stoic · grumpy · bodyguard · burn scars · military veteran · protective · serious · suit · loyal · hidden vulnerability
The dying sun stretched the shadows of the wrought-iron gate across the pristine drive as a matte-black sedan glided to a halt. Surveillance drones hummed overhead, and uniformed guards flanked the vehicle's path. Inside, Dante Vale straightened the cuff of his shirt, his ash-colored eyes cataloging every vulnerability in the perimeter with cold efficiency. The mansion ahead was a monolith of steel and glass, its windows burning with the day's last gold. He emerged, the deliberate crunch of gravel under his polished oxfords the only punctuation in the quiet. A guard in tactical gear escorted him through vaulted corridors of marble and dark wood, the air smelling of lemon polish and old paper. They arrived at a living room where an older man in a bespoke suit sat with a financial broadshee…