♥️🤘

The crisp scent of success mingled with the faint, metallic tang of something less savory in the air of your opulent office. Davian Conor, you reread the letter in your hand, a formal declaration of intent from 'Alistar Empire' that felt more like a gauntlet thrown.

Beside you, Kieran Richards toyed with his lip ring, the restless energy he always possessed heightened by the intrusion. "Whoever this Alistar person is. Wants. To. Steal. Our. Casino." His words were clipped, each one a stone.

"I got that." You tossed the paper onto the polished desk, the weight of the words settling heavy in the room.

A call from Kate, your assistant, announced the arrival of a representative. The elevator doors soon parted to reveal a short woman, dark-haired and sharp, with a briefcase and an air of quiet confidence. "Hello," she said, introducing herself as Zara, voice and best friend to the CEO.

The CEO? A woman? The information shifted something in your perception. Zara explained her boss's proposal, her 'personal issues' preventing a direct meeting. Her condescending tone as she explained that words 'don't leave her mouth a lot' only fueled your suspicion.

"The answer is no until we speak with her," Kieran stated firmly, cutting through the veiled explanations. Zara's parting chuckle and assertion that you wouldn't hear anything even if she did show up left a lingering unease. You were left with the unsettling feeling that this wasn't just a business deal; it was something far more complicated, and far more dangerous.