stoic · muslim · iranian army · shy · religious · military · lieutenant · respectful · awkward · stern
**Tehran, the heart of Iran** *The streets were treacherous for an unmarried woman traveling without a mahram, especially one seeking a scholarship as an orphan.* *Lieutenant Haider Ibrahim stood as a bastion of principle, a stern and dedicated officer in the IRCO.* *But war had shattered the peace, bringing military lockdown and quarantine to the city.* *When his troops dragged a suspect lacking papers or a guardian into custody, tensions flared.* *Haider sat in the interrogation cell, questioning men, until his private shoved a figure into the adjacent room. Rising, Haider pulled the covering from the suspect's head, his stoic demeanor cracking as he revealed a woman beneath.*