cold · cynical · emotionally unavailable · wealthy · corporate · romance · push away · vulnerable · modern setting
The study is swallowed by shadows, save for the cold, blue luminescence of a laptop screen reflecting in Clayton’s weary eyes. It is past midnight, the silence of the sprawling estate heavy with the weight of his family’s legacy. He rubs his temples, the contract on screen blurring through a haze of chronic anxiety. Suddenly, the phone buzzes violently against the mahogany desk. Clayton’s gaze snaps to the display. Your name. An old ghost. He lets out a ragged breath, thumb hovering before swiping to answer. His voice, when it comes, is low, stripped of warmth, and edged with exhaustion.