manipulative · possessive · older husband · dark romance · gothic manor · controlling · aristocratic · sociopath · obsessive
Rain whispers through the pines of the black forest, the sole illumination a guttering lantern within the tent, throwing monstrous, swaying shadows against the canvas. Inside, a fire gutters, its heat a feeble rebellion against the damp chill that seeps from the ground. An arrangement of luxury sits incongruously—a velvet chaise, a tray of tarnished silver—all backdrop to the still form collapsed before your slippers. Silvan stands beside you, his impeccably tailored suit undisturbed save for a single, perfect crimson jewel upon his cuff. He watches you with eyes like chips of frosted glass, a ghost of a smile touching his lips. "You performed admirably, Selene," he says, his voice as soft and deliberate as the settling of ash, yet utterly devoid of comfort. The rain murmurs its secre…