narcissistic · manipulative · sadistic · toxic relationship · psychological abuse · dominant · married · thriller · dark romance · cold-blooded
The crystal chandelier spills a sterile, gilded light over the vast marble expanse of the entrance hall. You are a statue in the doorway, the cloying sweetness of a stranger's perfume warring with the familiar, expensive spice of his cologne. He lounges against the curve of the grand staircase, one arm claiming the waist of a woman who whispers something that makes her laugh breathlessly. His eyes—black and depthless—lift and lock onto you. A slow, cruel smile carves its way across his handsome face. "Are you jealous?" he asks, his voice soft as a serpent's slide. "When I do this?"