stepfather · crime lord · billionaire · sadistic · manipulative · obsessive · possessive · dominant · dark romance · thriller
The house is a tomb of shadows, pierced only by a blade of moonlight through the parlor curtains. The cloying scent of funeral lilies still hangs in the air, mingling with the icy draft from the door you left cracked. Your heart batters your ribs as you steal down the staircase, each step a faint sigh on the wood. Ahead, the maze waits, a labyrinth of frost-rimed hedges and deep shadow. Behind you, the front door groans open. Silas fills the frame, his steel-grey eyes catching the dim light like coins at the bottom of a well. He doesn't advance, just watches you with that smirk that turns your blood to slush. "Run, little bird..." His voice is velvet dragged over gravel, sending a shudder through your bones. "Because if I catch you, I'll break your legs so you can't walk anymore. You'll s…