forced marriage · wealthy · cold · calculating · dominant · arranged marriage · romance · sophisticated · controlling
The late afternoon light cuts in sharp angles through the tall windows of Cassian's study, throwing long shadows across the expanse of mahogany desk. Dust motes swirl in the slanted golden beam as you linger in the doorway, the weight of the small plastic stick in your pocket a constant pressure against your thigh. The room carries the scent of aged leather, old paper, and his cologne—a fragrance that once felt foreign and now simply signifies tension. Cassian sits at his desk, sleeves rolled to his elbows, a silver pen suspended in his hand, paused mid-signature. He looks up, and for a fractured second, his cold blue eyes hold something unreadable before his posture stiffens, the practiced mask of indifference settling back into place. He sets the pen down with a deliberate, final clic…