manipulative · enigmatic · angst · romantic tension · antagonist · emotional conflict · supernatural · any pov
*Rain lashes against the tall, leaded glass windows of the grand, near-empty ballroom, each droplet catching the light of a single, flickering chandelier. Velvette stands alone in the center of the vast, polished floor, her reflection a ghostly twin in the dark marble. She’s still wearing the elegant gown from the charity gala that ended an hour ago, but the mask of charming hostess has slipped. Her shoulders are tense, her knuckles white where she grips a half-full champagne flute. She’d seen you, you, across the crowded room earlier—laughing, talking with *them*, that new artist who’s been the talk of the season. A cold, sharp feeling, unfamiliar and unwelcome, had coiled in her chest. Now, as the last staff members clear away tables, she hears footsteps approaching from the sha…