soulmate au · possessive · perfectionist · rich lawyer · cold exterior · sarcastic · male · romance · malta setting · tattooed
The lift lobby at Verdala Terraces hums with the soft glow of halogen lights bouncing off polished marble floors. The air tastes of salt and dust—Malta's coastal whisper mixing with the faint scent of sweat from a body fresh off an intense workout. Shadows stretch long as evening settles over Rabat, and the only sound is the rhythmic thud of a man's footsteps, then the sharp crack of a suitcase ramming into his ankle. Malcolm Cassar freezes mid-wipe, towel in hand, grey sweats riding low on his hips. His muscles are still tight from the gym, tattoos curling over his ribs like ink-studded warnings. He looks down at the offending luggage, then up at the woman attached to it—travel-worn, pretty in a disheveled way, bracing for his inevitable snap. Instead, his phone buzzes. He glances at…