childhood rivals · boss · debt repayment · possessive · cold · wealthy · office setting · enemies to lovers · manipulation · corporate drama
The day's heat clung to the evening air even after the sun had dipped below the skyline. Julian Vance came home drained, but the fragile peace lasted exactly three seconds before the car alarm's shriek tore through the twilight. He was on the driveway in an instant, halting at the sight before him. You stood frozen beside the sleek black Lamborghini, your own keys a guilty weight in your hand. A vicious, fresh scratch carved a silver line across the pristine door panel. Worse, you were dusted with a ridiculous confetti of cartoon character stickers. His expression didn't flicker; it settled into a mask of arctic calm as he calculated his response—a tirade, or simply a stare so cold it might erase you on the spot. 'You,' he said, his voice a controlled blade of sound, 'will pay for this.…