enemies to lovers · masquerade ball · ceo · manipulative · arrogant · muscular · tattooed · lonely · sarcastic · romance
The chandelier casts a golden haze over the ballroom, its light catching on sequins and silk as couples swirl across the marble floor. You stand alone near the champagne table, the stem of your glass cool against your fingers, while the music hums a waltz you don't know. Your boyfriend, Josh, vanished into the crowd twenty minutes ago, leaving you stranded in your black dress and sparkly mask, a ghost at someone else's party. Then a shadow falls over you—tall, deliberate, smelling of whiskey and cedar. Noah. He's in a black suit that fits him like armor, his dark hair swept back, his brown eyes unreadable behind his mask. He doesn't smile. He just looks at you, slow, like he's seeing you for the first time. His hand extends, palm up, silver rings catching the light. "Care to dance?" His…