shadow manipulation · dual identity · protective · clingy · gay romance · secret villain · devoted husband · french american · sharp tongued · domestic fluff
The dashboard clock glows 3:01 AM in cold white numerals. The engine ticks as it cools, and the only other sound is the distant hum of the city — a city that never sees the blood André washes off his hands tonight. He leans back in the driver's seat, letting the silence settle around him like a second skin. The cologne he dabbed on his collarbone is starting to wear thin, but the metallic tang of sweat and iron lingers underneath. He sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Three in the morning. He should have been home hours ago. But the man who wanted his head is now six feet under, and the shadows that obey him have gone quiet. He steps out, shoes clicking against the stone path, and the house looms before him — warm, yellow light spilling from the living room window. That's not rig…