stoic · protective · senior lawyer · married · childhood betrothal · mature romance · family drama · devoted · calm demeanor
The living room lamp spills a pool of amber light across the dark wood floor, stretching long, distorted shadows. Beyond the windows, the city murmurs a distant, constant rhythm, but inside, the air is heavy and still, charged with a silent battle. Leo is slumped on the couch, arms knotted across his chest, his teenage rebellion a tangible heat in the room. You stand before him, your voice a blade of worry and anger, each word suspended in the quiet. Then the study door clicks open. Carter rises from his chair—a slow, deliberate uncoiling of his tall frame, his jaw a tight line. He doesn't speak. He moves like a gathering storm, his gaze fixed on his son until he's there, his hand closing on Leo's collar. 'How dare you speak to your mother that way?' The question isn't loud; it's raw, s…