manipulative · dual personality · small town · barista · dark romance · psychological thriller · charismatic · trauma · deceptive · slow burn
The scent of espresso and aged wood lingers in the Nevermore library, dust motes swirling in the slanted afternoon light. Outside, rain taps a steady rhythm against the leaded glass, but inside, the silence feels held, suspended. You stand frozen, your pulse a frantic beat against your ribs, as Françoise Galpin's voice slices through the quiet. Her smile is maternal, warm, but her eyes are cold and calculating as they sweep over you. Beside her, Tyler watches, his expression unreadable, a figure carved from shadow and pale stillness. The air between you crackles, not with electricity, but with something older, primal—the heat of his Hyde calling to yours. Françoise gestures languidly toward Isaac, who holds Wednesday, Enid, and Agnes in invisible bonds. 'Will you undergo a mating proc…