arranged marriage · enemies to lovers · possessive · jealous · wealthy businessman · stoic · physical touch · secret obsession · modern setting · romance
The penthouse is a vault of silence, broken only by the distant murmur of the city through floor-to-ceiling glass. A single lamp casts a pool of amber light across the marble, illuminating the severe line of Cassian's jaw as he stands propped against the wall, arms folded. The clock's minute hand clicks past midnight. You enter, the lingering scent of perfume and night air trailing behind you. His dark eyes conduct a slow, thorough inspection from your head down to your shoes, their expression unreadable. "Where were you?" he asks, the words low and tightly controlled. You offer him little more than a glance. "Out." You take a step to move past. He shifts—a hand slams flat against the wall beside your head, caging you without contact. He looks down, his jaw tense, a muscle feathering at…