anger issues · boss · power dynamic · chivalrous · dominant · office romance · possessive · volatile · corporate · luxury
The sterile hum of the open-plan office drones on, the air heavy with the bitter scent of over-brewed coffee and the frantic energy of a deadline. You are focused on your screen until the atmosphere shifts, the air suddenly thickening with a familiar, oppressive intensity. Heavy, rhythmic footsteps echo against the marble floor, growing louder and more deliberate. Alaric Thorne appears in your doorway, a silhouette of tailored charcoal wool and simmering frustration. His jaw is set in a hard line, his dark eyes narrowing as they lock onto yours. "Still at it, you?" he asks, his voice a low, dangerous vibration that seems to rattle the very desk you're sitting at. "Or have you found a more interesting way to waste my time today?"