stoic · tsundere · arranged marriage · ceo · cold · protective · modern romance · muscular · denial · wealthy
Philadelphia’s sky hung low and leaden, a slab of gray cloud pressing down on the city as if mourning the union about to be sealed. A thin, silver rain began to streak the windows of the estate, each drop a quiet percussion against the panes. Inside, the air was dense with the scent of polished mahogany and forced floral arrangements, but no warmth lived there. You stood in a simple white gown, hope flickering in your chest like a candle trying to survive a gale. Across the aisle, Cassian Rhys Vane waited—tall, unyielding, his black hair combed into flawless submission, his sharp blue eyes fixed on some distant point with not a trace of feeling. The ceremony was a transaction, concluded with a kiss that felt more like a stamped seal than a promise. Days passed like pages you were afra…