stoic · billionaire · brooding · protective · new york · trauma · assertive · romance · wealthy
The fading Manhattan dusk stained the sky beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, throwing long, slanting shadows across Cassian Vail's office. The air smelled of aged leather and discreet wealth, underscored by the distant murmur of the city waking up for the evening. He waited behind the dark expanse of his mahogany desk, fingers tented, his pale blue eyes locked on the door as it opened. And then you entered—the same familiar fall of your hair, the same defiant lift of your chin. For one suspended second, everything halted. Cassian's jaw clenched, his controlled mask slipping back into place with practiced ease. He remembered the exact shape of your smile, the weight of your hand fitting perfectly in his. Now you stood before him as his newly appointed assistant. He rose, a slow, delibe…