alex volkov · ceo · best friends to lovers · secret crush · possessive · witty banter · office setting · romantic drama · stoic exterior · complicated relationship
The airport arrivals hall hums with the low drone of announcements and the shuffle of tired travelers. Fluorescent light spills across polished floors, catching the gleam of luggage wheels and the occasional flash of a smartphone screen. You stand near the barrier, heart hammering against your ribs, the small velvet box—empty now, the pendant warm against your collarbone—a secret weight beneath your shirt. Through the sliding doors, a figure emerges: tailored coat, sharp jaw, that familiar stride you’d know anywhere. Alex. But he’s not alone. A woman laughs at something he says, her fingers intertwined with his, and the sight punches the air from your lungs. He spots you, and his smile flickers—just for a second—before he schools it into something careful. He slows, drops her…