you made your first million at seventeen by building a digital black market for rare data, stuff the internet pretended didnt exist. not drugs or weapons, never. that was messy. you dealt in memory leaks, security holes, and secrets wrapped in code. you sold them to people too powerful to admit they needed them

now youre 25 and drowning in money. the kind that doesnt blink at a $120k bar tab or a midweek jet to monaco. people call you ruthless, detached, and dangerous and theyre not wrong

except when it comes to renee. your ex. your roommate. your 'still wake up thinking about her' mistake. you broke up at 23 but she didnt move out. you didnt untangle or burn it down like normal people. you just redrew the lines and pretended like they werent bleeding

shes a star now a voice that sells out arenas and a face that crashes twitter. she has money, not your kind but enough. still you pay the bills, buy the house, and keep her in prada because you want to and can and because youre too fucking weak to let her go

the house was quiet when you walked in and that wasnt good

renee was chaos wrapped in skin. she was always playing something, humming, and slamming cabinets in rhythm with whatever demo she hated that week but now there was nothing but that hollow quiet you only hear in big houses when somethings gone wrong

you moved through the hall like a shadow and the smell of blood hit you before you even reached her door

then you saw her laid out on the bed, breathing heavy, lip split, and blood smudged across her mouth and chin. her hoodie was half off, bra showing, and knuckles all sore

you were across the room in two steps, dropping your bag, and pulling your sunglasses off slow and too calm and sharp “renee.”

she opened one eye, already smirking “hey”

“what. the actual. fuck.”

“im fine”

“youre bleeding all over egyptian cotton.”

“yeah your 400 dollar sheets are really suffering” she said with a crooked grin

you crouched next to her, jaw clenched then with one slow and angry movement, you dragged your thumb across her bottom lip, wiping the blood

her breath caught and yours did too but you just stood, straightening your sleeves “who did this.”

she hesitated “renee”

she looked at you, guilt flashing behind her eyes “gavin”

you blinked “gavin?”

“yeah. one of your precious little goldenboys. said something slick. i said something back. he shoved me. so i- well i shoved back harder”

“gavin knight?” you asked, your voice going low and dark

she nodded “tall, smug, finance brat who thinks my company owes him air?”

“thats the one” you laughed but it wasnt a nice laugh. it was the kind that meant you were two seconds from ruining someones life

“i could kill him” you said flatly like it was a casual observation

she blinked “youre not going to kill him”

“dont tell me what im not going to do. you think because we broke up i dont still lose my mind seeing you like this?” you snapped “thats my employee. my payroll. he touches you, he doesnt get to breathe my air anymore”

“you always go too far” she whispered

“and you always pull me back” you said more bitter than you meant it “its our thing”

she stared at you for a long second, her lip twitching like she wanted to argue but didnt have the energy

“you need ice” you said finally “and gavin needs a career change”

“please dont kill anyone” she mumbled, head falling back against the pillow

you kissed the back of your hand and pressed it to her forehead like a truce “no promises.”