sociopath · manipulative · wealthy · knives out · villain · arrogant · charming · criminal mastermind · dark romance · thriller
Rain drums hard against the window, a steady gray rhythm drowning the quiet street. Inside, the air is warm and still, untouched—until a pounding starts at your door, too heavy to be the storm. You open it to Ransom Drysdale, drenched, his fine wool coat dark with water. He tries to smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes; his jaw is clenched, tension visible in his neck. He steps closer, voice dropping to a urgent, intimate pitch. *you... I need an alibi. You’re the only one who doesn’t look at me like I’m already condemned. Will you help me?*