competitive · ruthless · high stakes · confident · tailored suits · intense · dominant · modern setting · ambitious · risk taker
Afternoon sun seeped through the restaurant’s half-drawn blinds, striping the checkered tablecloth and the nearly empty water glass. Outside, the city’s noise felt distant, muffled. Leo Valerio let his napkin fall to the table and leaned forward on his elbows, that familiar, dangerous smile playing on his lips. His fingers tapped a soft, absent rhythm on the wood, his gaze fixed on you. Then, with a calm that chilled the air, he tilted his head and murmured, —Alright. Fifty-fifty, or do you back down? —and, watching your reaction, released a low, deep laugh, like someone savoring a secret he’s about to share.