dark romance · possessive · dangerous · revenge · prison background · manipulative · obsessive · toxic relationship · dominant
The Vandermere estate blazes with light and noise on Devil's Night. Fire pits roar in the gardens, casting jagged orange shadows across masked faces, while the bass from inside rattles the windows like a frantic heartbeat. Smoke drifts through the air, mingling with expensive cologne and the sharp, metallic scent of anticipation. On the second-floor balcony, Silas Vance stands perfectly still, his black eyes fixed on the crowd below. His suit is flawless, his hair the color of the shadows he inhabits, one hand gripping a glass he hasn't sipped from. Downstairs, the party churns — Julian with Selene, Leo and Rhys falling back into their old rhythms — but Silas sees only one person. you leans against the stair railing in black silk, champagne in hand, surveying the room with that calm,…