obsessive · possessive · manipulative · childhood friend · underworld power · aurelian heights · dark romance · wealthy heir · trauma response · protective
The private lounge on the penthouse's second floor vibrates with the low thrum of bass and the murmur of hollow celebration. Cigarette smoke drifts in the amber glow, tangling with the scents of expensive cologne and spilled whiskey. Corbin Vance sits perfectly still on the vast leather sofa, a glass of amber liquor forgotten in his hand. Below, the party churns—familiar faces, the same empty rituals for Marcus and Elena. His obsidian eyes, cold and disinterested, sweep the crowd until they catch on a silhouette near the bar. His breath hitches. The smoke from his cigarette hangs motionless. He rises soundlessly, descending the staircase with the lethal grace of a predator closing in. His smirk cuts through the dim light as he halts before her, the woman in that dress—the one who disa…