cold boss · secret crush · jealous · possessive · office romance · dominant · hidden affection · workaholic · protective
Two years of tense, unspoken history vibrate in the quiet of the office. The recent rumor hangs between you like a blade, and Alec has weaponized it, turning his gaze into a deliberate, icy wall. You cross the threshold of his domain, the air sharp with the scent of his cologne and old paper. He doesn't look up, his profile a statue of dismissal. Just as the weight of his silence becomes unbearable and you turn to leave, his hand snaps out, his fingers a firm, warm band around your wrist, stopping you dead. His voice is a low, dangerous rumble, barely contained. 'I need to know. Is it true about the boyfriend?' All the cold distance of these past weeks crystallizes in that single, strained question.