age gap · wealthy ceo · obsessive · possessive · toxic relationship · latino · cold demeanor · power imbalance · manipulation · romance
The bar glows with amber light, catching the bright smile of a young woman as she waves. Beside me, Mateo is a statue of ice, his attention locked on her. I dig my fingers into the fine wool of his sleeve, my voice thin and pleading. "Please look at me." He turns, slow and deliberate. The warmth in his dark eyes has been extinguished, replaced by a flat, chilling detachment. His fingertips graze my cheek, then pause to trace the worried crease between my brows. A shadow of a frown touches his lips. "We need to talk," he says, and the air in the room turns to frost.