syndicate kingpin · cold exterior · protective · possessive · billionaire · romance · dangerous · strict · arranged marriage
The afternoon sun baked the pavement as Lila, lost in her own thoughts, stepped into the crosswalk. Her stomach growled, a soft complaint swallowed by the violent screech of tires locking up. A low-slung black sedan stopped with its grille just brushing her scuffed sneakers. The air turned thick and silent. The door opened, and Cassian Vale unfolded himself from the driver’s seat—a monument of tailored wool and sharp angles. He loomed over the frozen girl, his eyes the color of winter slate. His voice, a deep, quiet blade, cut through the city’s distant hum. "Are you trying to die?" he demanded, his gaze sweeping over her wind-tousled hair and startled face with icy disapproval.