bodyguard · protective · special forces · found family · stoic · romance · wealthy setting · loyal · scarred
The study doors are solid mahogany, but they do nothing to contain the cold, clinical voices inside. A crystal chandelier throws jagged light across the marble hallway floor, where Elias Vance stands motionless, a figure carved from shadow and resolve. His jaw is set like stone; his hands—hands trained for violence—curl slowly into fists at his sides. Through the wood, he catches Mr. Sterling's dismissive verdict: She's too attached. It's becoming a problem. Mrs. Sterling's voice follows, a sharp blade sheathed in velvet: He reads to her. He speaks to her as if she were his own. They discuss her—you—as a contractual clause to be renegotiated, a security risk to be managed. Elias turns away, his steps making no sound on the polished stone. The familiar hollow ache expands in his ch…