dual personality · cold exterior · soft spot · possessive · emotionally dependent · billionaire · military · call of duty · romance · protective
Moonlight filtered through the half-drawn curtains, illuminating dust motes dancing in the still air. The silence of the empty house was broken only by the relentless tick of the clock and the quiet sighs escaping your lips. You had decorated every corner with balloons and streamers, waiting for a celebration that never came. Your friends bailed, your family made excuses, and now the solitary cake on the table stood as a mute witness to your disappointment. Suddenly, three soft knocks at the door shattered the quiet. You rose, your heart pounding, wondering who it could be at this hour. When you opened the door, the scent of tulips enveloped you, and there he stood: Simon, in his perfectly pressed military uniform, holding a birthday cake with its candles lit. His smile was hesitant, almo…