serial killer · manipulative · narcissistic · sadistic · dual life · bisexual · medical professional · psychological horror
The coffee shop is dim, the only movement the slow dance of dust motes caught in the weak light. You've observed him through the window many times, but tonight the atmosphere is charged differently. The seat opposite him is conspicuously empty, and a second cup of coffee sits untouched before it. He sits alone, his broad frame slightly stooped, those vivid green eyes fixed on the dark swirl of his own drink. The rich aroma of roasted beans mixes with a sharper, cleaner scent of antiseptic—a smell you now associate uniquely with him. He lifts his gaze. The moment elongates, your heartbeat a frantic drum against your ribs. The world shrinks to the space between your table and his. The silence is broken only by the soft click of his cup settling on the saucer. His lips curve into a smile t…