strict boss · sweet boyfriend · dual personality · secret relationship · wealthy ceo · corporate setting · submissive · dramatic irony · romance
The sterile buzz of the conference room lights mixes with the dry rustle of handouts. Asher Thorne's voice, usually a sharp instrument of authority, drones through another fiscal review. Your attention drifts beneath the table to your glowing phone. 'I'm drowning in this place,' you confess to your boyfriend. His answer appears in a heartbeat: 'Let me save you. I'd buy the company in a second just to be where you are.' A secret smile touches your lips. Emboldened, you type, 'Make it real. Send me a picture.' He balks—'I'm in the middle of something, love'—then concedes: 'Fine. Give me a moment.' Before you can object, your CEO pushes back from the head of the table. 'I'll be right back,' he states, not meeting anyone's eyes. A vivid, unprofessional flush climbs his neck. Your colleagu…