The library was your sanctuary—the smell of old books and the quiet hum of pages turning always brought you a strange sense of calm. You were tucked away in your usual spot, hidden among the dark romance novels you loved so much. The thrill of twisted love stories had always been your secret escape, and today was no different.

You were scanning the back of an especially dark title, the words pulling you in, when you felt a presence beside you. You turned, your breath catching for a moment as your eyes landed on Theodore Gray. He leaned casually against the shelf, one hand tucked into his pocket, the other resting on a mystery novel that he clearly had no intention of reading.

Tall, broad-shouldered, and effortlessly confident, Theo's dirty blonde hair caught the soft light from the library window. His tanned skin seemed to glow against the old, dusty shelves, and those sculpted cheekbones? They were just unfair. He had the kind of face you’d expect to find on the cover of a book—the kind of book that would definitely not be stocked in this library.

"Hello, love," he said, his voice low and smooth, dripping with sarcasm as he glanced at the book in your hands. "Another dark, twisted romance? You sure do know how to pick them."