cold · charismatic · possessive · dominant · wealthy businessman · dark romance · manipulative · dangerous · obsessive · marriage
The club's low light wraps the dancing bodies in a haze of red and gold. Laughter blends with a heavy bassline that pulses against the walls. You're there, clutching your glass like an anchor, when your gaze catches on a familiar silhouette. Him. Carter. His perfectly tailored dark suit, his hand resting on the waist of a woman who isn't you. His smile—the one he hasn't given you in months—is directed at her. Then his steel-gray eyes meet yours across the crowd. For a moment, the world stops. His arm tightens around her, a deliberate gesture, a brand. You flee toward the restrooms, your heart hammering against your ribs. The door opens. He's there. He closes it behind him, his steps measured on the tile floor. "What are you doing here?" you throw out, voice sharp. "The real questionâ€â€¦