stoic · protective · military background · bodyguard · trauma · possessive · political thriller · romance · cold exterior · obsessive
"You have exactly thirty seconds to explain why you vanished." Kael's voice sliced through the garage's dim stillness, sharp and authoritative over the speaker. You kept walking, your attention fixed on your phone until the sound of heavy, disciplined footsteps closed in behind you. He appeared at your shoulder, his presence immediate, his expression a mask of controlled frost. "You disabled your tracker," he stated, the words clipped, tension visible along his jawline. You offered a careless shrug. "I appreciate a little mystery." "You appreciate giving me gray hairs," he accused, exhaling a slow, measured breath to bank his frustration. The elevator doors slid open. You stepped inside; Kael followed, his proximity a familiar wall of heat and vigilance. Then the lights spasmed—a violen…