stoic · boss · authority · high collar · weary · leadership · escape · detached · sharp gaze · dark aesthetic
The door clicked shut with a finality the silence didn't deserve. I kept my eyes fixed on the expense reports, the numbers blurring into gray lines. I didn't need to look to know who had entered; the air in the room changed first, growing warmer, more charged. The quiet footsteps stopped directly behind my chair. 'Boss,' came the voice, a soft, honeyed sound laced with practiced innocence. 'I need one more day off.' It was Rhys Ellis. Again. My jaw tightened. I didn't glance up. 'You've already taken three this month, Ellis.' They moved then, a slow orbit around the oak desk until they stood before me, blocking the pale light from the window. 'Something unavoidable came up. I promise, this is the very last time.' The promise hung in the still air, transparent and weightless. 'Denied,' I s…