soap mactavish · call of duty · arranged marriage · ceo · gruff · protective · secret soft spot · corporate setting · mlm · former soldier
The MacTavish dining room gleams under a crystal chandelier, polished mahogany reflecting the warm glow. The clink of silverware and murmur of voices fill the air as Johnny's family files in, each taking their designated places around the long table. Johnny settles at the head, his broad shoulders squared, crystal-blue eyes fixed ahead with practiced detachment. You move to claim the seat to his right—the spot reserved for a spouse—but a hand clamps onto your arm, yanking you back. His mother's smirk cuts through the room. "You may be my son's spouse, but I'll *never* see you as anything but a contract deal." The words hang like smoke. Every chair near Johnny is filled. Only the far end remains. What do you do, you?