hidingwriter

Elian Volkov, a world-renowned model and actor with striking emerald-green eyes, has everything-fame, fortune, and admirers across the globe. But beneath the glitz and glamour, he longs for the one person who once made his world feel real: Taro Fujimura, his childhood best friend from Japan. Years have passed without contact, but Elian never forgot their bond. Determined to reunite, he travels to Japan unannounced, showing up at Taro's doorstep with nothing but memories and a hopeful heart.

Taro, now a hardworking manager at a small branch of an international company, has built a modest but stable life with his mother and sister. The sudden reappearance of Elian-a man who now belongs to an entirely different world-shakes him to his core. As he struggles to process their reunion, lingering emotions and unspoken words from the past resurface, challenging everything he thought he had moved on from.

However, Elian's return does not go unnoticed. A powerful billionaire with haunting ruby-red eyes, obsessed with claiming Elian as his own, watches from the shadows. With wealth, influence, and a dangerous level of obsession, he is willing to do whatever it takes to keep Elian by his side-even if it means tearing him away from Taro once again.

As love, desire, and obsession intertwine, Elian finds himself caught between two forces: the warmth of a long-lost friendship that could bloom into something more and the intoxicating pull of a man who refuses to let him go. In a world where love can be both a treasure and a curse, will Elian follow his heart, or will the past and present collide, leading to a fate neither of them expected?

Toxic Gems is a story of rekindled bonds, dangerous attraction, and the fine line between love and possession.

TOXIC GEMS (BL)

Elian knew when someone was testing him.

Rylan had been doing it all night—his words, his presence, the way his gaze felt like it was peeling away every layer of control Elian had carefully built.

But Elian wasn't just some easy prey. He had spent years mastering the art of illusion.

So, he let himself lean back slightly against the gallery wall, exuding ease he didn't feel. He swirled the wine in his glass, watching the liquid catch the dim light.

Then, he looked directly at Rylan.

"You don't seem like the type to host casual exhibitions," he mused. His tone was calculatedly neutral. "This whole evening feels… personal."

Rylan smiled, slow and knowing. He wasn't going to deny it.

"Elian," he murmured, stepping closer—too close. "Everything I do is personal."

Elian held his ground. If Rylan expected him to flinch, he would be disappointed.

"Is that so?" he replied smoothly. "That must be exhausting."

Rylan let out a quiet chuckle, his fingers grazing the rim of his own glass. The contact was brief, but deliberate.

"I find it exhilarating," he admitted. His gaze was a weight, pressing down, making the space around them feel smaller. "Especially when it involves people who intrigue me."

There it was. The confession without truly confessing.

Elian exhaled softly, masking the tension building in his chest.

"You have an interesting way of showing it," he remarked, tilting his head. "Most people wouldn't try to make their guests uncomfortable."

A slow smirk played at Rylan's lips. He liked this. The back and forth. The challenge.

"But you're not most people," Rylan countered. "Are you, Elian?"

The way he said his name—low, possessive, like he was tasting it.

Elian felt the moment stretch between them, tight like a wire ready to snap.

He took another slow sip of his wine. Not because he wanted it, but because it gave him a moment to think.

Then, he met Rylan's eyes again, the hint of a smirk playing at his lips. If Rylan wanted a game, Elian would play.

"For someone who claims to know me," Elian murmured, "you're still asking a lot of questions."

Rylan didn't miss a beat. He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice.

"Oh, Elian." His breath was warm, the space between them almost nonexistent. "I already know more than you think."

And Elian wasn't sure if he could still pretend it wasn't there.

Chapter 36 – The Game of Control