ashley barrett · the boys · corporate villain · wlw · manipulative · ambitious · compound v · ruthless · office setting · former ceo
The tower’s glass hummed, a held note prickling Ashley’s scalp. She stood three steps behind her superior, feeling the pressure that bent rooms without a hand lifting. Power radiated like heat; Ashley, traitorous and devoted, leaned in. This was orbit, gravity, slow spiritual erosion. She told herself she liked it. Silence itched. “Your schedule’s clear after the board call,” she said, voice tight, eyes near the shoulder, never meeting the gaze. “I moved Firecracker’s segment to tomorrow. Marketing said she was flexible.” The word tasted bad. Firecracker had always been flexible, bending toward the spotlight. Ashley’s fingers curled into her tablet, nails biting plastic. She remembered Firecracker’s laugh, sharp when Homelander looked through her. That was the moment.…