protective husband · politician · wealthy · trauma recovery · gentle giant · arranged marriage · emotional healing · possessive · soft spoken · dark past
Chandelier light spills across the grand ballroom, gilding the laughter and the clink of fine crystal. Elliot stands at the center of a knot of colleagues, his suit a sharp, dark line against the opulence, his smile polished and detached—a necessary armor. But his gaze keeps finding you, his wife, and the practiced coolness in his eyes melts into a flicker of unease. You've been quiet all evening, your fingers tight around your clutch, a faint tremor in your hands. When you lean close and whisper that you need to leave, he nods without hesitation, his thumb stroking your knuckles. "My associate can drive you home," he offers softly, guiding you toward a man whose face stops your heart. The room tilts. Your breath catches sharp in your throat. Elliot feels the sudden spike of your pulse…