Frozen Desire

Cassian put his phone down on the bedside table and made his way into the bar area, his mind still fixated on the last conversation he had with Seraphina. He hadn't expected things to unfold this way, not with her. There was a rawness to her—an honesty—that made him lose his usual control. And he hated it. He hated how much she unsettled him. He hated how much he wanted her.

He made his way to the bar, pouring himself a drink, trying to drown out the noise in his head. The sound of the door opening behind him didn't surprise him. He knew who it was before he turned to face his father.

Victor Vale stood in the doorway, his imposing figure cutting a stark contrast against the dim lights of the penthouse. His eyes were sharp, calculating, and the air around him felt colder the closer he stepped inside.

"Cassian," Victor began, his voice low and deliberate. "I trust you're not wasting time with distractions."

Cassian didn't flinch at his father's tone, though it still carried the weight of a threat. "I don't have time for distractions, Father," he replied flatly, taking another sip of his drink.

Victor's eyes narrowed, studying his son with a practiced, unsettling gaze. "It doesn't look like that's the case. You've been too... involved. It's time you refocus on what matters. There are things you can't afford to lose sight of."

Cassian's jaw tightened, but he didn't respond immediately. He didn't want to give his father the satisfaction of seeing him rattle. But Victor wasn't done.

"I saw the way you've been with that woman," Victor continued, stepping closer. "You think she's harmless? That she's some simple distraction? Let me make something very clear, Cassian. You're a Vale. And that means certain things come with responsibilities. Her? She's a risk to everything we've built."

Cassian's grip on the glass tightened. "Don't involve her in this."

Victor chuckled darkly, stepping closer until he was inches away from his son. "I'm already involved, son. You see, the more you indulge her, the more difficult it will be to keep her away from the business. And I'll make sure she understands exactly where her place is. Don't think I won't."

The finality in his voice was chilling, and Cassian felt a growing knot of tension coil in his chest. He didn't want to think about Seraphina getting dragged into whatever Victor had in mind. The last thing he wanted was her to suffer because of his family's expectations.

"Stay away from her," Cassian finally said, his voice low but forceful. "I'll handle my own life."

Victor's lips curled into a small, mocking smile. "You can handle your life however you want, Cassian. But remember who holds the reins of your future. You've been told."

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The following morning, Seraphina felt the weight of her decisions. She had woken to another message from Cassian, a small note to check in, but nothing more. It was a reminder that, even now, she didn't fully understand the depth of what she was getting into with him.

Walking through the streets, she tried to shake off the nagging feeling in her gut, but the constant sense of being watched had started to invade her every step. At first, it was just a strange glance here and there, but the unease escalated quickly.

As she made her way to her usual café after work, where she noticed a car parked across the street, the window rolled down just enough to reveal a shadowy figure behind the wheel. She didn't recognize the car, and her heart began to race. The tension from the night before—the unsettling conversation with Cassian—seemed to bleed into her thoughts, creating a thick fog of confusion and fear.

She brushed it off, trying to ignore the growing discomfort and made her way inside, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being followed.

When she entered her apartment, the same car was parked nearby. Her pulse quickened, and for a moment, the air felt suffocating. She locked the door behind her, making sure the curtains were drawn before collapsing onto the couch.

She didn't know who was watching, but she had a growing suspicion.

Cassian wasn't the only one playing games with her.

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Back in the penthouse, Cassian stood by the window, looking down at the city. His father's words echoed in his mind, and the nagging unease from his conversation with him only grew. He had tried to brush off his father's threats before, but they felt more real this time. The business, his life, his relationship with Seraphina—everything felt like it was on the edge of being torn apart.

He wanted to protect her from everything, but Victor's reach extended far beyond what Cassian had anticipated.

Just as he was about to leave for work, his phone buzzed with a message. It was Seraphina.

Seraphina: I feel like someone's watching me...

Cassian's stomach dropped, and the protective instincts he'd fought to suppress roared to life. His hands shook as he typed a response.

Cassian: I'll be there soon. Don't worry.

He couldn't let anything happen to her. Not now. Not ever.

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Cassian didn't waste a second. His heart pounded in his chest, a primal instinct to protect her rising within him. The thought of her being watched, vulnerable—he couldn't bear it.

He immediately called for his driver, his voice curt and urgent. "Get the car ready. Now. And make sure no one follows us."

The reply from his driver came quickly, confirming they were on their way.

Cassian's mind raced as he made his way to the door. He grabbed his coat, his fingers gripping the fabric tightly. His thoughts kept returning to her message, to her vulnerability. He hated how easily she could be exposed to danger, especially now that he was getting deeper into this world. He had known this path was risky, but he hadn't realized how quickly it would start to affect her. And it wasn't just his family's business anymore; it was his life. She was a part of it, and he wasn't willing to let anyone hurt her.

As the car pulled away, the cold, night air seemed to press against him, intensifying the urgency that pulsed through his veins. The city lights blurred by the speed, he could barely focus on the streets around him. His mind was elsewhere, with her.

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Seraphina sat on the couch, her phone clutched in her hand. Her earlier unease had only grown, and now, as she waited for Cassian to arrive, she felt exposed, helpless even. She kept glancing out the window, half-expecting someone to appear out of the shadows, watching her from the darkness. The feeling was suffocating, and it made her chest tighten.

She tried to push the feeling aside, reminding herself that Cassian would be there soon. He always seemed to know when she needed him, like he could sense when something was wrong. Still, the quiet of the apartment pressed in on her, and she hated the way her heart raced as if she was being hunted.

The sound of a car pulling up outside jerked her attention toward the window. She watched as a sleek black car parked on the street below, headlights cutting through the night. Was it him? Or was it just another shadow in the dark? She couldn't shake the feeling that someone was still out there, waiting.

Then she saw it—the unmistakable figure stepping out of the car. Cassian.

Her breath caught in her throat as he made his way up the steps to her flat. Even from a distance, the intensity of his presence was undeniable. The way he carried himself, the power in his movements—it was hard to ignore, and it filled her with a strange sense of safety that contrasted sharply with the fear she had felt moments before.

Cassian reached her door, his hand knocking with urgency, but also a familiarity that made her heart flutter in anticipation. She opened it quickly, stepping aside to let him in.

He didn't waste any time. As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, he was there, his hands firmly on her arms, scanning her face with a raw intensity that seemed to say he wasn't leaving until he knew she was okay.

"Are you alright?" His voice was low, almost too gentle for the ferocity in his eyes.

"I… I don't know," she admitted, her voice barely a whisper as she looked up at him. "I don't know what's going on, Cassian. But I feel like someone's been watching me for days."

His jaw clenched. "I'll make sure you're safe," he vowed, his grip on her arms tightening slightly. "No one will hurt you. Not while I'm around."

She swallowed, trying to steady her breathing. "I didn't want to involve you in this. I didn't want to drag you into something dangerous…"

"Too late," he muttered, more to himself than to her. "I'm already involved. And I'm not letting you go."

The air between them seemed to crackle, charged with an unspoken need. But Cassian didn't want to give in to it—not yet. He was still grappling with his own internal chaos, the mixture of desire and protectiveness swirling inside him. His emotions were a tangle of threads, and he wasn't sure if he was holding on or unraveling.

"I won't let anyone hurt you, Sera," he said again, his voice steadier this time, though the weight of his promise hung heavy in the room.

She nodded, her heart racing. "I know, but… what if it's not just you and me? What if this whole world we're stepping into is dangerous for both of us?"

He took a deep breath, stepping closer, his forehead resting against hers for a moment, grounding them both. "Then we face it together," he murmured. "I'll fight for you, no matter what."

She closed her eyes, letting his words settle around her like a protective shield. For the first time in days, she felt a sense of peace. She didn't have to fight this battle alone. Cassian was here, and that was all she needed to hold on to for now.

And for the first time, she allowed herself to truly trust in his promise.

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Victor Vale sat at his desk in his study, a glass of dark scotch in his hand, his cold eyes fixed on the papers before him. The room was dimly lit, the faint glow of the city lights outside casting long shadows across the floor. He had known this day would come—he had known that Cassian's distractions would eventually be an issue. And now, this girl, Seraphina De Luca, was becoming more than just a distraction.

The sound of footsteps echoed in the hall, followed by a knock at the door.

"Enter," Victor's voice was low, but sharp, like the edge of a blade.

One of his men stepped into the room, his posture rigid, a slight unease in his expression. He had been one of the shadowy figures watching Seraphina from a distance, keeping tabs on her movements. He approached the desk, pulling out a file and placing it before Victor.

"Sir, we've been monitoring her closely, as you requested," the man said, his voice steady despite the tension in the air. "She's been acting erratically. She's aware someone's been following her, but she hasn't made any major moves yet. We're keeping her under watch."

Victor's gaze remained cold as he flipped open the file, skimming through the reports. His eyes lingered on the mention of Cassian's name—how the two had been spending more time together. How she had come to be a part of his world. His fingers tightened around the glass in his hand, the ice rattling against the sides.

"You've been following her all this time, and you still haven't gathered anything useful?" he asked, his voice laced with disdain.

The man cleared his throat, trying to steady himself under Victor's withering gaze. "We've learned that Cassian—"

Victor cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Cassian. That's the real problem here, isn't it? He's distracted by this… girl. And now, she's pulling him further from his duties."

He leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping against the armrest as he thought. His mind worked quickly, calculating. The problem needed to be dealt with swiftly—before it became something more serious.

"Cassian isn't one to be distracted for long. But this... this attachment to her is dangerous. For him. And for the company." Victor's voice grew darker, his eyes narrowing. "We can't afford any weaknesses. We need to get rid of this girl. One way or another."

The henchman's eyes flicked nervously to the side but said nothing, knowing better than to question Victor. He waited for his next order.

Victor's lips twisted into a slight, menacing smile. "There's an easy way to handle this, of course. She's not someone Cassian can afford to care about. You know what to do. Make her understand the consequences of crossing the Vale name."

He stood from his chair, walking slowly toward the window, his gaze piercing through the glass, looking down at the city below—the empire he had built, the power he held over every inch of it. He turned back to the henchman.

"Make sure she understands. And make sure Cassian can't come running to her rescue when the time comes." Victor's voice was calm, but there was a deadly edge beneath it.

The man nodded, a faint smile playing on his lips, understanding the gravity of his task. "Understood, Mr. Vale."

Victor gave a dismissive wave. "Go. And remember, this is not just about her. This is about making sure Cassian gets the message. That he remains focused."

As the henchman exited the room, Victor's gaze lingered on the city lights outside. His mind was already on the next move, planning his next steps to ensure that his son remained on the path he had set out for him.

Cassian's little distractions were just that—little. They would be dealt with, one way or another. And once that girl was out of the picture, Cassian would have no choice but to return to what really mattered: the family business.

Victor's lips twisted into a satisfied smirk as he thought of the endgame. He had everything under control.

Everything, except the one thing he couldn't seem to control—his son's growing defiance.