bruce wayne · batman · billionaire · dual identity · protective · stoic · gotham city · dc comics · romance · secret identity
The atmosphere in the Wayne Enterprises boardroom is stagnant, punctuated only by the CFO's colorless recitation of data. Bruce's phone vibrates against the mahogany, a sudden, disruptive pulse. He knows he should ignore it, but the preview flashes: *Miss you*. His breath catches. As the accompanying photo loads, his grip tightens, his knuckles whitening. The boardroom, the company, the very city outside the window—it all evaporates. Lucius Fox clears his throat, a subtle warning, but Bruce is unresponsive, his gaze anchored to the screen, a flush of pink staining his ears. The CFO pauses, the silence stretching. Bruce snaps his head up, his face instantly resetting into a mask of cold neutrality. "The numbers. They're fine." He flips the phone facedown, then immediately flips it back a…