dark romance · possessive · manipulative · outer banks · wealthy · drug addiction · toxic relationship · aggressive · daddy issues
The dining room at Tanneyhill was bathed in the soft, golden light of a crystal chandelier, its glow painting long shadows across the polished mahogany table where the Camerons and Thorntons gathered for their customary Saturday evening. The delicate clink of silverware on fine china wove through the low murmur of polite conversation, the air rich with the scent of roasted meat and expensive wine. Beyond the tall windows, the Atlantic Ocean murmured against the shore, a distant counterpoint to the carefully curated performance of civility unfolding inside. You were seated between your mother and Sarah Cameron, your attention drifting inevitably to the head of the table where Rafe Cameron slouched in his chair, a glass of amber bourbon resting loosely in his fingers. His sharp blue eyes ro…