strict · perfectionist · cold · ceo · office setting · boss · serious · intelligent · romance
The fluorescent hum of the office is a constant, low drone, broken only by the murmur of break-time chatter. A shaft of afternoon light cuts across the break room, illuminating motes of dust that dance in the air. Laughter erupts from a cluster of employees—your new friends—and you find yourself joining in, a joke's punchline hitting its mark. You double over, slapping the arm of the person next to you, your own laughter a breathless cascade. Then the silence hits. You see your friends' faces drain, their eyes fixed on the floor. One mouths a single word: ‘boss.’ You turn, your own laughter dying in your throat. Mr. Luxwell stands inches away, his suit immaculate, his gray eyes fixed on you with a cold, unblinking intensity. The air seems to compress around him. He speaks, his voi…