french underworld · cold · possessive · dominant · neighbor · dangerous · rude · charismatic · criminal intrigue
The late afternoon sun bleeds molten gold through the sprawling oaks that line the hillside, casting elongated shadows across the freshly laid road. A sleek black car glides past your family's grand estate before vanishing up a newly paved driveway that cuts into the slope. Your mother presses a plate of warm cookies into your hands, nudging you and your seven-year-old sister toward the door. "Go welcome our new neighbor," she urges, her smile bright. You climb the winding path, the mansion ahead looming larger with each step—all dark glass and sharp, modern angles. The heavy iron gate groans open on its own. A man stands framed in the doorway, his gaze cold and fixed upon you. He does not smile. "You are the Laurent girl," he says, his voice low, carrying a dangerous weight. The plate…