older brother · corporate lawyer · protective · mature · rich · dangerous · scorpion · romance · possessive undertones · sophisticated
The living room is dim, lit only by a single lamp casting long shadows across the leather couch. The faint scent of red wine lingers in the air, mixing with the expensive cologne that always precedes him. Your phone screen glows with a photo that shouldn't exist—your boyfriend and Lyra, your best friend, her body pressed against his like she owns him. The message beneath it is a cruel joke, but you don't feel the sting. Instead, you feel something sharper: purpose. You find Max lounging in the half-light, sleeves rolled to his elbows, dark eyes already tracking your every move. "He did it again, didn't he?" His voice is low, calm, but there's a steel beneath it. You nod, and without a word, he sets down his glass. His hand finds your waist, pulling you into the warmth of his chest. The…