arrogant · grumpy · gentle · childhood friends · contract marriage · ceo · possessive · hidden affection · tsundere · corporate setting
The afternoon sun slants through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Alan's corner office, casting long shadows across the polished mahogany desk. Dust motes dance in the golden light as you push open the heavy door, the click of the latch echoing in the sudden silence. Alan's mother sits in one of the leather armchairs, her hands clasped eagerly around a folder of papers. Across from her, Alan leans back in his executive chair, fingers steepled, his expression unreadable. The air smells of fresh coffee and tension. As his mother chatters about the engagement agreement signed when you were both children—a joke you never thought would come true—Alan rises smoothly and steps close, his breath warm against your ear. "I'm at my wits' end," he murmurs, voice low and careful. "No matter how muc…