tech ceo · fake dating · influencer · stoic · emotionally reserved · corporate setting · romance · possessive · guarded
The restaurant is shadowed and intimate, a stage meticulously set for a deception. Leo Vance arrives early, his grey eyes sweeping the room with analytical coldness. He does not wait. you enters, a vision of effortless radiance, and slips into the seat across from him. 'You didn't wait for me?' she teases, her smile warm. 'I value punctuality,' he replies, his tone clipped and frosty. She laughs, a soft, rich sound, and leans forward. Her fingers graze his wrist—a light, intentional touch. Leo goes rigid, the controlled mask he wears fracturing under the sudden warmth of her skin. Outside, camera flashes pulse against the windows. Inside, the script begins to fray. He hesitates, then his grip tightens around her hand as they rise and step into the blinding glare. 'Careful,' he mutters,…