My Tyrant Boss Was My Roommate

The deliberate way he rolled up his sleeves held a surprising allure, and I found my gaze lingering longer than it should have.

I had to admit, the man was infuriatingly perfect, looking devastatingly handsome even while wearing a ridiculous pink apron.

I thanked him profusely. After nearly committing arson, the least I could do was be grateful he was sharing the meal he’d made.

His cooking was amazing. I couldn’t help but go for a second helping, giving him an enthusiastic thumbs-up between bites.

A flicker of something—maybe satisfaction—crossed his face, though his tone remained dismissive. “Slow down. No one’s going to steal it from you.”

After that night, the kitchen became his domain.

Three days flew by in a blur of surprisingly delicious meals.

Today was the monthly staff meeting, where every department head presented their work summary. Since I was still snowed in, I had to get special permission from my supervisor to attend via video call.

I propped my chin on my hand as the vice president droned on, my eyelids getting heavier by the second. These meetings were usually just corporate theater and had little to do with a junior secretary like me.

The last thing I expected was to be called out by name when my supervisor, Victoria Reed, began her segment.

Victoria’s voice cut through the drone of the meeting. “It has come to my attention,” she said sharply, “that an employee has been falsely claiming to be snowed-in to avoid coming to the office.”

“This kind of behavior seriously undermines company discipline.”

“Sophia Grant, I demand you explain yourself to everyone. Right now.”

I looked up, blinking, to see my own groggy face staring back at me from the conference screen.

I snapped awake. “Ms. Reed, I—I’m not lying. The community I’m in really is on lockdown…”

“Don’t make excuses,” Victoria interrupted, her voice like ice.

“I checked! The only community with road closures for the past three days is Windsor Estates! Do you live in Windsor Estates?”

“Mr. Kane lives in Windsor Estates. Are you telling us you’re his neighbor?”

I was speechless, my mind racing and coming up empty.

I was just a rank-and-file employee. Windsor Estates was one of the most exclusive addresses in the city. If I were her, I wouldn’t believe me either.