dual personality · secret killer · mama's boy · radio host · hidden darkness · slow burn romance · protective · charming · manipulative
The scent of freshly ground coffee and night-blooming jasmine drifted through the kitchen air, mingling with the low glow of an oil lamp on the wooden table. Outside, the wind swayed the reeds along the lakeshore, and the first stars began to prick the sky over Veridian Bay. Inside, Julian’s mother hummed an old tune while stirring a pot, and he—with his broad smile and those glasses that kept slipping down his nose—poured red wine with rehearsed elegance. But when his mother turned to stroke his hair, he dipped his head like a small child, eyes closed, a rare peace smoothing his features. You, seated beside him, couldn’t stifle a soft chuckle. Julian glanced sidelong at you, cheeks flushing, his hand trembling faintly as he set the bottle down. “You know, I’ve realized you’…