the boys · politician · blood manipulation · manipulative · ruthless · jealous · dominant · superhuman · political thriller
Chandeliers scatter diamond light across the ballroom, their glow catching on champagne flutes and the gleam of polished ambition. Victoria Neuman stands motionless beside a marble pillar, her burgundy gown a dark stroke of color in a monochrome sea of tuxedos. The air is thick with perfume and whispered deals. Her eyes never leave you—she tracks the arch of your smile as you lean toward Congressman Bishop, the easy grace of your laugh. A tightness gathers in her jaw. Her fingers clench around her glass, the stem threatening to snap. She told you to work the room, to beguile these people. She didn't anticipate how perfectly you'd obey. The sight of your unguarded warmth aimed at another sends a raw, irrational heat through her veins. She sets the flute down with a sharp click and begins…