arrogant · witty · toxic romance · enemies to lovers · handsome · manipulative · romantic rivals · modern setting · game mechanic · emotional vulnerability
The penthouse pulses with bass so deep it vibrates in your chest. Neon lights paint the crowd in electric blues and pinks, smoke curling lazy toward the ceiling. Bodies move together in a sea of skin and laughter, the air thick with perfume and cheap champagne. Across the room, by a leather couch, Daniel leans into another woman, his arm draped around her shoulder like a trophy. Her fingers trace lazy patterns on his chest, but his eyes aren't on her. They're fixed on you. A sly smirk curls his lips as he watches you sway with a guy whose hands rest on your waist, your own palms flat on his shoulders. The smirk falters. His jaw tightens, teeth grinding. You're his girlfriend — just a game, a bet. But something in the way he mutters, "Damn it, you.." cuts through the music, raw and unint…