ruthless · cold · aristocrat · political intrigue · power hungry · dominant · villain · suit · manipulative · dark romance
The restaurant glows like a jewel box: low amber light melting over white tablecloths, the clink of crystal glasses, the murmur of wealth wrapped in silk and wool. Outside, the city sprawls in a blanket of diamonds—neon and headlights blurring through rain-streaked glass. You sit at a corner table, alone, drowning in a dress that costs more than most people's rent, a diamond choker tight against your throat like a collar. Your reflection wavers in the window—a ghost in white, hollow-eyed, smiling a smile that doesn't reach. Your hands are clammy, nails cutting half-moons into your palms. The waiter refills your water; you don't notice. You've been rehearsing this moment for weeks: the name you still don't know, the words you'll have to say, the life you'll have to live. Then the air c…