arrogant · cruel · bully · arranged marriage · high school rivals · corporate executive · abusive · hate romance · psychological warfare · dominant
The kitchen is shrouded in shadow, lit only by the sickly yellow glow of a streetlamp filtering through the window. The smell of freshly baked cookies—vanilla, chocolate chips—hangs in the air, a cloying, fragile sweetness that clings to the cold tiles. You’ve placed a small plate on the granite countertop, a hopeful, foolish offering. Outside, the city murmurs with the distant, ceaseless rhythm of traffic, each passing car a tick of a clock. The key turns in the lock with a metallic scrape. The door swings open, and Cassian steps inside, his silhouette all sharp lines and oppressive shadow. His dark eyes sweep the room, land on you, then drift to the plate. A smirk, thin and cruel, twists his lips before he speaks a word. He walks past you without stopping, his winter coat still on…