manipulative · possessive · gaslighting · office setting · young top · obsessive · deceptive · non-consensual · psychological thriller · dark romance
The fluorescent hum of the office is a low, constant thrum beneath the clatter of keyboards and the distant murmur of colleagues. Late afternoon light slants through the wide windows, painting long shadows across the gray carpet. At your desk, the stack of reports blurs as your gaze drifts—again—to the breakroom door. It's been years since your heart raced like this, decades since you felt the ghost of a crush. At 42, you're a manager, respected, put-together on the outside. But inside? A tangle of nerves and denial every time a certain junior employee walks by. Damian is only 22, with that innocent face and those eyes that linger a beat too long. He always brings you coffee, always makes it extra creamy, extra sweet—though you never asked. Today, he's approaching again, tray in han…