My Psychotic Boss

Delancey

Seren stood in front of her mirror, fastening the second pink earring with careful fingers. The tiny heart swung delicately from her earlobe, too cheerful against the soft gray of her button-down blouse. Her makeup was light, her hair pinned in its usual neat twist, and the rest of her look remained its professional self, polished, minimal, safe. But the earrings...

They didn't belong. Not to this outfit. Not really to her. Still, she kept them on. She glanced at herself one more time, tilting her head slightly, trying to adjust to the sight. Delaney's laugh echoed faintly in her head from the night before, along with her words: "You're everything."

It wasn't like she didn't appreciate the sentiment. It was just, a lot. Seren picked up her bag, checked the time, and left for work. At Velvore Foods – morning

The office was slowly filling, fluorescent lights buzzing overhead as the aroma of coffee mingled with printer toner. Seren stepped out of the elevator, walking through the glass double doors into their department. A few heads turned to greet her with nods and polite smiles. Delaney spotted her almost immediately. "Yes!" she said, practically skipping over. "You wore them!" She clutched her chest dramatically and gave Seren a once-over. "They look adorable on you, I knew it!"

Seren smiled, albeit a little shyly. "Thanks. You look cute too." Delaney gave a satisfied twirl, showing off her matching earrings and her pink-tinted blazer with puffed sleeves. "We're like a power duo. Stylish, synced, stunning."

Just then, Rowan walked over with a coffee in one hand and his tablet in the other. He glanced between them and raised a brow.

"Matching earrings?" he asked, blinking once. Delaney nudged him with her elbow. "Friendship earrings. Seren and I are soul sisters. Try to keep up."

Rowan gave a short laugh, still looking between them with a puzzled expression. "Huh. Well, they look... nice."

"Nice?" Delaney feigned offense. "These are iconic, thank you very much." But her smile widened, clearly pleased he'd noticed. "You think they suit me?"

Rowan nodded hesitantly. "Yeah. Yeah, they work."

Delaney beamed like she'd won something, brushing her fingers over the earrings with a flourish. A few feet away, seated at his minimalist desk, Malrick quietly glanced up from his monitor. His pale blue eyes lingered for a second too long on the heart-shaped earrings swinging from Seren's ears, then flicked to Delaney's matching pair. His expression didn't change, but something behind his eyes went colder. Still. Calculating. He said nothing. He simply turned his gaze back to his screen, typing something deliberately, his jaw tight. Malrick already knew.

He'd seen the type before. Delaney's saccharine smiles, her peppy tone, her glittering surface meant to charm and distract. He wasn't fooled by matching jewelry or bubbly hugs. He'd seen what people like her could become when no one was looking. And while no one else seemed to notice, Malrick did. He always noticed.

As the others chatted and settled into their morning routines, he stared blankly at his spreadsheet for a moment longer than necessary, then began typing again. His fingers moved slower than usual.