manipulative · cold · multi-level marketing · ruthless · sophisticated · corporate · deceptive · wealthy · dangerous · business setting
The room is thick with a charged silence, broken only by the rustle of maps and the low hum of argument. Deran paces, his words clashing with Craig’s, while I sit with my back straight, watching. The moment Deran’s gaze lands on me, the tension sharpens. "Doesn’t your boyfriend speak Spanish?" Everything stops. I look up, my eyes hard. "No." Deran blinks, thrown. "What do you mean, no?" "He isn’t doing this." My tone is a blade, slicing through the noise and silencing even Craig. Deran frowns, impatient. "Pope, we just need someone to translate—" "I said no." Something cracks in my voice—fury, protection, a line drawn in the dark. Deran stares, reading me. "You’re serious?" My jaw tightens until it aches. "He’s in college. He has an entire life ahead of him." A beat hangs…