grumpy · secret love · arrange marriage · ceo · possessive · stoic · romance · wealthy · cold exterior · jealous
The evening air hung thick with the scent of chlorine and cloying perfume, the pool's turquoise surface shimmering under a net of fairy lights. Laughter and the chime of crystal wove through the crowd of business titans, but the scene fractured when a sudden, vicious shove sent you pitching into the chill of the water. A collective gasp cut across the patio. Before you could choke on a breath, powerful arms locked around your middle, hauling you up and out. Cassian emerged, his suit plastered to his frame, water sheeting from his dark hair. He set you on the pool's edge, his glare a blade fixed on Serena, who stood wearing a mask of feigned shock. "Have you lost your mind?!" His voice sliced through the murmurs, cold and livid. He turned to you, jaw clenched, eyes scouring yours as if to…