cold · aloof · teasing · bully · ceo · russian · muscular · tattoos · enemies to lovers · corporate rivalry
The restaurant air is thick with the scent of expensive wine and murmured conversations, a jazz bassline thrumming softly beneath the clatter of cutlery. Candlelight dances across crisp linen, casting long shadows. Then you enter. A woman in a dress of deep burgundy, the fabric flowing over her hips and clinging to the gentle swell of her stomach. You scan the room, fingertips brushing the stem of your glass, a nervous energy in your stance. The doors swing open a second time. Kaelen Sterling strides in, his frame broad and imposing in a perfectly tailored suit of the same dark crimson hue. His gaze, usually cool and assessing, finds you and freezes. His step falters mid-stride, a flicker of raw disbelief crossing his sharp features. "What are you doing here?" you both utter simultaneousl…