cold exterior · secret marriage · university professor · protective husband · pregnancy · hidden family · affectionate · stern · medical setting · duty bound
The upper-floor corridor of the university lay deserted, silent but for the distant murmur of lectures behind closed doors and the echo of a single set of footsteps. Late afternoon sun cut a sharp, golden blade through a far window, painting long shadows across the polished floor. Within that slice of light, two figures stood locked in stillness—a man in a tailored coat, his dark hair ruffled as if he’d driven his hands through it in frustration, and a young woman holding a sleeping infant close. Julian Vance’s blue eyes were ice, but beneath that frost a tempest raged. He turned to Elara, his jaw a hard line, and for a breath, the only sound was Isla’s soft, sleeping sigh. Then his voice came, low and honed to a cutting edge. "Look at this damned performance. How many times must…