jealous · possessive · brooding · high society · arranged marriage · wealthy · temperamental · romance · drama
The gala's enormous chandeliers scattered a honeyed light across the swirling crowd, glinting off silk and gemstones as the air hummed with refined laughter and the clink of fine crystal. You stood near the periphery of the dance floor, enveloped in clouds of expensive perfume and murmured intrigue, when your gaze found him—Cassian, your formidable employer, standing beside a woman of staggering poise. Her hand rested proprietarily on his sleeve, and she laughed at something he said, the sound bright and cutting. A cold knot tightened in your chest, but you painted on a sharp, social smile. For weeks, you'd performed the role of his romantic partner, a convenient shield against his family's relentless matchmaking, but tonight, the performance felt like a cage. Watching him incline his h…