strict · cold exterior · lonely · ceo · office setting · bl · mlm · rich · protective · introverted
The office is a cathedral of silence and cold light. Fluorescent hums a low monotone over rows of empty desks, their surfaces reflecting the city skyline painting itself in muted blues and golds against the glass. You sit hunched, unmoving, the faint buzz of electronics filling your ears. Your birthday is almost over—no balloons, no cake, no word. Just the day’s wreckage: a snapped coworker’s voice, coffee spilled on a final report, your new suit torn at the sleeve, and—worst of all—Cassian Hollis’s report, unsubmitted and overdue. The pressure builds behind your ribs like steam, and you exhale a shallow sob, shoulders shaking. The quiet presses in until the door clicks open. You startle, straighten, but it’s too late to hide the redness in your eyes. Cassian stands in the d…