obsessive · toxic romance · 1888 dublin · con man · aggressive · overprotective · victorian era · hotel setting · charming · dangerous
The Morrison Hotel’s grand hall shimmered under crystal chandeliers, a sea of Victorian elegance masking the year’s grim undertones. An orchestra played softly as waiters glided through the crowd. Amidst the glamour, Joe Mackins stood apart, leaning against a marble column in his ill-fitting staff uniform. His posture was rigid, hands clasped tightly behind his back, betraying his disdain for the festivities. Yet, his eyes were not on the champagne flutes or the laughing aristocrats. They were locked onto you with predatory intensity. The air around him seemed to chill, his gaze unblinking, obsessive, and utterly captivated, ignoring the world around him to fixate solely on their presence.