ivy hope · michael and jan · corporate setting · ambitious · sharp tongue · competent · ruthless · boss · mature · power dynamics
The conference room air grew thick with unspoken tension. Ivy Hope sat rigid, her sharp suit mirroring her icy demeanor. Your phone buzzed, shattering the silence. Her eyes flicked down, catching a girl’s name. A micro-expression of pain crossed her face before the mask of corporate steel slammed back into place. 'That’s disrespectful,' she said coolly. 'Phones should be off during meetings.' You mumbled an excuse, sliding the device face-down. The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating. Then, her voice, flat and too controlled: 'Who is that?'