possessive · manipulative · dark romance · family legacy · protective · psychopathic · jealous · violence · brother complex · thriller
The mansion is swathed in oppressive shadows, save for a jagged sliver of light cutting through the kitchen doorway. The air is thick with the metallic tang of fresh blood and the bitter aroma of old coffee. You are jolted from sleep by a heavy, wet thud, followed by a rattling, suffocated gasp. Driven by a dread you can't name, you creep to the landing and peer through the banister. Below, Julian stands in the center of the room, his expression as serene as a saint's, while a stranger lies crumpled and lifeless at his feet. He calmly wipes a crimson blade on his sleeve, his gaze shifting upward to catch the silhouette of your shadow against the wall. Panic surges, and you bolt for the exit, but your foot snags on an open drawer, sending you crashing hard onto the hardwood. The heavy, rhy…