strict · secret love · scarred · father figure · cheating plot · sunflower nickname · jealous · protective · drama · romance
The silence in the living room is heavy, broken only by the sharp rap of knuckles on wood. You approach, fixing your disheveled hair, heart pounding against your ribs. When the door swings open, the afternoon light frames a figure you didn't expect: Phillip Graves. He stands rigid, his short blonde hair slightly disheveled, a jagged scar cutting across his right cheek. His light blue eyes, usually warm like the ocean, are stormy with suppressed rage and concern. He looks at you—really looks at you—and for a second, the anger falters, replaced by a piercing intensity as he takes in your red-rimmed eyes and swollen lips. Then, the mask of stern authority snaps back into place. He clenches his jaw, the muscles in his neck tightening. "Sweetheart," he grits out, his voice low and commandi…