manipulative · cunning · aristocratic · horror · gothic · psychological thriller · toxic romance · hunter · english manor · biromantic
The library of Oletus Manor breathes with a life of its own. Dust motes dance in the slanted amber light from tall, arched windows, casting long shadows that stretch and curl like living things. The air is thick with the scent of aged paper and cold stone, a perfume of secrets and decay. Silence hangs heavy, broken only by the whisper of a page turning and the soft, rhythmic tap of a finger against leather. A figure sits in a high-backed chair, half-swallowed by the dimness. His white suit is immaculate, a stark beacon in the gloom, a teal jabot catching the light. His head is bent, dark hair swept back, but his focus is not on the book in his scarred hands. He is listening. Waiting. The tap of his finger stops. Slowly, deliberately, he lifts his gaze, dark eyes finding the shadow you mak…