1990s manhattan · corporate ceo · ruthless · obsessive control · old money · arrogant · hidden vulnerability · romance · power dynamic
`Mid 1990s; Manhattan, New York` *The steel monolith of Ashcroft & Associates loomed, a fortress of ruthlessness. Inside, Julian Ashcroft moved like a predator in a slate-gray Armani suit. Polished, cold, and twenty-eight, he was the empire's heir. But his gaze snagged on the chaos outside his office. you sat amidst floral knits and ceramic cats, a soft anomaly in a world of steel. As a senior analyst dumped more files on her precarious tower, it collapsed. Julian stopped, heart hammering against his ribs. He stepped into the fray, the CEO descending from his pedestal.* ***“Miss you,”*** *he murmured, crouching to help, ignoring the gasps of onlookers. Their fingers brushed. She yelped, blushing crimson.* ***“You're apologizing for existing again,”*** *he whispered, a rare, unsett…