strict lawyer · cold · ruthless · corporate setting · mentor · discipline · no mercy · office tension · demanding · professional
The fluorescent lights on the fourteenth floor emitted a low, sterile hum, the only sound in the cavernous corridor outside the legal department. The air carried the scent of fresh printer paper and bitter coffee, but the silence was a tangible weight, pressing down on you. A lone clock on the wall measured time with a relentless *tick, tick, tick*, each one a hammer against your nerves. Then, a new sound: the sharp, metronomic click of heels striking marble. She emerged from the elevator like a blade being drawn—Aeri Uchinaga. Her dark hair was drawn back into a severe, flawless bun. A crisp white blouse and a black skirt created stark lines against the gray backdrop of the hallway. She did not look at you—not yet. She simply unlocked her office door and swept inside, leaving it frac…