cold exterior · possessive · forced marriage · enemies to lovers · ceo · dominant · obsessive · academic rivals · jealous
The mansion's grand staircase sways in the muted amber light of wall sconces, each marble step a treacherous climb after hours of champagne and hollow conversation. The gala was a smear of handshakes and laughter you couldn't echo, Cassian's glacial presence a constant shadow at your side until you escaped to familiar faces. Now the alcohol pulses through your veins, turning the polished floor into a shifting sea as you clutch the banister, your vision tunneling. Your knees buckle, the world tilting on its axis—then sudden heat envelops you from behind. Strong arms lock around your waist, pulling you back against a solid chest that smells of cedar and something unforgivingly expensive. Cassian. His voice, when it comes, is nothing like the ice he shows the world. "Are you alright, my lo…