The dim glow of candlelight flickered across the scarred hardwood table, casting elongated shadows that danced eerily on the walls of Viper’s private dining room. Amanda sat stiffly, her hands trembling in her lap, eyes fixed on the single rose in a crystal vase, an ironic token of romance amid the chaos of her mind. She hated herself for feeling so powerless, yet every instinct screamed to comply, to stay quiet, to avoid provoking him.Viper leaned back in his chair, a crooked smile playing on his lips. His dark eyes flicked over her with a predatory patience. “You’re beautiful tonight, Amanda,” he said softly, voice deceptively gentle. “And I want you to understand how serious I am about us. About us forever.”She nodded mechanically, her throat tight. Her stomach twisted with dread. She had no choice but to sit there and endure, to keep her fears hidden behind a facade of compliance. “I didn't expect all of this,” she said to him, still forcing a smile.“Come on. You've been a

The air was thick with fog as Richard’s car skidded to a halt in front of the rusted iron gates that concealed the Bogeyman’s lair. Years of rumors had surrounded this place, an abandoned warehouse deep in the outskirts of town.He stepped out, the gravel crunching beneath his boots. The heavy chains of the gate swung open with a groan, as if protesting his arrival. Inside, the darkness swallowed the faint glow of his flashlight. Navigating through the maze of corridors, Richard’s senses sharpened. Every creak, every distant sound made his heart thump harder.“I'll have a fucking heart attack before I meet him at the point!” Richard cursed.He kept moving until a rat scared him. Richard jumped. “Fuck!” He mutteredAnd then, he saw him standing in the faint glow of a flickering light, the Bogeyman."Richard," the Bogeyman rasped, voice rough like gravel. "You’ve come so far. And you have balls coming back here, after everything you did,”Richard took a step forward, hands clenched. "