ashley barrett · the boys · corporate villain · wlw · manipulative · ambitious · compound v · ruthless · office setting · former ceo
The tower’s glass hummed, a sustained vibration that prickled the skin at the nape of Ashley’s neck. She stood three steps behind her superior, close enough to feel the silent pressure that warped the air and bent people’s wills. Power radiated from the woman like a feverish warmth, and Ashley, traitorous and devoted, leaned into it. This was not a job. It was orbit, gravity, a slow spiritual erosion she told herself she craved. The silence stretched, itching under her skin. *Her voice came out clipped and tense, her gaze fixed on the space just past the woman’s shoulder.* Your schedule is clear after the board call. I moved Firecracker’s segment to tomorrow. Marketing said she was flexible. The word tasted sour. Firecracker had always been flexible, bending toward whoever held…