Novels by Allison zee

Cold.That was the first thing he knew cold that wasn’t just on the surface, but deep, invasive, clawing into the marrow of his bones. The ocean swallowed him whole, pressing in from all sides as if determined to erase him. Cassian kicked instinctively, arms flailing through water that felt heavier than gravity itself. His lungs screamed, desperate for air, but the dark waves pressed down, unrelenting.The last thing he remembered clearly was laughter his own, a brittle thing fed by too much liquor and then headlights, wind, speed. And then betrayal. Hands that touched him too familiarly, shoving him, not holding him. A blur of motion, the car, the bridge. The sharp rush of saltwater closing over his head.Now it was only chaos.Cassian fought upward, but the surface kept slipping farther away. Every movement was sluggish, like swimming through wet cement. His beach shirt twisted around him, tangling against his body like a net. Panic roared in his chest, hotter than the freezing wave

Back in the city, Rowan was halfway to his apartment when his phone rang.Lennox.The words that came through were jagged, frantic:“Cassian’s… car explosion coastal highway the bridge”Rowan didn’t hear the rest. His chest caved in. He turned the car around so hard the tires shrieked, the world narrowing to a single thought that screamed through his skull.If Cassian was gone if those last words between them were the fight they’d never take back Rowan wasn’t sure he’d survive it.He pushed the car past its limits, city lights warping into streaks of color in his peripheral vision. Sirens rose ahead, sharper with every turn. The taste of smoke hit his tongue before he even saw the scene.The bridge loomed broken, burning, alive with chaos.Blue and red strobes painted the smoke. The acrid scent of gasoline and scorched rubber clawed at his throat. Fire crews moved like grim shadows in the glare, their shouted orders cutting through the roar of the river below.Police lines barred the

The sun was already beginning its slow descent, casting golden fire over the city when Cassian stepped onto the penthouse terrace.Rows of low tables were draped in white linen, champagne buckets sweating against the humid air. The rooftop pool glittered like liquid crystal, its surface reflecting strings of white fairy lights stretched above. Guests mingled in crisp white linen dresses, linen shirts, tailored shorts, wide-brimmed hats. The scent of sea salt from the man-made rooftop breeze mixed with the sweetness of champagne and the faint, clean burn of pool chlorine.Cassian had dressed the part white beach shorts with gold drawstrings, a thin linen shirt unbuttoned to mid-chest, sleeves rolled casually. The light kissed his collarbone, catching on the fine chain resting against his skin. His bare feet padded silently across the deck as he scanned the crowd.He’d told himself this party wasn’t about celebration. It was about distraction. About drowning the past few weeks in music

The morning after felt deceptively ordinary.Sunlight spilled over the penthouse’s terrace, glinting off the half-assembled poolside bar. Staff in matching polos moved around briskly, adjusting white parasols, hanging shimmering paper lanterns, and arranging tables draped in ivory linen.Cassian stood barefoot at the edge of the pool, coffee in hand, watching his reflection ripple on the water. The all-white theme was starting to take shape gleaming loungers, frosted glassware, floral arrangements bursting with lilies and orchids. It was beautiful, expensive, and intentionally curated to scream control when inside he felt anything but.“Looks like something out of a magazine,” Taryn said as she appeared at his side, clipboard in one hand, headset around her neck. “You sure you want to go through with this?”Cassian smirked faintly. “Why wouldn’t I?”Taryn gave him a look. “You’ve got a countdown hanging over your head. Throwing a pool party sounds… counterintuitive.”“That’s the poin

Morning light crept into the penthouse through gauzy drapes, casting soft shadows across the floor. But there was no peace in the glow just exhaustion wearing yesterday’s clothes.Cassian hadn’t slept. The message from the unknown number had replayed in his mind all night like a ticking clock.Happy almost birthday, Cassian.He stared at his laptop, bleary-eyed, the blue glow accentuating the lines of worry etched into his face. He refreshed the security logs again.Still three access attempts. Still one unknown ID.Rowan entered the room, unshaven, shirt half-buttoned. “You’re still up?”Cassian didn’t look at him. “Did you know there were remote login attempts on the server?”Rowan’s brows furrowed. “No. You’re sure?”Cassian turned the laptop toward him. “Look. Two are yours. The third is untagged. Not from my system. Not from yours.”Rowan leaned in. “Could be a hacker. Could be someone we missed.”Cassian’s jaw tightened. “Could be someone watching us.”The tension between them h

The penthouse was dim when they returned, the glitter of the gala behind them, but its consequences still simmering in their bones.Cassian stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring at the city like it owed him answers. Rowan paced behind him, his movements tight, controlled. The silence between them was no longer companionable. It was explosive.“I didn’t leak that video,” Cassian said for the third time, his voice taut.“I know,” Rowan replied, but his jaw ticked.“You don’t sound like you know.”Rowan turned sharply. “Because we were going to leak it, Cassian. That was the plan.”“But we didn’t.”“And yet it happened anyway.”Cassian turned to face him. “Are you accusing me?”“I’m saying someone did it. And it sure as hell wasn’t me.”They glared at each other, tension crackling between them like static. Their near-kiss on the rooftop, the loaded silence since, it all hung between them like unsaid truths.Rowan exhaled and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Let’s go over this ag