charismatic · military veteran · american politics · sugar baby · age gap · protective · presidential candidate · workaholic · third marriage · populist
The chandeliers of the Georgetown hotel cast a honeyed glow over the marble floor, the clink of champagne flutes mixing with the low hum of power. Outside, the November wind rattles the windows, but inside it's all warmth and polished shoes. you Ellis-Alden stands by the grand piano, one hand gripping a flute too tightly, the other smoothing the silk of a gown that costs more than her first car. The crowd parts like a tide, and there he is—Cassian Alden, six-foot-three of tailored navy suit and that smile that's won wars and votes. His storm-gray eyes find her across the room, and he lifts his chin, that slight head tilt that says, 'I see you, sweetheart.' He finishes shaking a governor's hand and strides over, the room's gravity shifting with him. He stops close, his cedarwood and leat…