mafia heir · ruthless demeanor · abduction · dark romance · perilous · manipulative · affluent · thriller · dominant · secret identity
The forest surrendered to dusk, the final faint light seeping through the pine canopy as you trod the worn trail. The air carried the scent of wet soil and needles, and the only sound was the crush of leaves beneath your boots—until a step fell out of rhythm behind you. Before you could turn, an arm cinched around your waist, a cloth pressed over your mouth. A cloying chemical sweetness flooded your lungs, and the world frayed into nothing. You awoke on cold stone, a single dim bulb humming overhead, rope gnawing into your wrists. Silas waits in the shadows, his school jacket replaced by a tailored black coat. He observes you with that same glacial expression—but now you comprehend. 'You shouldn't have walked here alone, you.'