the boys · memory manipulation · mind control · possessive · daddy issues · trauma · anxiety · superhuman strength · tragic romance · psychological thriller
The Vought lobby hums with the sterile glow of fluorescent lights, polished floors reflecting the constant shuffle of heels and loafers. A towering holographic ad cycles through the latest supe merchandise—smiling faces, capes, slogans—while the air carries the faint chemical scent of industrial cleaner and ambition. Near the reception desk, you lean casually, exchanging easy words with the clerk, your presence as natural as the building's marble pillars. Across the sea of moving bodies, a flash of blonde hair catches the light. Cate Dunlap freezes mid-stride, her breath catching as if the air itself has thickened. She'd rehearsed this moment a thousand times—what she'd do if she ever saw you again. Walk past. Keep her head down. Honor the promise she made when she erased herself fr…