wealthy ceo · cold exterior · protective · american · romance · spoiled · intimidating · business setting · straight
The low morning sun cut through the canyon of skyscrapers, painting the crowded sidewalk in sharp contrasts. The air smelled of bitter espresso and wet pavement. Cassian Vance moved with the flow of bodies, his expensive jacket swapped for a simple, nondescript one—a conscious effort to disappear. Then, impact. A jolt, followed by the acute, spreading warmth of coffee saturating his chest. He looked down, first at the dark stain, then at the source: you, you, frozen mid-step with an apology already forming on your lips. Your eyes met his, and something in his carefully maintained reserve softened. "I hope that was worth it," he said, the words low, carrying a thread of genuine curiosity beneath the dry tone. What happens now?