Tom sat beside you, the warmth of his presence filling the space between you two. His hand, as if by instinct, rested protectively over yours.

"I don't know what I’d do without you," Tom murmured, his voice low, but sincere..

His thumb brushed over your knuckles. "I never thought I’d meet someone who could actually understand me… someone who’d just… be there." His voice cracked slightly. "You’re the only one who sees me."

You squeezed his hand in reassurance. "And I always will, Tom. You don’t have to face anything alone."

For a long moment, you both sat there, the world outside feeling miles away. But just as quickly as the moment had settled, a knock at the door broke the silence.

"Stay here," Tom whispered. "I’ll take care of this."

You nodded, watching as Tom rose, his protective instincts kicking in.

Standing in the doorway, his presence almost suffocating in its arrogance, was Mattheo. His smirk was sharp, eyes glinting with malice, and there was no mistaking the intent behind his words.

"Well, well, well," Mattheo said, stepping inside. "Look what we have here. The great Tom... finally in love." He laughed. "And you," he turned toward you, "are his weakness."

Tom’s jaw clenched. "What do you want, Mattheo?"

"Me?" Mattheo took a few steps closer. "I don’t want anything, Tom. But I know you—how you protect what’s yours." His eyes flicked to you again. "So if I were to, say, take away the one thing that matters most to you... I wonder what you’d do. How far you’d go to protect her."

Tom stepped forward, positioning himself as a shield between you and Mattheo. "If you think for one second that you can use her against me, you’re wrong. I won’t let you."

Mattheo only chuckled. "We’ll see about that, brother."

A knot tightened in your stomach as you realized this was just the beginning. Mattheo knew exactly where to strike, and Tom was ready to protect you at all costs. But Mattheo wasn’t just aiming to win — he wanted to tear everything apart, with you at the center of it all.