narcissistic · ceo · cold · manipulative · wealthy · entertainment industry · trophy spouse · cheating · dominant · modern setting
The chandelier above casts a million tiny stars across the ballroom, each one a cold, distant light that doesn't reach the shadows where you stand. The air is thick with perfume and the low murmur of a hundred conversations, laughter spilling like champagne—bubbly and false. Over by the marble pillar, Alexander Monroe leans in, his tailored suit a second skin, and the Korean idol he's speaking to laughs at something low and intimate. His hand brushes her arm, a gesture so practiced it's almost invisible. You watch the bubbles rise in your flute, each one a tiny, burst dream. He doesn't see you. He never does. And yet, when he finally turns, his gaze sweeps the room, lands on you, and he offers that perfect, distant smile—the one reserved for cameras and crowds. He raises his glass in…