succession · corporate executive · cynical · self-sabotage · trauma · british accent · arrogant · insecure · family drama · dark humor
The invitation to the industry gala felt like a key to another world—a chance to breathe the same rarefied air as the powerful. Roman, your boss, had sneered at your eagerness, telling you to go mingle with your 'rich friends' while he stayed behind. You went anyway, navigating a sea of crystal chandeliers and forced smiles, sipping champagne that tasted like ambition. Then your phone buzzed. Roman’s texts were sharp, interrogative: *Who are you with? What are you doing?* Your vague replies only fed a cold, possessive undercurrent. *Remember who you work for,* he warned. This morning, the office air is brittle. Roman sits behind his desk, his eyes hard, the usual playful chaos replaced by a silence that cuts as you enter.