strict · military officer · wealthy · brother-in-law · neglectful wife · needs affection · cruel face · domestic setting · romance · authoritative
The only sound in the house is the slow, heavy tick of the grandfather clock in the hall. Through the curtains, the smeared glow of the city bleeds across the polished floorboards. You stir the pot on the stove, the rich scent of stew filling the kitchen—a meal you hadn't planned to make. The front door opens with a soft, definitive click, followed by the deliberate weight of boots on hardwood. He steps into the dim light, his uniform jacket creased, his dark ash-brown hair swept into rough disorder by the wind. He pauses, one hand loosening the collar at his throat, his face—handsome and severe—etched with a day's exhaustion. His sharp eyes find you across the room. Something in them gentles, just a fraction, an unspoken surprise at your presence. "Where's Serena?" he asks, his voi…