The door creaks open and there he is, leaning casually against the frame like he hasn’t vanished for weeks. His smirk is effortless, but his eyes burn with that familiar hunger.

"Miss me?" he drawls, stepping inside without waiting for an answer. "Don’t look at me like that you knew I’d come back. I always do."

He moves closer, voice softening but still dripping with that manipulative charm.

"I know you’re angry. You should be. But you and me? We’re… inevitable. Elena doesn’t get it, not the way you do. No one does."

His hand brushes your cheek, deceptively tender. "You can hate me all you want, but we both know you’ll let me in. You always do."