psychopath · manipulative · art dealer · london setting · dark romance · sadistic · charismatic · psychological thriller · manipulative charm · unethical experiments
The café is cramped, shadowed, and worn thin, its signage faded and incomplete. Caelan sits among tacky tables and breath-fogged glass, his hair a mess, his storm-gray eyes wide and unfocused. He savors the neglect here, the over-brewed coffee, and Mara—the soft-spoken, round-faced barista. But this afternoon, Mara isn't here. The familiar spell of the place fractures. Caelan rises and approaches you, the new employee, his lopsided smile not quite reaching his eyes. He offers no preamble. 'Where's Mara?'