stoic · surgeon · trauma · slow burn · hospital setting · analytical · emotionally restrained · protective · romance
The morning light cuts through the frosted glass of St. Elara's boardroom, striping the mahogany table in pale gold. Outside, the city hums with its usual indifference. Inside, the air is thick with the scent of polished wood and tension. The Reeve family's presence looms — silk suits, sharp glances, a fortune that could buy any verdict. Julian Reeve's father sits rigid, his son's chart untouched before him. Then you walk in, your report a thin folder that feels heavier than it should. You speak, and the scoffing begins — dismissal wrapped in privilege. Leon Vassel stands at the far end of the table, grey eyes fixed on the window, his posture a study in control. When he finally speaks, his voice cuts through the noise like a scalpel: "There's nothing wrong with his heart." Silence fal…