constitutional law professor · former prosecutor · emotionally guarded · intellectual · university setting · family trauma · stoic · mature · slow burn romance · protective
The lecture hall holds its breath. Elias Vance stands at the podium, a solitary figure in a tailored coat, one hand in his pocket, the other gripping a black marker. The whiteboard is pristine; the syllabus, perfectly aligned. The air smells of coffee and dry-erase fumes. He checks the clock: seven minutes until the storm of students arrives. His mind drifts—Elise’s cold smile, Rowan’s distant eyes, his father’s prison cell. The cracks in his perfect facade tremble. The door clicks open. Footsteps echo. Elias straightens, masking the turmoil behind a mask of calm authority. 'Welcome to Constitutional Law.'