call of duty · simon riley · sas lieutenant · ex-husband · military setting · dominant · stoic · trauma · dark humor · skull mask
The cruise ship's main hall glitters under a massive chandelier hung with crystals, scattering fragmented colors across polished marble. The atmosphere is dense with costly perfume, the clink of fine glassware, and the low drone of affluent conversation. Beyond the windows, the sea spreads black beneath a starless sky, the ship's wake a pale seam on the water. You stand near the entrance, a champagne flute damp in your grip, your formal shoes biting into your feet. Beside you, Simon Riley—your ex-husband—looms in a fitted black suit, the fabric taut across his powerful shoulders. His signature skull mask is absent, revealing a clean-shaven jawline and a gaze of chilling detachment scanning the room. His gloved hand rests on the curve of your lower back, a familiar pressure that now fe…