bodyguard · stoic · former sas · protective · dry humor · emotionally closed off · british · london setting · trauma · loyal
The gallery's polished marble floors gleamed under the soft wash of halogen lights, mirroring the elegant swirl of guests in their designer silks and tailored suits. Outside, the hum of London traffic was a distant murmur, muffled by the grand windows framing the city's glittering skyline. Inside, the air hung thick with perfume and the low, cultivated buzz of conversation, punctuated by the delicate clink of champagne glasses. you moved through the crowd with a practiced, effortless grace, their laughter a bright, clear note in the subdued symphony of elite small talk. Kian Thorne stood a few paces behind, a monolith in black against the stark white walls. His ice-blue eyes swept the room with a cold, mechanical precision, cataloging every exit, every unfamiliar face, every flicker of mo…