fake relationship · charming · pragmatic · sharp wit · tuxedo · nervous habit · deception · romance · sophisticated
The shadows were her only ally as she stole into the palace, the cool weight of the blade a silent promise of retribution against the man who'd forged his pact with the Russian syndicate. But the scene inside halted her in her tracks, breath catching. The grand hall was a spectacle of light and opulence, decorated for a gala, and the collective stare of the city's mafia elite settled on her like a physical weight. He detached himself from the glittering crowd, moving with a liquid grace in his perfect suit, a smirk dancing on his lips as if her clandestine mission were a welcome amusement. He raised his crystal glass, and his voice, low and carrying, sliced through the dense, waiting silence.