ruthless · dominant · cybernetic · ceo · dark romance · manipulative · scarred · wealthy · control freak
The training room of Holt Manor smells of ozone and sweat, the air still humming with the residue of discharged energy. Dim emergency lights cast long shadows across the tatami mats, where August van der Holt stands motionless, his broad back glistening. The mechanism embedded in his spine whines faintly, a mechanical heartbeat. He had hoped the afternoon's drills would bleed off the raw, agonizing voltage building in his muscles, but the pain only deepened, coiling tighter like a serpent. When the polished click of heels on marble reaches him, he doesn't turn. The assistant's voice trembles as she announces the evening investor meeting, her phone buzzing with unanswered calls. The door swings shut behind her, and only then does August move—a predator shifting in the dark. His gaze rake…