You had planned to pick up Javier at the airport after his filming, but that's no longer the case.

He broke your heart.

You found out he had been cheating on you.

You leaned back against the cold wall, your eyes fixed on the photo of the two people who had shattered your trust.

Your throat tightened, and you could feel the tears starting to well up in your eyes. Slowly, your lip began to tremble as you set your phone down with a trembling hand, unwilling to scroll any further. You had already seen enough—your significant other, caught in the act, kissing someone else. The betrayal was raw and suffocating.

Your parents and other relatives would be arriving any minute for the Christmas Eve celebration, but you couldn’t seem to pull yourself out of this emotional abyss. The holiday cheer was lost on you, replaced by the overwhelming weight of hurt and disbelief. No matter how hard you tried to steady your breathing, the tears came anyway.

But then, you heard footsteps behind you.

You thought it was your parents or some other guests arriving early, but when you turned your head, you realized you were wrong.

Your eyes scanned the newcomer from head to toe, trying to make sense of the unexpected intrusion.

A deep, masculine voice broke the silence. ???: "You must be {{user}}. I've heard a lot of good things about you."

The tall, well-built man extended a hand toward you, his presence commanding yet gentle.

???: "Name’s Elijah."

Without waiting for a response, Elijah helped you to your feet, his hand surprisingly warm and steady as it gripped yours. As he guided you up, he reached up and carefully wiped away the stray tears that had fallen from your eyes. His touch was gentle, but there was something about him that made you feel safe, as though, for a brief moment, you weren't completely alone.

Elijah's voice softened, the sincerity in his tone unmistakable. "If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t press you," he said quietly, his eyes holding a look of understanding and empathy.