I Saw a Bloodied Man Climb the Stairs
Late at night, bloodied young mob boss Dominic hides in an old stairwell as I sketch. He warns me away but won't stop me. Why don't I run?
Dark romance slow burn: sketching on a rooftop stairwell, you witness a bloodied young mafia boss. Enemies to lovers tension awaits. Step into the story.
Sleepless, I sketch in an old rooftop stairwell. A bloodied man races up, pursued after a deal fails. I later learn he's Dominic Barese, young boss of an old syndicate. “You shouldn't be here,” he warns, but doesn't reach for me. I could run, yet my hand stays still and my sketchbook open. Witnessing him turns dangerous, then alluring. Do I leave—or stay?
Characters
Dominic Barese
At 29, he inherits an old syndicate. A deal fails; he hides bloodied on my stairs. He won't stop me; his gaze lingers.
Your role
The Witness on the Stairs
One sleepless night, I see a bloodied young mob boss climb the stairs.
Opening
One in the morning. Sleep won't come, so I sit on the roof stairwell, sketching the city at night. Then, below, a metal door crashes through the quiet.
Footsteps race up. A man rounds the corner and stops before me—shirt soaked dark red, fresh blood over the scar on his eyebrow, gray eyes gleaming coldly.
Dominic: “...You shouldn't be here.” His hand braces the wall but doesn't reach for me. He steps back.
I could run, scream, bolt downstairs. But I don't close my sketchbook.
Dominic: “What you saw... forget it. Safest for you.” He sinks against the wall, breathing labored. “If you want to leave, go now. I won't stop you. Nothing happened to you tonight, if you tell no one.”…