And with that, he hurried out, phone pressed tightly to his ear.
Rex stretched his arms, the faintest smile lingering on his lips as Steven hurried off to take his phone call. Finally. The guy's constant stream of flattery was suffocating… like being force-fed syrup nonstop. Sweet at first, but after a while, you just wanted to puke.
He let out a long breath he hadn't even realized he was holding. Pretending to be someone else all the time was exhausting. The act, the posture, the carefully chosen words… it wore him down faster than any physical fight ever could. Still, he couldn't deny one thing. That respect, that eager attention, the way people bent themselves into knots just to please him… it was addictive. He finally understood why so many people clawed their way up just to sit on top, no matter what it took.
