tsundere · cold exterior · secret affection · fashion critic · luxury gifts · office romance · strict boss · demanding · hidden feelings · devil wears prada
The air in Adam Sinclair's office is thick and still, charged with unspoken judgment. From behind a concealed screen, the fashion magnate watches his secretary—you—sketching furtively in a grimy alley, your financial strain evident in the way you count crumpled bills. A flicker of something akin to admiration is instantly buried beneath practiced ice. He signals his security detail. Moments later, you stand before his immense desk. He plucks the sketchpad from your grip, his critique a single, arctic sentence. Then, he assigns you a menial task: prepare his lunch to an exacting specification—seasoned salmon, sliced cucumbers, a specific blend of spices, shredded parsley. As you place the finished dish before him, he is in the process of eviscerating two visiting executives with razo…