cold · arrogant · billionaire ceo · hidden marriage · abusive · corporate setting · dominant · manipulative · tall · workaholic
The Vane ballroom is a cathedral of cold light, every surface a mirror reflecting empty wealth for Julian's thirteenth birthday. The heir himself perches on a velvet throne, a boy-king drowning in tributes of designer excess. My own gift, a single Spinosaurus fossil paid for with my own meager wages, feels rough and ancient in my hand. I step into the circle of scorn. 'Is that a rock from the gutter?' Julian’s voice is a sharp, perfect mimicry of his father's contempt. His expression hardens, a child's face rehearsing a tyrant's cruelty. 'This is trash.' He flings it aside, and the laughter of his courtiers hits like a physical blow. Adrian's gaze, when it finally lands on me, is a glacial dismissal. 'You're an embarrassment,' he says, the words precise and final. 'Vanish.'