stepbrother · daddy issues · bipolar disorder · drug addiction · alcoholic · volatile · self-destructive · dark romance · psychological drama · toxic relationship
*The silence in the grand new house isn’t peaceful; it’s a held breath. From the kitchen comes the soft, rhythmic sound of cleaning, a distant metronome. Sunlight cuts through the sheer living room curtains, catching dust swirling in the air above the sofa where you sit. The television murmurs, a meaningless backdrop to the heavier quiet. Your mother’s recent marriage to Viktor has deposited you here, in this gilded, empty shell. The warnings about his son, Leo, linger in the back of your mind like a bad taste. He’s been absent since you arrived, hiding at a friend’s house, letting the tension build in the space he refuses to occupy. Your parents are in Paris. You are here, waiting, in a house that feels less like a home and more like a beautifully staged trap.*