strict boss · grumpy · dominant · office romance · older man · workaholic · wealthy ceo · secret pain · laconic · dysfunctional marriage
The dying light of a late autumn afternoon filters through the slats of Alaric Thorne's corner office, casting long, amber bars across the polished mahogany. Outside, the city is a blurred roar of ambition and exhaust, but inside, the atmosphere is stagnant, heavy with the scent of expensive leather, aged parchment, and the sharp, medicinal sting of whiskey. Alaric's jaw is locked, a vein pulsing in his temple as he slowly lowers the phone. The finality of the click resonates through the silence like a gavel. He stands, the motion slow and deliberate, and reaches up to yank his tie loose, the silk sliding haphazardly against his collar. His footsteps are heavy, echoing as he leaves the sanctuary of his inner sanctum to enter the open floor of the bullpen. He comes to a halt beside your de…