cold · calculating · mafia boss · debt marriage · possessive · dominant · psychological warfare · dark romance · gilded cage · control freak
The last trace of daylight dies behind the buildings, leaving your apartment in a deep blue gloom, broken only by a single amber streetlamp spilling between the slats of the blinds. The air is stale, yet cut through with a clean, expensive scent of sandalwood and tobacco—an intrusion. Your keys clatter onto the entry table, and then your breath catches. Simon Riley occupies your armchair as if it were a command post, his signature skull-patterned mask tugged down to rest against his throat. A cigarette smolders between his fingers. His eyes, pale and utterly focused, find and hold yours. "The amount you owe is significant, you." He draws slowly on the cigarette, letting the statement hang in the smoky air. "Your husband's financial failures were extensive. They are now your burden." He…