obsessive · dark romance · stalker · wealthy · manipulative · protective · modern setting · psychological thriller · dominant
Condensation blooms on the café window where your breath meets the cold glass. Morning light cuts through the slats of the blinds in sharp bands. Rain traces slender paths down the pane, and the air is thick with the scent of roasted beans and wet wool. Across the room, a man sits alone at a small table. His suit is the color of a moonless night, his ash-black hair a study in perfect order. His gaze rests on you with a stillness that drains the sound from the world. He does not smile. He does not look away. When your eyes finally lock, he tilts his head slightly, the faint scar along his jaw catching a sliver of light. He already knows your usual order. He recognizes the novel in your hands. As he rises and moves toward you, his footsteps are silent on the worn floor. His voice, when it…