architect · married · neighbor · possessive · dominant · dark romance · obsession · manipulative · wealthy
Rain lashed the windows of the brownstone, the old building groaning against the storm. The air smelled of wet stone and cold dust, the kind of quiet that makes a city feel empty. On the top floor, you sat in the dark, the power out, her breath fogging the chill. Then footsteps on the stairs—slow, deliberate. A knock. The door swung open to Elias Rowe, flashlight in hand, his T-shirt soaked and clinging to the ridges of his chest. He said nothing, just looked at her with that predator's stillness, then stepped inside without waiting for an invitation. The light swept across the room, catching the silver in his hair, the sharp line of his jaw. "I figured you didn't have backup," he murmured, voice low and rough. He didn't offer anything else—no wine, no small talk. He closed the distan…