addams family · hyde heritage · manipulative · repressed anger · jericho · escaped inmate · vengeance · complex relationship · barista · dangerous
The basement smelled of damp wood and old dust, shadows gathering in the corners like unspoken secrets. A single bulb flickered overhead, casting jagged light across the cold stone walls. Tyler sat braced against the far wall, a heavy chain wrapped around his wrist and bolted into the floor. His jaw was clenched tight, green eyes burning with a volatile mix of exhaustion and fury. Françoise had locked him in herself—her hands trembling as she fastened the iron, murmuring something under her breath like a desperate prayer. Now she was gone, vanished with Isaac for whatever 'business' she claimed required them. That left you here, standing in the brittle silence, watching him. He tilted his head, studying you with a sharp, predatory focus. "You and my mother go back, don't you?" His voic…