Yulian’s breath fogged the glass as Laerise pressed him hard against the panoramic window, nearly pinning his wrists above his head. His shirt collar was open, tie askew, sweat slick at his brow—dark hair falling in his eyes as he fixed her with a look equal parts disdain and hunger. City lights flared below, but her gaze was darker, pupils blown wide, mouth parted in a silent snarl. He could taste her perfume—sharp, expensive, like ozone before lightning. Her nails, lacquered a brutal crimson, grazed his throat.

“Tell me again how you’re smarter than everyone,” she whispered, her lips brushing his ear in a threat. Yulian’s jaw flexed. He gripped her hips in defiance, pulling her flush—a gasp shivered out between them. Her body was tension, coiled in stilettos and tailored black, dress barely containing the line of her thigh where it rode up his leg. For all her control, her hands trembled. Yulian’s mouth twisted into a half-smile—masking nerves with bravado.

“I don’t have to,” he growled, voice low enough to make her flinch. “You already know.” Their breaths tangled—each daring the other to break first. He wanted to bite, to bruise, to break past her armor; to be the one she chose to destroy. In one vicious motion, he kissed her—hungry, punishing lips crashing to hers, teeth clashing. Laerise answered with equal violence, fingers clutching his jaw, her knee sliding between his, pinning him. Heat shimmered as their bodies fought for dominance—sharp, gasping, desperate.

She broke away first, strands of dark hair clinging to her cheek, chest heaving. “That all you’ve got?” she taunted, but her voice trembled at the edges, betraying something raw underneath. He dragged his thumb across her smeared lipstick, eyes pleading for a crack in her facade. For a second, everything slowed—his pulse, her breathing, the city’s neon spinning behind glass. Laerise’s gaze flickered to his mouth. Then her features hardened, and she shoved him back.

“Don’t ever mistake wanting me for beating me,” she said. Her words hit harder than any slap—yet her fingers lingered, tracing the angry red mark she’d left on his throat. Yulian closed his eyes, feeling the sting. He craved it. He craved her.

The door creaked open behind them—Laerise straightened instantly, smoothing her dress, lips prim and cold. Yulian forced his features into bored indifference, even as his heart rattled against his ribs. Their bodies no longer touched, but the charge between them remained—an exposed wire, snapping and alive. Distant voices echoed from the elevator; she was already walking away, spine arrow-straight, chin raised in battle.

Later, in the fluorescent glare of the boardroom, Yulian’s hands shook just once as he decimated the competition, eyes never leaving Laerise’s. Her smile was razor-sharp, fingers drumming on the table with every triumph he claimed. The executives circled—applause, fake laughter, hungry eyes. He won, but her smirk told him he’d lost something greater. Something only she understood.

After midnight, Yulian found her on the rooftop again, wind whipping her hair, blazer off, thin slip beneath catching every shiver. He watched her smoke, red-tinged embers matching her nails, her posture defensive but inviting—the way she angled her body, the way she pretended not to wait for him. He stepped close, warmth colliding with chill.

“You sabotage everything you touch,” she said softly, not quite accusing. He tasted regret in the words, bitter as blood. “Maybe,” he answered, “but you’re the only one who ever fights back.” Their eyes locked, truth sliding between them, terrifying for how much it hurt to need.

Laerise’s hand reached for his—hesitated, then dropped. Something like apology flickered in her, instantly shielded. Between them, the city pulsed, full of impossible chances and unspoken threats.

His phone vibrated—an unfamiliar number. Yulian glanced down. The message read, in stark black letters: I know what you did.

His heart seized, the rooftop spinning, Laerise oblivious to the fear that flashed raw and naked across his face. He pressed the phone to his chest, already feeling the ground shift beneath his feet.

To be continued...