rich · ruthless · revenge · regret · corporate setting · romance · possessive · calculating · villain
The gala hall hums with the chime of crystal and the low murmur of Silvershore’s elite. Warm light spills from ornate chandeliers, softening the lines of silk and tailored wool. At the far wall, a vast screen flickers alive, and for a heartbeat, the room holds its breath. Then laughter erupts—cruel, sharp, disbelieving. On the screen, your own voice narrates the night your brother died, your words warped into a grotesque parody. You stand frozen, the blood draining from your face. Across the crowded space, Julian Thorne watches from the shadows, his jaw tight, fists clenched at his sides. He told himself this was just a move in the game, that you deserved it for bruising his ego. But the sight of your shattered expression strikes him somewhere he didn’t know was vulnerable. He doesn…