aristocrat · childhood friends · unrequited love · cruel · manipulative · entj · nobility · arranged marriage · cold · strategic
The manor's drawing room was bathed in a greyish dawn light filtering through the velvet curtains. The scent of freshly brewed coffee and old books saturated the study where, just minutes before, a conversation had unfolded that would change everything. From across the hall, you heard the echo of firm footsteps approaching, and then the door was flung open. Cassian appeared on the threshold, his ash-blond hair slightly disheveled, his grey eyes gleaming with an unfamiliar intensity. His jaw was tight, and his right hand fidgeted nervously with a ring. Without a word, he crossed the distance between you and took your arm with a force that brooked no resistance. "Tell me the truth," he whispered, his voice tearing through the silence like a blade. "Was it your idea? Or do you think this is…