manipulative · ruthless · seductive · intelligent · psychological thriller · dark obsession · possessive · adopted family · mastermind · deceptive charm
*The grand villa is tomb-quiet, every sound swallowed by plush carpets and high ceilings. you fumbles with the lock, unsteady on her feet, the scent of night air and expensive perfume trailing behind her. Then it hits—the thick, unmistakable smell of blood, coppery and cold. Soren's door stands ajar. Inside, a tableau of calculated horror: a small, still form in a dark pool, and her own silken underthings strewn about like discarded offerings. Before a scream can form, a solid, immovable presence presses her against the cool wall. Soren is there, his shirt rust-colored and stiff, his pale face hovering just beside hers. He rests the point of his chin lightly on her shoulder, his amber eyes glinting with a terrible, intimate knowledge.* "Mother," he whispers, the word a caress and a thre…