Elvie
"Here is your waiting card, ma’am. You can take a seat over there, and someone will come to attend to you shortly."
"Thank you," I said with a polite smile, taking the small plastic card from the receptionist before heading toward the plush waiting lounge.
I sat down on one of the comfortable armchairs, looking around at the minimalist decor. To be honest, I was completely amazed. Cassian had sent me here to pick up a custom art frame he had ordered, since he was tied up with work. I had no idea a place like this even existed in the city.
Yes I know I chose fine arts as my major, simply because I felt a deep, natural connection to it. But being around Cassian felt like he was opening my eyes to a whole new side of my future career. He wasn’t just taking care of me; he was expanding my world.
I fished my phone out of my bag, tapping out a quick text to Cassian.
Me: I just arrived at the gallery. They gave me a waiting card, so I’m sitting in the lounge now.
I stared at the screen for a minute, but no reply came through. I switched the screen over to my unread messages.
There was a text from Gemma from yesterday that I hadn’t gotten around to answering yet.
Gemma: Girl, yesterday’s presentation went so good!! Everyone did amazing, but you definitely need to sweet-talk Professor Reed into giving us all A’s. Use your secret powers on him! lol
I rolled my eyes with a soft laugh. Classic Gemma. She never missed a chance to tease me about Cassian. I quickly typed back a reply.
Me: You are terrible! The presentation went great because we worked hard, not because of anything else. See you in school tomorrow!
After hitting send, I opened Instagram to pass the time while waiting. I was lazily swiping down my feed when a familiar face caught my eye, making my thumb freeze mid-scroll.
It was a post from Asher. He was standing at a trendy lounge, his arm wrapped around a new girl. Not Lexi. I pinched the screen, zooming in on their faces.
Wait, what happened here? Did he and Lexi had a fight?
Ever since that night at the party, I hadn’t heard a single word from him. There had been dead silence from him and the rest of the Norman family. And if I was being completely honest, I was relieved.
Because in a while, I finally had peace and balance in my life. I was doing things that actually made me happy. After my classes, I would come back to Cassian’s place, set up my canvas, and paint for hours while he respected my space and let me focus.
Well... apart from our constant intimacy, of course.
A small blush crept up my neck just thinking about it. Cassian can’t keep his hands off me for very long, and over the past few days, I had practically abandoned my own bedroom. Falling asleep tangled up in his sheets had quickly become our new normal.
I looked back down at the picture on my screen. Deciding to satisfy my inner detective, I took a quick screenshot of the post and opened my chat with Gemma. If anyone in this city knew the latest gossip before it even hit the internet, it was definitely her.
"Miss Elvie? Your package is ready for you now."
I looked up to see a staff member standing nearby. Slipping my phone quickly back into my bag, I stood up and followed him through a set of double doors. Resting against a wooden counter was the custom frame, wrapped in heavy brown paper and tied with a thick ribbon.
The man said, lifting it off the counter.
"Thank you so much," I said, reaching out to take it from him.
"Oh, no, please," he smiled warmly, holding it firmly in his arms. "It’s my job to make sure it gets safely to your vehicle. Lead the way, ma’am."
"Alright, thank you," I grinned, touched by the sweet service.
We turned and walked back toward the main glass exit of the gallery. But just as we were about to push the heavy glass doors open, a tall, imposing man in a tailored suit stepped inside, flanked by two burly men who looked like private security.
The gallery employee carrying my frame immediately slowed down, bowing his head respectfully. "Good afternoon, sir."
I stepped to the side to give them room to pass. But as the man brushed past us, a strange, cold prickle ran down my spine, making my heart thump erratically against my ribs.
We had barely taken two steps toward the outside curb when a deep voice cut through the quiet lobby.
"Wait."
I froze in my tracks. Turning around slowly, my eyes met the gaze of the man in the suit. He had stopped near the center of the lobby and was staring directly at me, his eyes scanning my face with an intense, look that made my throat go completely dry.
A heavy wave of intimidation washed over me. There was something intensely powerful about his presence, something cold and dangerous that made me want to shrink back. But then again, his face looked familiar... I couldn’t put a finger on where or when I had ever seen him before.
He stayed silent for a long, agonizing moment, searching my features so thoroughly it felt like he was looking right through me. "I thought you were someone I know. Carry on."
Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and strode into the gallery, his security team following closely behind him.
I stood there, watching his retreating figure until he disappeared down the private hallway. Who was he? And why he looked so familiar to someone I know?
**
I dragged the heavy frame through the front door, pushing it across the floor while letting out a breathless groan. My arms were already completely sore from carrying it from the car.
I didn’t know it was this heavy and the staff carried it so lightly in his arms. I held the edge careful not to drop it and break whatever fragile art was inside, until I finally managed to prop it safely against the corner wall in the living room since I had no idea where Cassian was planning to hang it.
The house was completely silent, which meant he still wasn’t home from work yet.
I headed upstairs and took a quick shower pulling on a loose t-shirt and a pair of black leggings before making my way down to the kitchen. I opened the refrigerator and a smile touched my lips when I spotted the leftover creamy chicken Alfredo pasta and garlic bread Cassian made last night. I scooped a big portion onto a plate and popped it into the microwave, leaning back against the counter to wait for it to warm up.
While the microwave hummed, my phone buzzed from the counter. There were string of texts from Gemma.
Gemma: Girl! You won’t believe what happened!!
Gemma: Asher and Lexi had a huge blowup at a club three nights ago! She literally threw a drink in his face because she caught him flirty texting someone else.
Gemma: That new girl in the photo is Chloe. Her dad owns some big import business, so Asher is basically hanging around her for the benefit of his family.
Oh wow. So the perfect golden couple finally crashed and burned.
A ding from the microwave cut through my thoughts. I set my phone down, pulled out the steaming plate of Alfredo pasta, and grabbed a fork. The rich, delicious smell of garlic and cream instantly filled the kitchen, making my mouth water.
I took a bite, melting a little at how good it tasted even as leftovers. Cassian really was an incredible cook when he had the time.
I was about taking another bite when I heard the sound of the front door. Few seconds later, Cassian walked into the kitchen. He had his suit jacket draped over one arm, the top couple of buttons of his dress shirt undone, and his hair slightly messy.
"Hey, little birdie," he said walking over and planting a soft kiss to my forehead.
"Hey," I smiled, leaning up into his touch. The warmth of his lips on my skin instantly made the rest of the world fade away.
"Did you get the frame alright?" he asked, unbuttoning his cuffs and rolling his sleeves up his forearms. He glanced over at the plate of pasta on the counter and a smile curved up his lips.
"Yes," I said, setting my fork down. "I practically had to drag that frame into the living room, though. It weighs a ton! What is even in there?"
Cassian let out a low chuckle, his eyes dancing with amusement as he leaned back against the counter right beside me. "Just solid wood and heavy glass. Thanks for helping."
"Well, I wanted to help," I murmured, sliding off the stool and stepping closer to him.
He didn’t hesitate for a second. His large hands immediately reached out, wrapping around my waist and pulling me flush against his hard body. He rested his chin on top of my head, letting out a long, heavy sigh.
He pulled back just enough to look down into my eyes, his thumb gently tracing my lower lip. "How was it?"
The image of that tall, imposing man in the lobby suddenly flashing through my mind. "It went fine," I said adjusting myself on his lap. "What about you? How was the meetings?"
"Tiring," Cassian replied tracking the movement of my hands as he rested his palm against the small of my back. "A lot of administrative nonsense and stubborn board members who like to hear themselves talk. But it’s dealt with for the week."
"Um... that’s nice," I smiled, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "Let me go warm up your dinner then."
I made a move to slip off his lap, but his hand shot out and caught my wrist. "Uh-huh," Cassian murmured softly, tugging gently on my wrist to pull me right back against his chest. "Not so fast, little birdie. Why don’t I show you the content of the frame first?"
My heart gave a sudden, excited flutter. After dragging that impossibly heavy thing across the living room floor, my curiosity had been burning up all evening.
"Really?" I asked, a bright smile breaking across my face as I leaned into him. "Fine. Show me."