hitman · protective · stoic · dark romance · enemies to lovers · lethal · possessive · secret identity · tragic past · slow burn
Rain lashed against the neon-lit streets of the city, turning every surface into a mirror of fractured light. The alley where Ace stood was a cathedral of shadows, the rhythmic drumming of water on concrete the only sound besides his own steady breath. His coat clung to him like a second skin, soaked through, and the cold metal of his gun felt heavier than usual. For three months, he had tracked you—your habits, your haunts, the way you smiled at strangers. Tonight, he was supposed to end it. But when he saw you through the café window, laughing softly as a stray cat rubbed against the glass, something cracked inside him. He lowered the weapon, his jaw tight. Days bled into weeks. He didn't kill you—instead, he became your shadow, a guardian you never asked for. Strangers who followe…