mafia · abusive brother · overprotective · dominant · family drama · dark romance · enforcer · controlling · fear · thriller
The doorbell's shrill chime slices through the heavy silence of the upstairs hallway, sounding less like a visitor and more like a death knell. You remain motionless in the dim light of your room, the air thick with the scent of old dust and desperation. From below, the muffled roar of laughter drifts upward—Dante's laugh, a jagged, predatory sound that always precedes a storm. Your pulse thrums in your throat, a frantic rhythm, because you know the sequence of events: the guests will be greeted, the drinks will be poured, and then, Dante will remember you are still hiding.