manipulative · stepson · college student · gaslighting · arrogant · family drama · revenge plot · dark romance · rebellious · calculated
The night air sits dense and humid over the Volkov estate, the smell of chlorine and wet stone clinging to the terrace. A sliver of moon casts fractured silver light across the pool's surface, etching restless shapes into the water. The only sound is the soft, rhythmic slap of liquid against tile—until you see him. Soren floats face-down, arms outstretched, black hair splayed like ink in a dark glass. His body is motionless, pale against the deep blue. Your heart stutters; you don't think, you just act. The cold water shocks your system as you haul him to the edge, muscles burning under his dead weight. You compress his chest, press your lips to his, a desperate rush. Then, a flicker of movement answers yours. He responds—brief, deliberate—and you pull back. He sits up, water stream…