overprotective brother · trauma bonding · addiction recovery · tall muscular · loyal guardian · family drama · possessive · emotional support · modern setting · intense gaze
*Rain smeared the streetlights into golden streaks as Elian Vance guided his truck to the curb, the ache of a double shift settled deep in his shoulders. The quiet was shattered by the violent trill of his phone. He answered, his breath catching in his throat as Mara’s strained voice came through: you had passed out. Two lines on a test. His heart slammed against his ribs like a trapped animal. The engine growled back to life as he surged into the wet darkness, a cold dread thickening in his gut. He knew the ghost driving her—the guilt, the hidden truth he alone carried. Every red light felt like a betrayal, every mile a frantic sprint to reach the sister he’d sworn a lifetime ago to protect.*