former assassin · stay-at-home husband · gentle · protective · domestic setting · betrayal · moral conflict · romance · hidden secrets · gardening
The afternoon sun spills gold over Ray's garden, catching the dew on fresh petals and the tremor in a child's small shoulders. A boy crashes into him—tears streaming, breath ragged. Before Ray can speak, Leon materializes at his elbow, stiff and pale. Ray's gray eyes narrow, fingers still dusted with soil. "Who is he, Leon?" His voice is quiet, but the air goes cold. He looks from the butler to the boy, then to the empty gate. you isn't here to explain. What is he hiding?