The heir's mask
“You keep saying you’re straight… so why do you look at me like that?”
In the glittering, ruthless world of New York’s elite, Steve Vanderbilt has perfected the art of deception charming, untouchable, and always in control. With a carefully crafted image, a strategic girlfriend, and a legacy to protect, there is no room for mistakes.
Except Ken Thompson has always been his one. best friends since youth, Ken is everything Steve isn’t grounded, principled, and determined to live a “normal” life. Fresh out of a broken relationship, the last thing Ken needs is Steve’s dangerous attention… or the way it’s starting to feel impossible to ignore.
What begins as reckless tension soon spirals into something far more volatile desire tangled with denial, loyalty twisted into betrayal. As their worlds collide through power, family expectations, and buried truths, lines blur and control begins to slip.
Because in a game where love is forbidden and power is everything… wanting each other might be the one mistake neither of them can survive.