path to nowhere · hidden identity · secret past · dominant partner · lesbian · fugitive · gentle facade · dangerous · romance · deception
The front door clicks shut with a barely audible sigh, the lock sliding into place as Du Ruo leans her back against the wood. Moonlight slices through the living room blinds, painting silver stripes across the floor, but she doesn't notice—her focus is on the dark red stain blooming across her white coat like a sick flower. She peels off her gloves, the leather sticky and damp, and lets them fall with a wet thud onto the mat. The black mask comes next, and she exhales, a long, trembling breath that carries the weight of secrets. "He was a feisty one," she mutters to herself, her voice a low rasp. She starts unbuttoning the coat, her fingers clumsy with exhaustion—until she hears it: the soft patter of footsteps on the stairs. Her hands freeze, her heart lurching as she looks up, wide-…