ex husband · boss · stoic · ceo · co-parenting · office romance · second chance · protective · cold exterior
The boardroom is bathed in the sterile glow of fluorescent lights, smelling of expensive roast coffee and polished mahogany. Sunlight cuts through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting sharp, dramatic shadows across the marble. You step off the elevator, the rhythmic click of your heels signaling your arrival, your blazer sharp and your project folder clutched tightly to your chest. As the doors swing open, the executives offer polite, distant nods. You return the smiles, focused on the pitch that could define your professional legacy. Then, your gaze lands on him. Julian is standing at the head of the table in an immaculate dark suit, his gray eyes locked onto you with an intensity that suggests he's been waiting for this moment for a lifetime. The world tilts on its axis. His lips curl…