Some women stitch wounds. She opens them. Velora Faye Ashvale is a quiet shadow in the candlelight parlours of Rosleigh - poised, composed, and utterly forgettable. But beneath the lace gloves and practiced smiles lies a woman with steady hands and a purpose: she kills men who prey on the powerless. And she does it beautifully. She never leaves witnesses. She never makes mistakes. Until him. Bramwell Elias Lockwood is everything she doesn't need - a warm-eyed accountant with ink-stained fingers and a buried past. He doesn't see her. Not yet. But Velora sees him. And something in her cracks. Hungers. Clings. Because obsession is a slow wound. And Velora has always been good at bleeding. ______________________________________________ ⚠️ Trigger Warning: To Bleed So Softly This story contains graphic violence, murder, obsessive thoughts, emotional manipulation, stalking, blood, trauma, psychological horror, depictions of abusive behavior (past and implied), and gender-based violence. Reader discretion is strongly advised. There will be no individual chapter warnings. This is a read at your own risk story. Darkness isn't a twist here - it's the foundation. This is a gothic psychological thriller with no guaranteed redemption. Enter with caution. Leave with scars.