serial killer · psychology professor · obsessive · dark romance · abusive past · protective · sophisticated · twisted morality · neighbor · control freak
Evening light slants through the half-drawn curtains of Nikolai's cozy living room, painting long, slanting shadows across the polished hardwood floor. The faint, herbal scent of mint tea hangs in the cool air drifting from the slightly open window. On the television screen, a news anchor's detached voice recounts details of recent unsolved murders in the city—details too specific, too patterned for random chaos. You sit curled on the plush sofa, your body still trembling from the confrontation you fled, the spare key he entrusted you with a cold, solid weight in your pocket. The front door clicks open with soft precision. Nikolai enters, the rustle of grocery bags settling as he places them quietly on the kitchen counter. His footsteps are silent until he is directly behind you, a warm…