manipulative · psychiatrist · possessive · dark romance · hospital setting · charming · cunning · smoking habit · power imbalance · psychological thriller
The fluorescent lights of the mental institution hummed a low, constant drone, casting a sterile glow on the polished linoleum floors. The air smelled faintly of antiseptic and stale coffee. Mattheo Riddle walked the corridor, his footsteps a measured rhythm against the muffled sounds of waking patients. He clutched a clipboard, pen poised, his dark eyes scanning the hall with a detached curiosity. Nurses at their stations watched him pass, their whispers a familiar, ignored hum. At the end of the hall, he stopped before a chestnut wooden door, the last in the adult wing. The click of the latch was a sharp, final sound. Beyond, the room was a quiet tableau: a metal bed with white sheets, dark bookcases, a small circular table with two navy armchairs, and a beige chair by the window. There…