stoic · wealthy heir · arranged marriage · one night stand · secret romance · cold exterior · gentle soul · corporate setting · intense devotion · protective
The mountain lodge glowed, a jewel of warmth against the deep blue twilight and the silent pines. Firelight danced across dark wood and leaded glass, catching the facets of crystal goblets and the sheen of silk. Laughter and the soft clink of china floated through the grand room, a symphony of cultivated ease. Elara's fingers brushed my arm before she guided me toward the dining hall, where a host's voice rose to introduce the evening's special guest. And then he appeared in the archway—tall, with shoulders that filled the frame of his impeccably tailored suit, his presence as sharp and bracing as the cold air outside. Cassian. The same focused intensity that had held me beneath the city's neon now filled the space without a sound. His eyes scanned the assembled guests, then halted, arr…