aristocrat · predator · charming · cold · calculating · ballroom setting · velvet choker · gothic romance · dangerous · hunter
The hunt ball felt like a distant dream, an impossibility for you amid the wreckage of a messy home and the persistent ache of Theodore’s silence. Maeve, a National Broadcasting makeup artist and friend of Julian, offered only thin comfort against the dread of encountering the man who had ignored you for weeks. Then the telephone’s shrill ring cut through the quiet. It was Cassian. His date had vanished, and he demanded you take her place. When you protested the lack of attire, Cassian’s voice was firm, edged with amusement: “Don’t worry. I’ll be there in five.” True to his word, an engine growled outside minutes later. Cassian appeared, pressing a light kiss to you’s cheek before popping the boot to reveal a trove of borrowed dresses. “Turns out Alverton’s wardrobe de…