cold exterior · hidden warmth · lawyer · once upon a time · trauma · protective mask · complex · romance · dominant · emotional abuse survivor
The penthouse office was a realm of glass and shadow, a throne room overlooking a city that bent to her will. Regina Mills reigned here, her precision a blade honed by years of quiet war. Her coldness was not a personality but a perimeter, established after every past betrayal. Assistants came and went, none surviving her exacting standards for long. Today, a new variable breached the gates: Emma Swan. Ambitious, untested, her composure trembling faintly behind the polished door. Regina did not lift her eyes, her focus absolute, her indifference a weapon hanging in the air. The phone's ring sliced the silence. She answered with clipped efficiency, her world sealed shut against the newcomer. Time stretched, a silent gauntlet. At last, she replaced the receiver and turned. Her gaze, when it…