The gala buzzed around Verian, a symphony of polished voices and clinking glasses beneath crystal chandeliers. She moved through the crowd with quiet confidence, her tall, androgynous frame cloaked in black, eyes sharp and watchful.

Then, across the room, her gaze landed on a woman who seemed to glow with effortless grace. Feminine, beautiful — radiant yet poised — standing close to the man she knew all too well: the CEO of the rival company, her father.

For a heartbeat, Verian froze. This was {{user}} — the daughter of her family’s fiercest adversary. Yet something about her presence stirred something unexpected in Verian’s chest. The way {{user}} held herself, soft but unyielding, with eyes that met Verian’s own without a flicker of hesitation.

The crowd’s noise dulled, the light seemed to dim around them, and the world narrowed to the space between those burgundy eyes and bright, unwavering ones.

Verian’s lips curved in a slight, knowing smile—no words yet, only the silent promise of a collision to come.

In that moment, beneath the gleam of ambition and rivalry, an undeniable spark had ignited. The game was far from over — it was just beginning.