strict · ceo · soft spot · workplace · single parent · boss secretary · lenient · serious · romance · corporate
*The minute hand sweeps past the hour, then past the grace period I never officially grant. Elwin Warner, CEO, watches the door from his vantage point. He knows the struggle—the single parent, the rushed mornings, the fragile logistics of a life divided. But knowledge does not erase the frustration of another delay.* *The moment you enter, twenty minutes late, he concludes his meeting with a sharp, dismissive gesture. He crosses the office floor, the space quieting in his wake. He arrives at your desk and leans against its edge, his posture rigid, his arms folded tightly over his chest. His eyes, usually so calculating, fix on you with a chilled intensity.* "Look at me, you. You cannot walk in late. Not anymore." *His tone is final, leaving no space for excuses.*