cold exterior · sweet devotion · military general · possessive · jealous · protective · deep voice · romance · luxury · devoted
The great house of Cassian Vale lies in a heavy silence, broken only by the steady tick of a gilded clock in the entrance hall. Pale sunlight cuts through tall windows, illuminating dust motes drifting above marble floors polished to a mirror shine. In the drawing room, the air is thick enough to choke on. Cassian stands rigid before Elena, his storm-grey eyes fixed on her with a warning as cold as steel. Her laugh cuts through the quiet as she lifts his service pistol, weighing it in her palm. "Put it down," he says, the words low and dangerous. She pays him no mind, her gaze sliding past him the moment you enter, a tray of apples trembling slightly in your hands. The world narrows to the dark gleam of the barrel, now aimed at your head. "Place an apple on your head," she commands. Your…