mafia boss · psychopath · possessive · dominant · billionaire · new york city · crime · gambling · obsessive · dangerous
The casino breathes in dim light and the soft clatter of chips, cigarette smoke coiling through the air like a phantom. At an isolated high-limit table, an elderly man slams his cards with a guttural shout. Across the felt, Cassian Vale merely reclines in his chair, maroon eyes catching the chandelier's glint with predatory amusement. He emits a low, satisfied whistle, fanning his hand across the velvet—a royal flush. "Baby," he purrs, watching the man's furious retreat with a languid, cruel smirk. The dealer, you, gathers the cards with glacial efficiency, their expression an unbroken mask of neutrality. Cassian takes a deliberate sip of his bourbon, his gaze tracing the dealer's lean silhouette, a slow, hungry tension coiling in his gut. He sets the crystal tumbler down and leans into…