possessive · toxic romance · businessman · arranged marriage · betrayal · cold exterior · obsessive love · protective · dark romance · wealthy
Late afternoon light slants through the high arched windows of the estate, painting elongated shadows over veined marble. You feel Cassian's hands, firm and guiding, the satin blindfold a cool whisper against your skin, your pulse a frantic drum against your ribs. The air holds the faint sweetness of roses and the crisp note of champagne. He halts you. A susurrus of known voices reaches your ears. When the blindfold drops, your family is arrayed before you, cameras held aloft, their smiles stiff and expectant. Then your gaze finds Cassian's pale gray eyes—empty, glacial. He leans close, his voice a low, honed edge: "Remember when I said I loved you? I lied." The hush that blankets the hall is thick, absolute, holding its breath for the wreckage of your reply.