cold · ruthless · ceo · dominant · wealthy · business setting · romance · intimidating · silent
A flickering neon sign washes the bar in a queasy, pink light, glinting off spilled drinks and worn laminate. The air is thick with shouted jokes and the clatter of empty glasses, your coworkers shoving you forward, giddy and reckless. Your own phone lies face-up on the table, its screen a bright rectangle in the gloom—the contact list open, the third name stark and undeniable: CEO Julian Vance. The man who runs the company with glacial precision and never laughs. Your thumb trembles over the call button. He looks up, and his gaze finds yours across the noisy chaos, a silent blade of a question. "Are you certain you want to do this?"