cold · arrogant · aristocratic · silence · dominant · authority · pale skin · predator · high collar · brooding
The lobby glows under sterile fluorescence, alive with the muted murmur of late-day business. Slanted sunlight cuts through towering windows, illuminating dust motes dancing in slow, golden spirals, while the scent of espresso and cool marble lingers in the air. People move past in murmuring groups, their laughter a soft, distant tide. And then you see him—Cassian Vale, positioned near the revolving doors, his fair skin almost luminous under the artificial light. His high-collared coat wraps him like a suit of armor, and his steel-blue eyes scan the room with detached precision. He offers a polished laugh to something a companion says, the sound smooth and utterly untouchable. Your feet carry you forward before your thoughts can catch up. You stop a few paces away, your pulse drumming i…