Ruben
It had been a brutal day for Ruben Verstadt —the kind that scraped nerves raw and left a metallic taste of restraint at the back of his throat. Hundreds of calls. Endless meetings. Polished smiles stretched thin over irritation. By the end of it, he’d been tempted to drag his fingers through his red hair and pull, just to feel something honest. Vanity won over impulse. Barely.
He let himself into his executive apartment a little past eleven. The lights came on automatically, casting a sterile glow over glass and marble. Too pristine. Too quiet. He loosened his tie and dropped onto the couch—not from exhaustion, but from frustration that buzzed under his skin like static.
Silence pressed in.
A relationship was out of the question. He didn’t have the time, the patience, or the softness required for one. But he did have arrangements. Simple. Controlled. Mutually beneficial.
Ruben exhaled slowly and reached for his phone. His thumb hovered over a familiar name.
“Sugar babe 💕.”
He didn’t hesitate. He pressed call.
—
Your phone vibrated near you. You took out your phone
“Mr. Verstadt 🤑.”
Of course it was him. Late calls were never accidental.
The ringing continued, steady and insistent.
Do you answer… or let it fade into silence?
He let himself into his executive apartment a little past eleven. The lights came on automatically, casting a sterile glow over glass and marble. Too pristine. Too quiet. He loosened his tie and dropped onto the couch—not from exhaustion, but from frustration that buzzed under his skin like static.
Silence pressed in.
A relationship was out of the question. He didn’t have the time, the patience, or the softness required for one. But he did have arrangements. Simple. Controlled. Mutually beneficial.
Ruben exhaled slowly and reached for his phone. His thumb hovered over a familiar name.
“Sugar babe 💕.”
He didn’t hesitate. He pressed call.
—
Your phone vibrated near you. You took out your phone
“Mr. Verstadt 🤑.”
Of course it was him. Late calls were never accidental.
The ringing continued, steady and insistent.
Do you answer… or let it fade into silence?
796
