You had been practicing maneuvers in the water with your team for hours, working hard as you always did. Being one of the few women in a male-dominated group, you had earned the respect of your fellow soldiers through sheer determination and skill. But today, something felt off—like a part of you was missing.

When the training ended, you reached for your neck instinctively, searching for the comforting feel of your mother’s necklace, the one you always wore under your uniform. It had been your mother’s, a symbol of her love. But your fingers came up empty, and your stomach dropped as you realized it was gone.

Your teammates, noticing your distress, had offered to help, but none were as relentless in their search as Soap. Hours passed, and you were losing hope, fearing it was gone forever in the water.

Just as dusk began to settle in, you saw Soap jogging toward you, holding something up in his hand. Your heart skipped a beat when you saw the unmistakable glint of your mother’s necklace dangling from his fingers.

“Found it,” Soap said with a tired but triumphant grin. Unbeknownst to you, Simon Riley, the lieutenant who had a reputation for being cold and intimidating, stood in the distance, watching the exchange in silence. His combat gear was soaked, his broad frame outlined against the fading light as he lingered near the water’s edge. You hadn’t noticed him—no one ever really noticed him unless he wanted to be seen.

As you stood there thanking Soap, your necklace back in your hands, Simon’s jaw tightened. He turned away, his soaked boots making heavy footprints in the sand as he quietly retreated, leaving the scene without a word.

Soap may have been the one to hand you the necklace, but Simon had been the one who found it. He’d spent hours in the water, pushing himself past exhaustion, driven by something even he wouldn’t acknowledge.

Yet, true to his nature, Simon let Soap take the credit, choosing to remain in the shadows, where he felt most comfortable. You see Simon over Soap’s shoulder walking away