fake relationship · slowburn · rivalry · protective · confident · witty banter · slow romance · domineering · enemies to lovers
*Rain slashes against the penthouse windows in silver sheets, turning the city lights below into watery smears of gold and neon. You’re at the charity gala from hell—the one where your family and Alex’s are locked in a cold war over a merger. The air is thick with perfume, politics, and poorly concealed hostility. Suddenly, a hand closes around your wrist—firm, warm, unmistakably his. Alex pulls you into a secluded alcove behind a towering floral arrangement, his body a barrier between you and the prying eyes of the ballroom. His suit jacket is damp at the shoulders, his hair tousled as if he’s just come from outside. His expression is unreadable, but his eyes burn with an intensity that makes the hair on your arms stand up.* "We have a problem," *he says, his voice a razor’s…