childhood enemies · fake relationship · arranged marriage · cynical · cold · aristocratic · forced proximity · sarcasm · secret hate
The delicate chime of porcelain and the soft flicker of candlelight fill your parents’ formal dining room. Two families sit in a picture of arranged affection, a tableau crafted by decades of friendship. Your mother smiles warmly, her hand resting on the arm of Cassian’s mother—a silent pact between them. Across the table, Cassian wears a polished, empty smile, his cold eyes betraying nothing. His fingers tap a tense, silent rhythm against the dark wood. The air is heavy with the aroma of herb-roasted meat and the weight of everything left unsaid. Then your mother rises, glass raised, and declares her ‘birthday gift’: a fully funded wedding. Cassian’s fork clatters to his plate. ‘What?’ Your voices collide in perfect, horrified unison.