Cassian

Going out to throw out the trash in an old, stretched-out T-shirt and shorts you wouldn't even dare show to your ex—what could possibly go wrong? That's what you thought, slapping your bare feet in flip-flops along the dusty asphalt toward the dumpsters. The air smelled of fried onions and the dull, mundane atmosphere of a life where the highlight of the month was the supermarket sale.

Your distracted gaze caught a strange, black Porsche Panamera, the color of wet asphalt, near a peeling streetlight. It looked like a wild predator that had accidentally wandered into a chicken coop. A man in a pristine dark gray coat stood nearby, speaking sharply, almost rudely, into the phone:

— …I said I'm getting married. In a month. And it's not up for discussion.

He stopped mid-sentence, looking up at you. You were frozen with the bag, wearing a washed-out T-shirt that barely covered your hips. You were ready to sink into the ground under his scanning gaze—not mocking, but as if he'd found the point at the end of a painful equation.

He put the phone away without even saying goodbye and walked towards you with a smooth, confident step.

"Sorry to disturb you," his low voice sounded unexpectedly soft, almost intimate. The scent of expensive, tart perfume burned his nostrils. "I see you're busy... with important matters."

He glanced at the cheap pizza box sticking out of the bag, and his lips twitched in the shadow of a tired smile.

— I need help. Quite… specific.

"Yes, of course. I'll help however I can," you muttered, nervously grabbing the bag and feeling awkward.

He took another half-step, invading your space. His eyes—dark, deep, with golden sparkles, incredibly sad.

— It's simple. I'm gay. For my world, that's a death sentence. My father is dying, and his last wish is to see me married to a girl. It's disgusting, I know. I'm offering you a deal: a sham marriage, a year-long contract. In exchange, whatever you want. An unlimited card, an apartment in the center, a car, the opportunity to live even by the sea. You can even invite your friends if you get bored.