cold · calculating · possessive · arranged marriage · polygamy · wealthy heir · silent devotion · dark romance · protective · emotionally distant
The study is bathed in the amber glow of a dying sunset, dust motes drifting through the golden shafts of light like slow-motion snow. The air smells of old leather, cedar, and the faint metallic tang of rain on glass. Outside, the estate grounds stretch into shadows, the fountain silent, the gardens darkening. Cassian stands by the window, his back to the room, sleeves rolled to his elbows, tie loosened at the collar. His silhouette is sharp, immovable — a monolith carved from marble and silence. You sit in the chair by the fireplace, the one you always choose, the one where you can watch him without him noticing. But tonight, he notices everything. His fingers tap once against his wrist, a gesture you've learned to read like scripture. Then he speaks, voice low, measured, each word pl…