His Pen, My Control

The boss I was secretly in love with suddenly gave me a fountain pen. In that instant, a stream of text scrolled across my vision, bright and intrusive like a chat feed on a live stream. 【Hehe, our girl has no idea that pen is empathically linked to the male lead, does she?】 【This is gonna get so good! I heard the smut in this is top-tier, is that true?】 【Totally true. The guy's an absolute stallion. This story is a five-star read, guaranteed!】 I froze on the spot, my mind reeling. I reached out and stroked the pen. The next second, the man sitting across from me—my boss—let out a sharp, muffled grunt. 1 Nobody is supposed to be in love with their boss. Except for me. Because he was good to me. Impossibly good. I’d been working in the Executive Office ever since I graduated, straight into the lion’s den of Cole Corp. My boss, Mr. Liam Cole, was a man carved from ice. He was cool, distant, and spoke only when necessary. But if someone on his team screwed up, he could dress them down with a glacial fury that left them weeping at their desks. But with me… I always felt he was different. It’s normal to be clumsy with procedures when you’re fresh out of college. The other executive assistants in the office were drowning in their own work, so no one had time to mentor the new girl. It was my own fault, really. I was just dumb enough to make a colossal mistake. The moment I was summoned to his office, the senior assistants all looked at me with the kind of pity you reserve for the condemned. My heart hammered against my ribs as I walked the green mile to his door. But inside, Liam Cole’s expression was perfectly calm. He just asked me if I was adjusting to the company, if I felt comfortable, if my colleagues were treating me well. He never even mentioned the mistake. When I walked back out, every head in the office snapped toward me. I quickly bowed my head, pretending to sniffle back tears. I might have been new to the corporate world, but I understood that much. Special treatment breeds jealousy. It was better to look like I’d been chewed out, just like everyone else. 2 I worked at Cole Corp for over a year. Every day, my senior colleagues were hounded and stressed, running around like their hair was on fire. I, on the other hand, had to pretend to be hounded and stressed. To deserve the quiet grace Liam Cole showed me, I threw myself into my work, becoming more meticulous, more dedicated than anyone. I couldn't betray the unspoken faith he had in me. I could never quite figure out what it all meant. What I meant to him. But I wanted to do everything in my power to make him see me, to impress him. I knew, in that quiet place in my heart, that his kindness toward me was unique. It wasn't overt, nothing anyone could point a finger at. Maybe it was just a hint of affection, a flicker of something more. I told myself not to overthink it. It was enough to see him every day. I was earning a fantastic salary for a job that, for me, was surprisingly calm. What more could I possibly ask for? 3 The company landed a massive new account. Everyone who had worked on the deal was getting a bonus. For the Executive Office, those bonuses were handed out personally by the CEO himself. I filed into his office with my colleagues. Liam Cole produced a stack of thick envelopes, his voice as cool and crisp as ever. "For your efforts." As the newest hire, I was last in line. One by one, my colleagues accepted their envelopes, their faces lit with joy. When my turn came, there was nothing left. Liam’s face was unreadable. "Ellie, you’ve only been with the company for a little over a year. Your seniority doesn't quite qualify for this tier. I got you something else." My colleagues craned their necks, their curiosity piqued. He slid a sleek, dark blue box across the mahogany desk. "Open it." What could possibly be better than a fat check? Confused, I lifted the lid. Nestled in the velvet lining was a handsome fountain pen, its body the color of a midnight sky. Tied around it was a tiny, almost comically delicate, pink ribbon. And in that instant, a stream of text scrolled across my vision, bright and intrusive like a chat feed on a live stream. 【OMG, he basically just handed over his junk! LMAO!】 【Hehe, our girl has no idea that pen is empathically linked to the male lead, does she?】 【This is gonna get so good! I heard the smut in this is top-tier, is that true?】 【Totally true. The guy's an absolute stallion. This story is a five-star read, guaranteed!】 I froze, my fingers hovering over the box. Junk? Empathically linked? Stallion? Was I hallucinating? Maybe it was all the late nights I’d spent binge-watching shows. Liam Cole's voice, a little strained now, pulled me back. "You don't like it?" 【Aww, our poor guy is shattering.】 【What if she doesn't like my gift? It's literally my soul in a pen!】 【Ellie, just nod! Say you like it! PLEASE!】 【Look at him, trying to act all cool, but he's probably gripping the underside of his desk so hard his knuckles are white.】 "I love it," I blurted out. Then, on a whim, driven by a bizarre impulse, I reached into the box. My heart started to pound, a frantic, wild rhythm. I only meant to touch the pen, just to feel it. "Wait—" Liam started to say. But my fingers had already closed around the smooth, cool barrel of the pen, stroking it firmly. Across the desk, a low, guttural sound escaped his lips. He let out a sharp grunt, and the tips of his ears instantly flushed a deep, tell-tale red. The sound was so intimate, so charged, it sent a shiver straight through me. My colleagues stood awkwardly to the side, confused but too intimidated to speak. A slow smile spread across my face. "Thank you, Mr. Cole. This pen… I absolutely love it." 【AAAAH! He's dying! One touch and our boy is losing his mind!】 【I live for moments like this. When she plays him like a fiddle!】 【OMG, this is way too hot. Ellie, you keep doing you. Wreck him!】 【I’d be different. If my boss’s junk was linked to a pen, I’d stomp on it. Just sayin’.】 I caught it then—the subtle tightening of his jaw. Was he gritting his teeth? Fighting for control? "If you like it, then take good care of it," he said, his voice a little rough. "Don't disappoint me." I nodded, my smile widening. "Of course. I’ll make sure you’re completely satisfied." I had no idea where he’d found a pen with an empathic link, but one thing was suddenly crystal clear. I was living in a trashy romance novel. And with a world built on bizarre rules like this, who was I to argue? 4 As soon as we left his office, Liam strode past us, his steps clipped and fast, heading straight for the men's restroom. 【Hehe, couldn't hold it in anymore? Gotta go relieve some pressure?】 【Just one little touch and he's already at his limit. This guy has zero self-control. I'm worried for our girl's future.】 【Wait, she’s reaching for it! What’s she gonna do?! Oh my god!】 【OMG, if she carries that pen with her everywhere, does that mean he's going to be at full mast 24/7?】 So, Liam Cole was a closet freak. After more than a year of pining, the most he could manage was to secretly gift me his… remote control. Fine. I could be generous. I’d help him get his release. From now on, the ball was in my court. Back at my desk, I took the pen from its box. I untied the little pink ribbon and ran my fingers up and down its length. Then, I uncapped it and tentatively started to write on a notepad. Just as I suspected. The pen was full of ink. The characters flowed onto the page, rich and dark. 【AAAAAH! HE'S ON THE TOILET AND HE'S GONNA DIE!】 【HOLY SHIT, ELLIE, YOU ARE A NATURAL AT THIS!】 【Stop writing, stop writing! He's literally biting his tongue!】 【Jesus, this guy is bold. Isn't he afraid of dying from dehydration?】 An image of him, undone and losing control, flashed through my mind, and a wave of heat washed over me. Suddenly, a hand snatched the pen from my grasp. It was Chloe, my least favorite colleague. "Tch. It's just a regular pen. Nothing expensive. I can't believe he'd give you this as a bonus," she sneered. This pen was linked to Liam Cole. It couldn’t be in her hands. That would mean he was… 【Phew, our guy is smart. The pen is only bonded to Ellie. Even he can't activate it by touching it himself.】 【He must have planned for this. Knew that other people would inevitably touch it.】 【He's coming out of the restroom now. Wonder what his face will look like when he sees his junk in someone else's hand.】 【Ellie looks like she’s about to cry, my poor baby!】 "Give it back!" I snapped. Knowing it was safe, thanks to the chat feed, didn't stop the surge of anger. I wanted to snatch it back, but I was afraid she wouldn't let go. What if she damaged it? What would that do to him? "Whoa, so protective," Chloe taunted, inspecting the pen from end to end. "There's nothing special about it. Lame." She tossed it back on my desk. "But seriously, Ellie. Are you into Mr. Cole or something?" Her voice was deliberately loud. The entire office turned to look. My face caught fire. "That's ridiculous!" Just then, a cold voice cut through the tension from behind me. "What are you all talking about?" 【Ooh, you bad girl, Ellie. Just a minute ago you were playing with him until he was seeing stars, and now you're denying it!】 【He's breaking. I can practically see the cracks forming. His hands are shaking.】 【Oh my god, he's the petty type. Ellie, you better watch out. He's gonna get you back for this until you can't see straight.】 【Hehe, and I, for one, can't wait!】 I turned around. Liam's face was so dark it looked like a storm cloud had settled over his features. I'm screwed. That was my first thought. Chloe immediately started playing the victim. "Mr. Cole, I just wanted to look at her pen, and she got so nasty with me." Before I could even open my mouth to defend myself, Liam let out a cold, humorless laugh. "That's her property. Did you ask for her permission before you took it?" he said, his voice dangerously low. "Chloe, you're a senior member of this office. How have your manners gotten so sloppy?" He stared her down. "Give it back to her. And don't make me say it again." The other assistants were practically vibrating with the drama. With Liam backing me up, what did I have to be afraid of? "Chloe," I said, my voice sweet as poison. "Could you please wipe it clean and put it back in the box for me? It was a gift from Mr. Cole, you see. I treasure it." Chloe’s face contorted with rage. "Mr. Cole, look at her! You're spoiling her! She's getting arrogant, walking all over everyone!" Liam's expression darkened even further. "Did you not hear what I just said?" Chloe deflated instantly. She fumbled for a tissue, wiped down the pen with shaking hands, and placed it back in its box. I looked up at Liam. "Don't worry, Mr. Cole. I promise I'll take very good care of your pen. I'll keep it with me at all times, where no one else can touch it." He gave me a long, deep look. Without another word, he turned and went back into his office. For some reason, he seemed even angrier than before. 【Ellie is being so formal. Our poor guy is heartbroken.】 【Well, she doesn't know how he feels about her yet! She's just trying to appease her boss.】 【When is this plot going to speed up? I'm so over the slow burn!】 5 That evening, I sat on my bed, staring at the pen in its open box. I was afraid to touch it, worried about what might be happening on his end. 【He’s in the shower! AAAAAH!】 【Damn, he has a nice body. Abs, pecs, delts… It’s just, that one area is all pixelated, I can’t see.】 【You don't need to see it to imagine it. This is a spicy romance novel; you think the author would give him anything less than a cannon?】 【Whoa, he's washing himself so… thoroughly. I feel like I shouldn't be watching this.】 He was in the shower? Without a second thought, I snatched the pen and wrapped my hand around it. The chat feed exploded in a collective shriek. 【AAAAAHHHHH! SO SUDDEN! His knees buckled! He almost fell! Thank god he caught himself on the wall!】 【OH MY GOD, ELLIE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! MORE! GIVE US MORE!】 【His face is so red! He looks like he's about to pass out from pleasure!】 【Ellie, Ellie, your timing is impeccable!】 I thought for a moment, then uncapped the pen. As expected, a single, dark drop of ink welled at the nib and fell onto the tissue below. It had leaked. 【HOLY HELL. So he wasn’t washing himself?】 【He was 'polishing the silver'! No wonder it seemed so weird!】 【I mean, his expression was so stoic, how were we supposed to know?!】 【I can't wait to see if he keeps that same poker face when he’s doing the deed with Ellie…】 "Huh. The quality of this pen isn't that great," I murmured to myself. I took a tissue and dabbed at the inky tip, then gripped the barrel again. 【AAAAAH, is she gonna do it again?!】 【I think she's going to write something. HOLY SHIT! Can he handle it? Don't make him spit ink and stick his tongue out again!】 【Please, wait a second, Ellie! Let the man recover!】 【This novel is so damn good. Author, please write another one! I’ll preorder it right now!】 Suddenly, my phone rang. Liam's voice came through the line, tight with restraint. "What are you doing?" What do you think I'm doing, baby? "Just looking at my phone," I said innocently. "There's a file that needs your attention," he said, his tone clipped and professional. "Drop what you're doing and come into the office." Work overtime? He had to be kidding me. I squeezed the pen a little harder. 【AAAAAH, HE CAN'T TAKE IT, ELLIE!】 【He’s so desperate he’s resorting to making up work for her! He's running on empty, baby!】 【Hahaha, is this the same overpowered male lead I know and love?】 【Well, she did make him spit a lot of ink at the office today. He's probably scared.】 A beat of silence, then: "Are you… using the pen right now?" "I am." Another pause. "Stop using it for now. The ink cartridge in that pen regenerates a little ink automatically each day. If you use too much, it's bad for the… the pen. You should use it sparingly. Cherish it." 【I have a feeling he's not talking about the pen.】 【Of course he is, baby. What else would he be talking about? ;)】 【Girl, you're reading a smutty novel and you don't get the subtext? Come on!】 【Ellie’s blushing! Why is she blushing?】 【Something feels weird… It’s almost like Ellie knows…】 "I understand, Mr. Cole." My voice became a little husky, a little sweet. "I'll be very careful with the pen. But I don't want to work overtime. Is that okay?" Perhaps it was the knowledge of the power I held. I couldn't help but sound a little coquettish. His voice on the other end was barely a whisper. "Okay. Then… come to my office tomorrow." "Mmm, I will, Mr. Cole," I cooed. 【She’s so happy she doesn’t have to work overtime! She's so cute, I could just die!】 【So sweet I'm getting a cavity. Of course our boy is at full mast again!】 【With this little self-control, Ellie is going to be the death of him.】 【I can't wait, I can't wait! Plot, move faster!】 【And just like that, he's back to polishing the silver.】 【Ellie, touch the pen again! I'm begging you!】 I considered it for a moment, but decided to give him a break. I carefully wrapped the pen in a tissue and placed it back in its box for the night. 6 The next morning, I brought the file Liam had mentioned to his office. The door was shut tight. I remembered seeing Chloe go in just a few minutes earlier with coffee. Suddenly, I heard a woman's sharp gasp from inside. Something wasn't right. I gave the door a perfunctory knock. "Mr. Cole, I'm coming in." "Wait—" His word was cut off as I pushed the door open. Inside, Chloe was kneeling at his feet, her hands on his thighs. The position was so compromising, it was impossible not to jump to conclusions. 【The side character spilled coffee on our man's lap! I hope his family jewels weren’t scalded!】 【Aaaah, Ellie saw! Is she going to misunderstand?!】 【Ellie, punish him! Punish him hard!】 Liam's face was flushed with anger. "Get out!" Chloe shot me a triumphant smirk. "Ellie, you really need to learn some manners. You can't just barge in when the CEO doesn't invite you. You should be more careful in the future." She waved a dismissive hand. "Now, run along. Mr. Cole and I have things to discuss. You can—" "I was talking to you," Liam bit out, his voice dropping to a terrifyingly cold register. I’d never heard him sound like that, not even when he was tearing into a subordinate. Chloe froze. "But, Mr. Cole…" "Get. The hell. Out." He didn't even look at her. Chloe stood, shot me a venomous glare, and stormed out of the office. "…What do you want?" he asked, his voice strained. I placed the file on his desk. "This is the document you wanted me to work on last night. It's finished. For your review." My eyes drifted down to the dark stain on his trousers. "Perhaps you should go change first, Mr. Cole?" The tension in his shoulders finally eased. He knew I hadn't misunderstood. "Yes. You can go now," he said. "Just leave the file here. I'll look at it later." "Of course." I turned to leave. As he stood, glancing down at the coffee stain, he disappeared into his private lounge. 【Thank god Ellie didn't get the wrong idea. That would have been so awkward.】 【Seriously, dude, you have a mouth, don't you? Why didn't you just explain?】 【He's the classic cold, stoic type. He can only crush from afar in secret.】 【When are they finally going to hook up?! Is the ice ever going to break? This is killing me!】 I reached the door, then stopped. Slowly, I unclipped the fountain pen from my breast pocket. Gripping it tightly, I turned and walked back to his desk. I uncapped it, poised to write. Liam burst out of the lounge, his eyes wide and wild. The corners were startlingly red, his gaze almost wet with panic. "Ellie, what are you doing?!" I looked up. He had already taken off his shirt, revealing a torso of hard, defined muscle. Broad shoulders, a narrow waist—a perfect physique. But that wasn't the most important part. The most important part was below his waist. His trousers were tented, forming a prominent, undeniable bulge. The size of it… My stare must have felt like a physical touch, because his entire body flushed a deep crimson. 【Damn, I think Ellie is about to have a nosebleed!】 【AAAAH, he's so flustered! So flustered!】 【Oh my god, is it about to happen?!】 【Ellie, you're still holding the pen! Do something!】 "Mr. Cole, I… I just remembered there was a spot on the file I needed to sign," I stammered, my eyes still glued to him. He took a tiny, hesitant step forward. "Don't… don't use that pen. Find a ballpoint on my desk." "Okay, Mr. Cole." My voice was obedient, but my gaze didn't waver. He squeezed his eyes shut in pure mortification. "I'm sorry you had to see this," he whispered. "I'm not a pervert, I swear. I thought you had come back for something else…" Such a prude, baby. "I know you're not a pervert," I said, a new, wicked confidence blooming inside me. My eyes drifted back down to the tent in his pants. "The coffee must have been hot. Thermal expansion, right?" 【AAAAAH ELLIE, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?! How did you get like this?!】 【I'm going to faint. Ellie, you are so bad!】 【Is she flirting with him? Our girl is a pro!】 【I command you, right here, right now, get it on!】 【Is it just me, or did the tent just get bigger?】 "Mr. Cole," I continued, my voice low. "If I hadn't walked in just now… were you going to let Chloe help you change? Treat your… burn?" He shook his head frantically. "No. That was an accident. I told her to leave, she wouldn't go…" I calmly walked right up to him until we were inches apart, staring directly into his panicked eyes. I held up the pen between us. "Don't you think you're a little overly concerned about this pen?" I asked softly. "Liam Cole. What exactly did you do?" He was so stunned by my shift in demeanor, so shocked that I had used his first name, that he couldn't form a coherent thought. "I… I just wanted you to take good care of it…" "Really?" I pressed. His throat worked, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously. "Yes. It was your bonus. I just wanted you to treasure it." 【He’s so close, how is he not kissing her?】 【Aaaah, Ellie, if you take one more step you'll be touching the tent!】 【So our sweet Ellie is a bad girl underneath it all. I love it.】 【Keep going, keep going! Do the deed!】 Suddenly, the office door flew open again. It was Chloe. "Mr. Cole, I brought you a change of—" She stopped short, her eyes widening. "What are you two doing?!" What was with her tone? Like a wife catching her husband cheating. I turned and gave her an epic eye-roll. "Get out," Liam said, his voice flat and devoid of patience. "I'll go, but she goes with me," Chloe demanded, pointing a trembling finger at me. Liam’s brows knitted together. "You will leave by yourself. We have things to discuss." "What could you possibly have to discuss?" she whined. "You two are…" "Don't make me say it a second time. Get lost!" "…Fine." Chloe reluctantly closed the door, her footsteps echoing her defeat. The moment the latch clicked, Liam grabbed my arm and pulled me into the lounge, locking the door behind us. My back hit the cool wood of the door as he pressed his warm, bare chest against me. There was nowhere to run. He enveloped my hand, the one holding the pen, with his own. His voice was a raw, ragged whisper next to my ear. "Do you like the pen I gave you?" I turned my head, dodging the kiss I knew was coming. "Mr. Cole, you…" "It's empathically linked to me," he confessed, all at once. My head whipped back around to face him. "…What?" He moved his hips, pressing the hard ridge of his erection against my stomach. "This pen. It's linked to me. When you touch it… I feel everything." 【??? The male lead just confessed?】 【Wait, this is my second read-through, and something feels off. The plot is moving way faster than I remember!】 【So the secret is out just like that?】 【Is Ellie going to think he’s a total creep? Is this about to become a forced-seduction plot?】 【Oh, this is getting more and more interesting.】 Seeing the genuine shock on my face, a flicker of satisfaction crossed his. He leaned in closer, his breath hot against my ear. "Help me. Please? It's… thermal expansion. It's not going down."

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