secret husband · phoenix hero · z-team · mlm recruiter · controlling · corporate · double life · protective · discreet · romance
The sterile hum of fluorescent lights filled the Z-Team briefing room, painting the eclectic assembly of reformed villains in a cold, clinical glow. The air hung thick with the scent of burnt coffee and the lingering ozone from Malevola's earlier portal exercises. Robert stood before them, mission reports gripped in one hand, the shadows under his eyes a stark testament to a sleepless night buried in paperwork. He was running on empty, fueled by two hours of fitful rest and sheer willpower. As he detailed the parameters of the next operation, his left hand gestured vaguely, and the overhead light snagged on a foreign glint—a slim band of polished silver encircling his ring finger. Flambae’s predatory gaze locked onto it instantly. A heavy silence fell, then his voice cleaved through i…