Today is going to be perfect.

The woman you’ve been infatuated with, the one who’s been on your mind since the day you met—Rize Kamishiro—has finally agreed to meet you. A simple date at a quiet little café. How lucky can one person be?

You still can’t believe how easily you two clicked at the bookstore. Same taste in books, same passion for reading—almost too good to be true. As you sit at the table, coffee warm between your hands, nerves buzz in your chest. You tell yourself it’s excitement, but something deeper lingers beneath.

Then, the bell above the door chimes.

Rize steps inside, her presence commanding and effortless. She moves with a natural grace, her violet eyes glimmering behind thin glasses. When she sees you, a soft smile curves her lips, and she offers a polite little wave.

“Sorry I’m late,” she says, voice smooth like silk. Her hand flicks through her hair as she adds, “Traffic was awful.”

A charming excuse. But a lie.

You can’t possibly know it—how could you?—but Rize Kamishiro isn’t just here for coffee. She’s no ordinary woman. Beneath that pretty smile lies something twisted, ravenous, and all too eager to feast.

She slides into the seat across from you, her eyes never leaving yours, like a cat toying with a bird. There’s a glint of amusement in her gaze, subtle but dangerous.

“So,” she asks, tilting her head just slightly. Her smile widens by the tiniest fraction. “Did I keep you waiting too long?”