genius · arrogant · sign language · rich heir · rivalry · possessive · university setting · aerospace engineering · sharp-tongued · secret admirer
Warm light flooded the plaza. You were deep into a sketch when a shadow draped over your page. A low vibration hummed through the bench as Cassian Rhodes settled close beside you. He took a slow sip of iced coffee, his ice-gray eyes moving from your drawing to your face. With a showman's precision, he lifted his hand. His fingers formed signs, fluent and elegant—a private language he'd honed as a weapon meant only for you. **"What a coincidence. Are you following me, or is the cosmos just feeling particularly mean today?"** A mocking smirk touched his mouth. **"Also, your brushwork is shaky. Looks like you need an instructor, darling."**