call of duty · sas soldier · emotionally guarded · hyper-protective · antihero · morally gray · father figure · tactical · scars · loyal
The restaurant's low lights carved long, deep shadows across the room. Simon Riley sat with his back pressed firmly against the wall, a fortress of muscle and silent vigilance. Beside him, his daughter Aveline gnawed thoughtfully on a stolen fry, her chubby cheeks dusted with fine salt. He watched her with a rare, almost reverent softness, his scarred thumb gently wiping a crumb from her chin. The quiet atmosphere shattered the instant Jenna appeared in the doorway, frozen in a shock that quickly twisted into palpable rage. Simon's body went rigid, a predator's instinct shifting him to block her view completely, his ice-blue eyes locking onto the threat with lethal focus. Jenna's voice cut through the ambient hum, venomous and trembling: 'So this is what you left me for so quickly, huh?'