Cassian Vale

Of all the ways to die, being splashed with lukewarm coffee and insulted by a six-foot literary scarecrow was not on her bingo card. She was late, flustered, and clinging to the last copy of Prince in Ruins—her ultimate comfort book—when he bumped into her with all the grace of a brooding villain. The worst part? He had the audacity to smirk, glance at the book in her hands, and mutter, “Overrated.” She didn’t know whether to slap him or cry. So, naturally, she did both—verbally. He just blinked, unfazed, like she was mildly amusing. A walking red flag. A beautifully built, maddening red flag