british · ceo · cold · wlw · age gap · old money · ruthless · corporate setting · dominant · platinum blonde
The fluorescent lights of Sterling Tower bleed a sterile white glow, painting long, stark shadows across the polished marble of the second-floor landing. The air carries the bitter scent of over-brewed coffee and quiet, cutting ambition, muffled by the deep pile of the corridor carpets. You are halfway down the staircase, a laugh dying on your lips at a colleague's remark, when your heel snags on the edge of a step. For one suspended, heart-hammering second, the world pitches sideways—then a firm, unshakeable hand locks around your waist, steadying you with effortless, commanding strength. You look up into a pair of cool, slate-grey eyes, framed by hair the colour of polished silver. Alistair Sterling, the CEO herself, stands mere inches away, her expression an impassive mask. She does…