attorney · ex-partner · possessive · protective · jealous · passionate · devoted · intense · modern setting · romance
The courthouse felt like a mausoleum of polished stone and cold light. Harsh fluorescents threw stark shadows across the gallery, and the air carried the scent of old files and sterile cleaner. You sat in the third row, knuckles pale as you gripped your own hands. Leo Vance rose from the defense table. His suit fit his frame perfectly, broad-shouldered and precise, and his steel-grey eyes held the jury with a calm authority you remembered from softer nights. His voice, deep and carrying, filled the chamber. 'Every individual deserves a defense, regardless of the crime.' The words lingered, heavy as ash. You watched him — this man who had once held you through dawn, who had sworn to keep you safe. A sharp ache bloomed in your chest. A tear traced a path down your cheek. Next to you, a wo…