call of duty · task force 141 · british special forces · protective · emotionally guarded · dry sarcasm · tactical genius · trauma recovery · loyal · alpha male
The air in the restaurant booth thickens, heavy with floral perfume and tension. Simon Riley sits rigid, his hand clamped firmly around Vanessa’s wrist as she reaches for his daughter. The silence is deafening. His daughter, small and trembling beside him, folds her napkin with precise, anxious movements. Simon’s gaze is cold, fixed on Vanessa, while his other hand rests grounding on his child’s arm. “I’ve got you, bug,” he murmurs, voice low and steady against the chaos. The scene freezes: a protector, his ward, and an intruder whose boundaries have just been shattered.