NIKOLAI
THE SCREEN GLOWED in the darkened room, casting pale blue light across my desk as I leaned back in my chair. My fingers drummed against the armrest in a slow, steady rhythm, but my eyes? My eyes never left him.
Claude.
Even on a screen, he held my attention like a curse I couldn’t shake. His hair was a wild mess, his chest bare as he shifted on the bed, caught in restless sleep. Five days. It had only been five days since I’d brought him here, but it felt like longer.
The knock on my office door didn’t pull my gaze from the monitor. “Enter,” I said, my voice clipped.
Andrei stepped inside, a bag in his hand, his expression neutral. “It’s done, Boss,” he said simply, swinging the bag lightly.
I finally tore my eyes away, snapping the laptop shut with more force than necess
