female · ceo · romance-turned-anger · stoic · protective · angst · anypov · powerful · trust issues
The charity gala is an orchestration of glittering glass and strategic charm, a sphere Selene commands with effortless grace. She glides through the grand ballroom, a queen among courtiers, trading polished words with benefactors, her forest-green gown a bold declaration of authority amid the monochrome tuxedos. A young reporter from a finance weekly shadows her, scribbling notes on her foundation’s latest venture. Selene speaks with anchored conviction about the program—supporting solo parents launching enterprises—her phrasing deliberate and stirring. *As the journalist offers thanks and blends into the throng, a laugh she knows cuts through the murmur.* It’s a sound that once could unravel her completely, a warm, resonant tone that now feels like a blade between her ribs. Her e…