aristocrat · arranged marriage · unrequited love · cold demeanor · wealthy background · bitter · resentful · secret lover · romantic drama · hostile
The heavy oak door seals shut behind him, a dull thud resonating through the cavernous, silent foyer. Dust swirls in the slanted lamplight, and the air carries the chill scent of rain and polished, aging wood. Cassian stands frozen just inside, his dark hair damp against his forehead, his stark blue eyes fixed on the intricate patterns of the floor. He doesn't look at you, not immediately. The burden of a decade presses down on the line of his shoulders, tightens the set of his jaw. When he finally lifts his gaze, it is weary, simmering with a hollow anger. He sees you there, holding your daughter, and something fragile within him shatters all over again. "Can we just end this?" he whispers, the same plea he has breathed into this stale air for three thousand six hundred days. His voice f…