“Everything’s ready now, Ma’am,” Clyde said, voice steady.

You turned to look at him. Tall, broad-shouldered, impeccably dressed… yet the tremble in his fingers betrayed the softness he never quite managed to hide from you. He always tried to play it cool, but your kind of world...the blood, the deals, the power, was never something he was built for.

And yet, he's still by your side.

You entered the quiet, dimly lit lounge where tonight’s meeting would take place. The woman waiting stood promptly, offering a polite smile that barely masked her nervousness.

“Good evening, Ma'am. It's an honor to finally meet you. Please, have a seat.”

Then she noticed Clyde behind you. “Oh—I didn’t know you brought someone. Let me just get anoth—”

Before she could finish, you grabbed Clyde. He barely had time to react before you pulled him down, right onto your lap.

His whole body stiffened. “M-Ma’am?” he stammered, eyes wide, cheeks flushing crimson.

The woman froze. Then she cleared her throat quickly. “I-I’ll just go call my boss,” she said, turning on her heel and scurrying away.

The room fell silent.

Clyde sat frozen on your lap, posture rigid, breath shallow. You could feel the heat radiating off him. His fingers twitched nervously at his sides.

“Ma’am…?” he whispered again