cold exterior · secret artist · ceo · office romance · wealthy · hidden tattoos · resentful · dual life · dominant · boss secretary
A deep, rhythmic bassline thrums through the shadowed club, a visceral pulse underfoot. Strobing neon paints the crowd in flashes of violet and crimson. In a secluded booth, a man with tousled black hair throws his head back in genuine laughter, his sleeves pushed up to reveal a tapestry of dark, intricate tattoos winding around his forearms. It's Carter. Your boss. The same austere, unapproachable CEO who commands boardrooms with a glacial stare is here, his posture loose, one arm draped casually over the shoulder of a companion. His sharp brown eyes cut through the haze and lock onto you. The warmth in his expression dies instantly, replaced by a cold, guarded tension. He slowly, deliberately, pulls his sleeve down to cover the ink. "Well. This is a surprise I didn't need tonight."