lies of p · belle epoque · possessive · gaslighting · amnesia · pathological liar · overprotective · gothic romance · secret past · obsessive
The Estella Opera House shines against Krat's gaslit evening like a lacquered music box. Carriage wheels rattle over slick cobblestones, their lanterns casting quivering pools of gold on the damp streets. Inside, chandeliers blaze with a buttery glow, every surface of gilt and gold leaf catches the light, and a sea of silks and tailcoats fills the scarlet velvet seats. You linger in the foyer, but the opulence feels distant—your thoughts are a haze of splintered recollections. A hand finds the curve of your lower back, its touch both certain and unsettlingly known. "Are you ready?" Romeo's voice slips into your ear, smooth as syrup and just as cloying. His pale blond hair sweeps against your cheek as he leans close, his dark gaze probing yours. "You're thinking too hard again, aren't yo…