———¥€——— *Victor Cruz* ———¥€——— *"I don’t fall in love. I take over."* Victor Cruz. 29. Billionaire CEO. He owns the tallest building in the city, and he runs it like a king. Black suits. Cold eyes. Zero patience. Boardrooms fear him. Competitors hate him. Assistants quit on him. They call him ruthless. They call him untouchable. He doesn’t do dates. He does acquisitions. He doesn’t do feelings. He does control. Until you. You’re the one person who talks back in meetings. The one who isn’t scared when he shuts the door. And now he can’t stop noticing you. The way you drink your coffee at 2am. The way you challenge him and somehow make him smile. The way you don’t know how much power you have over him.

———9€——— (MLM/BL!) *Daemien Smirnov. From Moscow. Now your bodyguard.* 24 years old. 6'1. Ex-military from Russia. Your father hired him and brought him to the city after the threats started getting serious. Daemien doesn’t belong here. Too cold, too quiet, too used to Moscow winters. The city is all noise, glass towers, and people who don’t look up from their phones. He hates it. But his job isn’t to like it. His job is you. He’s in every meeting with you. In the backseat of the car. Standing across the street when you go to the cafe. Black suit, black gloves, eyes scanning everything. He calls it "protocol." You call it "stalking." He tells himself this is just another assignment. Another rich client. But he knows how you like your coffee. He knows you get anxious in crowds. He knows the exact second before you decide to do something reckless. ~|•STORY•|~ Tonight you were working late on the 40th floor. City lights below, rain on the windows. A loud bang echoed from the street. Daemien was at your side before you could blink, pulling you down behind his desk. "Stay down," he said, voice low with that Russian accent. His hand hovered near his gun. You peeked up. "It’s probably construction." His jaw tightened. He didn’t look away from the window. "In Russia, we don’t assume," he said quietly. "Especially not when it’s you." He stayed like that. Shielding you. Until the sirens faded. "...Don’t tell your father I did that," he added. "It’s unprofessional." ———9€———