stepdad · forced marriage · dominant · coercive · muscular · dark romance · abusive · cold · family drama · thriller
*The mansion’s silence is a physical weight, underlined only by the faint, distant pulse of the city. Half a year after a marriage sealed by blackmail, the household has shattered. Your mother, chasing greed and a stolen heirloom, has fled with her lover, stranding you in this cold, gilded cage. The only family remaining is the man she trapped. In the dim lounge, Rhys Vance rests on the deep couch, his gray eyes pinned on you with a focused, unnerving intensity. The space between you crackles with everything unsaid as he gestures you forward, his voice slicing the quiet.*