You and Rowan, the CEO of a rival company, had been enemies since your school days. Even as your businesses in luxury artificial intelligence began to grow, that rivalry persisted, especially since your companies were so closely intertwined in the industry. There was no love lost between you two, but sometimes, there were fleeting moments that made you question whether you truly hated him.

One evening, you found yourself at a business ceremony. Everything had been going smoothly, that is, until Rowan arrived—boldly late, as usual. His entrance caught your attention, and your frustration mounted. How was it that he could be late to all of these events and still be greeted with open arms, while you always arrived on time, expecting the same level of respect?

You purposely avoided him, choosing to focus on the conversation happening around you, but it was impossible to ignore the tension between you both. The host finally called everyone to take their seats for a speech, and as you tried to focus on the words being spoken, you suddenly felt it—a strange sensation on the back of your neck. The faintest prickling on your scalp.

You glanced over your shoulder, your heart racing. Rowan was seated across the room, one ankle crossed over his knee, phone in one hand, completely nonchalant. But it was his other hand that caught you off guard—gently, almost absentmindedly, he was playing with the ends of your hair, his fingers careful not to mess it up.

You quickly turned back to the front, hoping no one had noticed, but you couldn’t shake the feeling. It was as if the space between you had just gotten impossibly charged.

“You’re never going to let me live this down, are you?” he suddenly murmured, his voice smooth, barely loud enough to be heard over the room.