The bass shook the floor like a heartbeat, steady and demanding, even though they were high up in the club's private lounge. Below, the dance floor churned with bodies, flashes of sequins and silk catching the light as champagne corks exploded and laughter soared above the music. It was the kind of place only heirs and untouchable elites could call a casual hangoutwhere one night's bill could cover a small business's rent for half a year.
Inside the velvet rope VIP lounge, things were calmer, but not by much. A long leather couch stretched against the tinted glass wall, giving a perfect view of the chaos below. Bottles of Cristal and Macallan littered the glass table, half-finished, glittering under the neon glow.
Elias was in his element, as always. He leaned against the couch with two girls clinging to his shoulders, laughing at something only half funny. He threw his head back dramatically, making the women giggle harder. The very picture of a man who never once thought about consequences.
Julian, on the other hand, lounged in the corner, legs stretched out, cigarette in hand. He didn't join Elias's noise but smirked like he was amused anyway, his sharp eyes drifting between the room and Cassian.
And then there was Cassian standing apart, near the window, hands shoved into his trouser pockets, gaze fixed somewhere distant. His drink sat untouched on the table. Even with the neon light washing his face in blue and purple, he looked… distant.
Elias noticed too. "Cass, my man!" he shouted over the bass, shoving one of the girls gently off his lap so he could point dramatically. "Why do you look like you're attending a funeral in the middle of a party? You're killing the vibe!"
Julian chuckled, blowing smoke upward. "He does look like he's brooding about something. Tell us, Cass, did your father finally cut your card, or did you discover your fiancée ran away with your chauffeur?"
"Funny," Cassian muttered, his voice calm but sharp enough to cut through their banter.
Elias leapt up, exaggeratedly holding his chest. "Oh, he speaks! Praise the gods." He stepped closer, grabbing a glass off the table and shoving it toward Cassian. "Here. Drink. Whatever demon has its claws in you, drown it. Don't just stand there like a bad painting."
Cassian's eyes flickered to the glass but didn't take it. His silence dragged, heavy enough that even Elias's grin faltered.
Julian narrowed his eyes. He tapped ash into a tray, then leaned forward. "Alright. Out with it. What's got you looking like a man who swallowed a grenade?"
For a moment Cassian said nothing but only glance at the two girls. Elias noticed and asked the girls to leave.
The hum of the bass bled through the glass, making the short moment of silence more suffocating. Finally, cassian exhaled slowly, jaw tightening.
"Thalia came to me today."
That got both their attention. Julian's smirk deepened, curiosity lighting his gaze.
"Well, well," Julian drawled. "Now that's interesting. What did she want?" Julian knew from his tone that he Thalia didn't come there just to see him
Cassian turned his gaze back to the window, as if the chaos below could give him answers. "She asked me to marry her."
The glass Elias had been holding slipped right through his fingers, shattering on the floor. His eyes went wide, his mouth opening and closing like he'd forgotten how to speak. "She...what?!"
Julian burst into quiet laughter, low and disbelieving. "Ah. Now this is rich."
Elias finally found his voice. "Hold on marry her? Just like that? Did she confess her undying love to you, or did I miss a chapter in the soap opera that's your life?" He dragged his hands through his hair. "Cass, are you kidding me? Thalia? Out of all the people"
Cassian cut in, his tone sharp. "It's not about love."
That stilled the room. Elias narrowed his eyes. Julian tilted his head, smoke curling lazily from his lips.
"She wants security," Cassian continued. "Backing. Strength when she fights for her family's inheritance. And she thinks I'm the right person to give her that."
Julian let out a low whistle. "So she's playing chess. Clever girl."
Elias threw his hands up. "Clever girl? This is madness! Cass, do you even hear yourself? She's asking you to chain yourself in a marriage because she wants power. That's not clever, that's..."
"Survival," Julian interrupted smoothly. He stubbed out his cigarette and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Think about it, Elias. Thalia's situation isn't simple. Her father, her stepmother, the whole inheritance mess… she can't fight them alone. Aligning with Cassian gives her legitimacy, protection, leverage. It's a calculated move. Do you think the board will support if she says she's friends with Cass? It's better to get married to her"
Elias groaned dramatically, flopping onto the couch. "Calculated move, my ass. And what about Cass? He's not a pawn in her little game. He has a life too." He sat up, pointing accusingly. "You don't tell me you're actually considering this insanity."
Cassian's silence was answer enough.
Elias's jaw dropped. "Oh my god. You are."
Julian chuckled, his tone soft but edged. "I can see why. It benefits him, too. The Voltren name tied to Thalia's… imagine the power shift. Two old bloodlines binding, strengthening their positions. It's not just her who gains."
Elias shook his head, muttering curses under his breath. "This is insane. You're all insane."
But Cassian wasn't listening to their bickering anymore. His thoughts were elsewhere on Thalia's determined face as she spoke, on the way her voice trembled only slightly when she asked, on the fire that burned in her eyes when she talked about fighting back against Vivienne and her father.
And behind that… Damian.
Cassian clenched his fists in his pockets. He'd seen it the way Damian's gaze lingered on Thalia, unspoken, restrained, but clear. Cassian had caught it enough times to know his brother wasn't immune. And that was why he'd tried to bury his own feelings, whatever they were.
But this… this wasn't about love. Not now.
It was about power. About survival. About choices that couldn't be undone once made.
Elias's voice cut through his storm of thoughts. "Cass. Tell me you're not doing this. Tell me you're not throwing yourself into this firepit just because she asked nicely."
Cassian finally turned, his gaze steady, unreadable. "I'm doing it."
The words hit the room like a hammer. Elias's mouth fell open. Julian only raised an eyebrow, but his smirk was sharper now.
"You're serious," Elias whispered.
Cassian nodded once. "I'll accept her proposal."
The bass from the floor below shook the walls again, but the silence in the lounge felt louder. Elias leaned back, defeated, muttering curses into his hands. Julian exhaled smoke through his nose, almost like a laugh, but softer this time.
"Well," Julian said finally. "This is going to be fun."
Cassian didn't answer. He just turned back to the window, watching the chaos of the party below, as if the whole city would shift with the choice he'd just made.