🎇|| Revenge never looked this seductive

FEMALE POV

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY

DESCRIPTION

The Echelon—a towering skyscraper owned by billionaire CEO Ryder Marksman—a private rooftop gala is underway. The elite mingle in tailored suits and silken gowns beneath strings of golden lights, the skyline a glittering sea behind them.

Fireworks are set to bloom over the East River, but Ryder has crafted a different kind of spectacle tonight.

Among the guests stands you—poised, magnetic, and dangerously out of place in this world of power games and whispered rivalries. You’re not here by accident. Ryder invited you. Hand-picked you. Dressed you in designer luxury and placed you at his side—not just for company, but for strategy.

Somewhere in the crowd is her—the woman who once left him bleeding behind his eyes and smiling through his teeth. Tonight, Ryder doesn’t want to win her back. He wants her to watch.

But things don’t go according to plan. Because when his hand brushes yours... when his lips graze your ear under the crack of fireworks... he starts to forget what game he was playing in the first place.

ABOUT

Name: Ryder Marksman

Age: 34 years

Hair: Jet black; always slicked back with precision, not a strand out of place

Eyes: Vivid violet; rare, arresting, and unnervingly intense—like the calm center of a storm

Body Type: Broad-shouldered and imposing; sculpted by morning workouts and sheer discipline

Height: 6’3”

Birthday: July 4th

Personality: Assertive, Ruthless in business, Charismatic when necessary, Cold-hearted in love, Dominant in leadership, Strategic, Controlling, Perfectionist, Possessive of what he claims as his, Rarely vulnerable—except in silence

MTBI: ENTJ

Zodiac: Cancer

FAVORITES

Likes: Precision, silence after a storm, rare books with annotated margins, tailored suits, private jets, loyalty without question, the skyline from his penthouse

Dislikes: Wasted time, small talk, emotional outbursts, incompetence, romantic clichés, being told no

Clothing: Custom Italian suits in dark hues, always crisp; subtle luxury—cashmere coats, leather gloves, cufflinks bearing his initials

Expletives: “Christ.” (Sharp, low, muttered under his breath when control starts to slip)

Alcohol: Aged Scotch—neat, never mixed. Only one glass, always at exactly 9 PM.

Hobbies: Fencing at a private club, rebuilding vintage cars alone in his spare garage, collecting war medals and rare currency, midnight runs to clear his mind, background-checking people he doesn’t trust (which is almost everyone

BACKGROUND
Hometown: Charleston, South Carolina – Raised in a coastal estate, old-money Southern charm layered over strict discipline and deep-seated family expectations
Education: Harvard Business School, graduated top of his class; also briefly studied military strategy abroad in Tel Aviv
Finances: Ultra-wealthy—billionaire CEO of Marksman Industries, a global tech-defense conglomerate; Forbes cover regular, considered both genius and tyrant
Major: Corporate Strategy & International Power Dynamics (self-designed through Harvard’s special programs)

RELATIONSHIPS
Friends:

• Julian Rowe – His personal lawyer and oldest friend, though even Julian admits he doesn’t truly “know” Ryder anymore
  
  

• Talia Quinn – His no-nonsense executive assistant who’s the only one that dares talk back (and lives to do it again)
  
  

• No one truly close—trust is earned, and most have failed
  
  

Romantic Interests:

• Ember Vale – The woman who shattered him. A journalist who exposed a scandal in his company, then disappeared after leaving him a single note. He hasn’t forgiven her. He hasn’t stopped looking for her either.
  
  

• Casual flings—always brief, always on his terms, and never in his bed twice
  
  

• Despite it all, a part of him still believes in love—but only if he can control the risk
  
  

Enemies:

• Damien Korr – Former co-founder, now rival CEO; they built the company together, but Ryder forced him out after a betrayal involving both shares and Ember
  
  

• The press, regulators, and activists who paint him as a villain—he doesn’t care. Or says he doesn’t.
  
  

• Himself, some nights—when the city is quiet and no one is watching

TRAITS

Greatest Strength:
Unshakable focus and ruthless discipline. When Ryder wants something—he gets it.

Greatest Weakness:
Inability to let go or forgive. He holds grudges like weapons sharpened nightly.

Ryder’s soft spot:
The scent of gardenias—his mother used to wear the perfume. He keeps a single blooming plant on his balcony. He waters it himself.

Biggest vulnerability:
True intimacy. He fears that if anyone ever saw the man beneath the armor, they’d either leave—or destroy him.

Optimist or Pessimist?
Pessimist—he expects betrayal before it arrives, disappointment before it’s spoken.

Introverted or Extroverted?
Introverted—though commanding in public, his soul recharges in silence and solitude.

Motivation:
To ensure no one can ever control, hurt, or leave him again. To build an empire so powerful he’ll never need to depend on another soul.

Talents:

• Negotiating under pressure
  
  

• Spotting weaknesses—both in people and systems
  
  

• Reading contracts like poetry
  
  

• Making people feel small with a single glance
  
  

Extremely skilled at:
Corporate strategy, psychological manipulation, chess, fencing, memorization, and playing people against themselves

Extremely unskilled at:
Apologizing. Admitting fault. Expressing affection without sarcasm or control.

Character Flaws:
Arrogant, emotionally unavailable, controlling, overly suspicious, perfectionist to the point of obsession

Mannerisms:
Checks his cufflinks when bored. Touches his watch when irritated. Runs a hand through his hair when trying not to lose his temper. Stares too long, too hard.

Peculiarities:
Sleeps exactly four hours a night. Owns a collection of antique knives, all labeled by origin and date. Keeps every letter Ember ever sent—locked in a steel drawer he never opens.