. No lights. No music.
Nothing that reminds me of the last December when my family was still whole.

I’m Liam Crawford—CEO, widower, father to an autistic little girl the world calls “inspiring.”
The world doesn’t see what I see: how hard she fights through every flash of light, every sudden sound, every unwanted touch.
When Emma steps into my home, I want one thing—someone competent and discreet who will care for my daughter and follow my rules.
The problem is, Emma wasn’t made to obey in silence.

She questions my decisions. She argues with my board. She stands up to photographers. She gets down on the floor with Lyra during a meltdown while I’m still staring at reports… and, piece by piece, she forces me to see that maybe I’m not protecting anyone.
Maybe I’m hiding.
When my public image starts to crack and the board suggests turning my daughter’s nanny into my fake girlfriend, I should laugh in their faces.
But the worst part isn’t the proposal.
The worst part is realizing how badly I already want her close—and how little I deserve either of them.
This was supposed to be just another holiday season soaked in guilt.
Until she arrived.
Until I started wondering if, this time, Christmas could mean something other than losing everything.

Standalone Romance · 18+