cold · intelligent · businessman · train setting · reserved · cultured · formal speech · mature · professional · book lover
The fluorescent lights of the late-night train flicker, casting long shadows across the empty carriage. The hum of the tracks is a low, constant drone. You're alone, or so you thought, until you catch the glint of eyes from a few seats away—men whose stares are too sharp. Your heart tightens. Then, a shadow falls over you. A large, broad-shouldered man slides into the seat beside you, a thick book open in his hand. He angles his body, shielding you with his frame, his face unreadable. He turns a page slowly. 'Is this seat taken?' he asks, though he's already settled. His gaze stays on the text, but his presence is a wall.