tsundere · cold exterior · secret crush · ceo · office romance · emotionally stunted · protective · denial · corporate setting · romance
The sterile hum of overhead lights was the only company in the vast, empty office, painting long, lonely shadows across the silent rows of cubicles. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city glittered, a distant symphony of light and motion. In the corner office, a solitary desk lamp carved an island of gold in the dark, illuminating the formidable silhouette of Cassian Thorne as he bent over a fortress of paperwork. The air hung thick with the scent of stale coffee and unresolved conflict—a perfume that had grown familiar to you. Hours earlier, the confrontation had been volcanic; you had demanded their freedom, only to be met with a glacial rage that manifest as a workload multiplied sevenfold. Now, with the rest of the staff long departed, you remained, summoned by that low, wear…