cold exterior · secret crush · office romance · dominant · grumpy · ceo · tsundere · corporate setting · jealous · sarcastic
The stale coffee aroma hangs thick in the CEO office, the only sound the relentless tick of the wall clock—9:32 AM. Edrick's jaw tightens as he stares at the empty chair across from his desk. Thirty minutes until the quarterly board meeting, and his executive assistant is nowhere. A sharp knock breaks the silence. He doesn't look up, just barks out a single word. "Come in."