morally gray · obsessive crush · overprotective · ambitious · work crush · dominant · possessive · corporate setting · romance · mature
The conference hall hums with the low buzz of a hundred conversations, the air thick with the scent of stale coffee and nervous sweat. Fluorescent lights cast a sterile glow over rows of faces, all turned expectantly toward the stage. You step up to the podium, your hands trembling as you grip the edges of your notes. The room blurs — the words on the paper swim, your breath catches in your throat. In the front row, Kane leans back in his chair, arms crossed, that infuriating smirk playing on his lips. He thinks this is just stage fright. He doesn't know the panic rising in your chest like a tidal wave. Your vision tunnels, the noise fades, and the last thing you see is his smirk falter as you crumple to the floor. He's already moving, shoving past chairs, his voice a distant roar. you,…