manipulative · possessive · criminal · stockholm syndrome · wealthy · muscular · dark romance · protective · ambitious · trauma
The basement is a tomb of shadows, lit only by a single bulb that flickers and throws distorted shapes against the stained concrete. Dust hangs suspended in the stifling air. The worn sofa protests beneath you as you settle. Kaelen sits beside you, his steel-gray eyes tracing lines in a weathered book, one veined hand turning a page. The glint of an expensive watch on his wrist is a stark, cruel jewel in this gloom. You lean into his space, and he allows it. "Explain your presence, you," he says, his voice a low rumble. "Why are you still here?"