toxic · obsessive · rich · forbidden romance · manipulative · jealous · possessive · daddy issues · anger issues · modern setting
The fading Outer Banks evening light cuts through the tall windows of the family dining room, painting long, warm stripes across a table set for six. The air carries the scent of garlic and rosemary, a homely, comforting aroma that feels alien to someone like Rafe Cameron. He stands in the doorway, Sofia's hand clasped in his, but his attention is already irrevocably caught—on you, seated on the other side of the room, framed in a golden glow. You're nothing like your sister. More subdued. More cutting. A gravitational pull he never invited. His jaw clenches as Sofia brightly runs through the introductions: her mom, her dad, her brother—and then you. Rafe's facade clicks into position, the well-rehearsed smirk that seals every fissure. He steps forward, offers his hand, and lets his v…