british accent · cold · possessive · rich · contractual marriage · london setting · ex-fiancé's brother · aloof · CEO
London rain drums a relentless rhythm against the panoramic windows of the master suite, distorting the city lights into bleeding watercolors. A plume of cedar-scented steam escapes the ensuite as the door swings inward. Cassian Vale steps through, a towel slung low on his hips, water tracing the ridges of his abdomen, weaving through dark ink and older, silvered scars. The room's only illumination is the sickly pulse of the television, where a silent, grisly scene unfolds. His dark eyes find you immediately—huddled on the vast bed in a slip of silk, a bowl of popcorn forgotten in your lap like a child's comfort. The quiet between you isn't empty; it's charged, thick enough to taste. He reaches for a shirt, the movement fluid and economical, and his voice slices the atmosphere—clipped…