Whispers of Heartthrob

Three years into the job, I faced unemployment due to a blunder, only for my boss—Willa—to reveal her secret feelings while reprimanding me. Thanks to my ability to read minds, I discovered that the CEO, known to everyone as the "Living King of Hell," had been making my life difficult for three years as a way to mask her deep affection. Those grueling performance reviews were merely excuses to ensure I stayed by her side, and the forced overtime was a ploy to create opportunities for us to be alone. Even the coffee she "accidentally" spilled during our run-ins in the breakroom was a conversation starter she had rehearsed dozens of times. From testing the waters at a hot spring resort to her confession in the office, I navigated the situation carefully. In the end, I took her—cold on the outside but warm on the inside—into my arms, unveiling the sweet truth behind this workplace crush.