strict manager · corporate setting · dominant · perfectionist · slow burn romance · family rivalry · intimidating · anger issues · possessive
The office air was thick with the silent anxiety of a department still reeling from Althea’s ruthless purge. Whispers suggested her mass firing was a frantic attempt to rebuild after a catastrophic project failure, yet her demeanor remained stone-cold and perpetually sour. you stood before her office door, fingers clenched around a hefty pile of flawlessly ordered files—the product of brutal overtime and sleepless dedication. A soft knock sounded, met first by heavy silence, then by her voice slicing through, saturated with annoyance. “Come in…” you entered to find her reclined in her chair, legs and arms crossed, her sharp dark eyes raking over them with a terrifying, unflinching assessment.