The Devil In A Suit

Julian’s POVThe air outside Cassiel Morelli’s estate was thick and stifling. Even with the cool night breeze brushing against my skin, I could feel the weight pressing down on my chest. The iron gates had locked behind me with a resounding clang, cutting off any chance of escape—not that I had anywhere else to go.I stood at the entrance, my fists clenched at my sides as the butler led me through towering double doors. The mansion swallowed me whole, drowning me in the feel of wealth that felt suffocating rather than impressive. Marble floors gleamed under dim chandeliers, casting ghostly reflections of me as I moved forward.I hadn’t been in a place like this in a long time. Not since my world had collapsed.Not since Cassiel Morelli had helped destroy it.The butler stopped at another set of doors, polished wood carved with intricate designs. He opened them with a slight bow, stepping aside.I squared my shoulders and walked in.Cassiel was waiting.He sat in a high-backed leather

Cassiel’s POVThe underground club was a temple of excesses — soft candlelight flickered across dark velvet walls, and low music hummed beneath the murmur of the world’s wealthiest and most dangerous men. Here, the rules of the outside world didn’t exist. Deals were made with whispers, fortunes were lost with a glance, and power belonged to the one willing to pay the highest price.I sat in my usual place—an exclusive balcony overlooking the grand auction hall. From here, I could see everything, every desperate soul trying to sell themselves into favor, every predator waiting to devour them.But tonight, I wasn’t alone.The woman beside me was draped in an elegant black gown, her silver mask catching the dim light. She was poised, exuding an effortless grace that made others assume she was just another socialite on my arm. But those who knew better understood she was more than that.She swirled her wine, her voice smooth. “You’re quieter than usual. This place doesn’t entertain you an

Julian’s POVI stared at the masked man before me as I sat backstage after I had been bought by this stranger, a shiver running down my spine.I didn’t know who he was.But I knew — I might have just made the worst mistake of my life.My breath shuddered and my body tensed, heat rolled off me in waves.This stranger had won the bid for my freedom.And somehow, I felt I had never been more trapped than this moment. Regretting my decision wasn’t something I wanted to entertain since I had made up my mind not to stay with Cassiel but I had to admit that the feeling I kept pushing back was regret. ___________________The air in the room was thick with tension, the only sounds present was the crackling fire and the measured breaths we took. I watched as the stranger stood bare before me.The heat in the room had nothing to do with the fire.I watched as he tilted his head, gray eyes dark behind the mask. He reached forward, grazing his fingers along my shoulder. I didn’t fl

Julian’s POVThe drive back from the villa was suffocating.I sat stiffly in the passenger seat of Cassiel’s sleek black Aston Martin, the hum of the engine filling the silence between us. The events of the last twenty-four to forty-eight hours played on a loop in my head, each memory heavier than the last.Bash. The auction. The contract. Cassiel.My hands clenched on my lap as the city lights flickered past the tinted windows. We should have been heading straight to the penthouse — I had resigned myself to that much — but instead, Cassiel’s driver took an unexpected turn down a familiar street.My stomach twisted.It was my apartment.I hadn’t been back in days, but even now, the sight of the run-down building sent a wave of exhaustion crashing over me. The peeling paint, the rusted fire escape, the flickering hallway lights—it was barely livable. But it was mine.The car pulled into a spot effortlessly and the driver killed the engine.I turned to Cassiel, eyes narrowing. “Why are

Julian’s POVI felt like I was losing it.“You’re restless.” Cassiel smirked, watching me. There was really no point in denying it but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.I exhaled through my nose in an effort to calm myself. He smirked, but there was something deeper in his gaze. Something knowing.“You’ve barely been here an hour, and you’re already pacing,” Cassiel mused. “Did you think you’d adjust so quickly?”I crossed my arms, not caring for the sarcasm. “I didn’t think I’d have to adjust to anything. This isn’t my home.”He took a slow step forward. “It is now.”My jaw tightened. “Not by choice.”He hummed, unconcerned. “Choice is a luxury, Julian. One you spent long before you ever met me.”I clenched my fists. I didn’t need reminders. I didn’t need Cassiel standing there, looking at me like I was some petulant thing throwing a tantrum over a life he’d already lost.“You can keep pretending you have control,” He murmured, closing the distance between us. “But we both know y