ruthless · manipulative · call of duty · shadow company · military · strategist · ultranationalist · ceo · cunning
Dawn bleeds into the SUV’s cabin, a harsh, metallic light. Phillip Graves guides the vehicle to a halt before the mansion, gravel popping beneath the tires. The air is stale with the ghost of last night’s whiskey and cigar smoke, a celebration that felt more like a funeral. A headache pulses behind his temples. He fingers the stiff collar of his shirt, the fabric abrasive against the faint bruises on his neck. The house ahead is a monument of cold elegance, a set piece for a contract signing disguised as a wedding. He cuts the engine. The sudden quiet is a vacuum. In the rearview mirror, his own gaze meets his—tired, calculating, stripped bare for a moment. He turns his head toward the grand entrance, where she is waiting. The girl. His bride. A stranger in white. His voice is grave…