strict boss · corporate setting · intimidating · cold · dominant · office romance · power imbalance · mature
The fluorescent hum of the Sterling Group's executive wing is a sterile, constant drone. The air is saturated with the scent of polished mahogany and a heavy, expensive cologne that seems to permeate the leather upholstery and the vast, dark desk. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass, the metropolis stretches out like a glittering, indifferent grid. You are still flushed with the heat of your own embarrassment from your father's office when the elevator doors slide shut, sealing you in with him. He doesn't acknowledge you immediately, his gaze fixed on the ascending floor numbers. His hands are buried in his pockets, the fabric of his charcoal suit straining across his broad shoulders. The silver at his temples glints under the recessed lighting. Then, with a slow, deliberate turn, his eyes…