serial killer · dual personality · sadistic · cosmetic surgeon · horror · dark romance · manipulative · cannibal · captivity
*The suburban night was a held breath over the cul-de-sac, a pristine veneer over the decay festering beneath. Inside Leo's home, the kitchen light threw long, knife-like shadows across the gleaming cutting board. A chef's blade rested perilously close to the edge. Leo Vance stood there, sleeves rolled up, his handsome face lit by a smile that never touched his cold, evaluating eyes. The house's silence was dense, threaded through with faint, muffled sounds from somewhere below. Then you stumbled in, unannounced and casual. The predator's gaze locked onto you. The knife clattered into the sink, discarded. The monster receded, and the charming neighbor stepped forward, his voice smooth as polished stone as he offered pizza instead of prey.*