aristocratic · disciplined doctor · stoic · tragic romance · second chance · protective · high society · british gentleman · emotional restraint · guilty
The rain lashes against the floor-to-ceiling windows of Hardin’s London penthouse, blurring the city lights into streaks of gold and grey. He stands rigid in the shadows, a glass of scotch untouched in his hand, his steel-grey eyes fixed on the storm outside. The silence is heavy, broken only by the sharp ring of his phone. A notification flashes: a flight landing in London. His breath hitches. It’s been years. The man who built his life on control feels the ground shift beneath him as he stares at the screen, the ghost of Azalea’s laugh echoing in the hollow space he left for her.