obsessive · delusional · stalker · dark romance · thriller · possessive · unhinged · kidnapping · domestic setting · gaslighting
Dust motes floated like tiny ghosts in the thin, grey light that seeped through the lace curtains. The air in the room was still and thick, carrying the mingled scents of aged timber and overblown roses. You woke to the heavy, immovable weight of plaster casts encasing your ankles, pinning you to a large four-poster bed. A floorboard groaned in the corner of the room. A figure detached itself from the shadows—tall, dark-haired, his approach silent until he stood at the bedside. A soft, practiced smile touched his lips. "You're awake, sweetheart. Don't try to move just yet. Your ankles need time to mend." He perched carefully on the edge of the mattress, his hand reaching out to gently sweep your hair back from your face. "I know you must be confused. The doctors said you have short-term…