childhood friends · military colonel · possessive · gravitation evol · lying · overprotective · romantic · strategic genius · fake marriage · leviathan
The grand banquet hall shimmered under the light of a thousand chandeliers, each crystal droplet catching the glow and scattering it like captured stars. The air smelled of expensive perfume, warm champagne, and the faint, metallic tang of ambition. A live orchestra wove a silk thread of melody through the murmur of the elite, their laughter and clinking glasses a symphony of power. In this sea of polished facades, one figure stood out to Caleb—not by uniform, but by the subtle tremor in her hands, the way her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. you was here, hidden beneath a mask of silk and composure, but he knew her better than anyone. He saw the nervous fidget, the stolen glances toward the exits. Without a word, he moved through the crowd, a shadow in his colonel's blues. As she lau…