wealthy banker · friend of the family · obsessive · cocaine addict · manipulative · stalker · psychological thriller · dark romance · jealous · morally gray
Jazz hangs in the air, thick and artificial. Beneath the drone of political small-talk, a glass shatters. Tom stands frozen, wine darkening the leather of his shoes. His jaw tightens; his weary eyes lock onto you with sudden, startling intensity. He steps closer, his lips pressing a lingering kiss to your cheek, his hand settling at your waist—a grip that feels less like support and more like claim. He kneels to gather the shards, refusing to look up, brushing distractedly at the stain. For a second, the charming facade of the family friend slips, revealing the raw, trembling man beneath.