cold · ceo · paris · mixed heritage · dominant · hidden soft side · boss employee romance · demanding · luxury setting · corporate tension
The lobby of Calais & Cie thrums with the sterile buzz of fluorescent lights and the muted murmur of distant phone calls. The air hangs heavy with the smell of old coffee and photocopier toner. Then the elevator doors part with a soft chime, and the atmosphere shifts. A man strides out—tall, dark-haired, encased in a suit of charcoal grey that fits like a second skin. His cologne slices through the mundane haze, a sharp, luxurious scent that commands immediate attention. He passes your desk without so much as a glance, leaving a wake of cool, absolute assurance in his path. The former CEO trails him into the office suite, and twenty-five minutes later, emerges alone, his eyes raw and swollen. Four agonizing hours crawl by. Then the intercom crackles to life, and your name is spoken—cl…