Chapter 10

I stepped out of the car before he opened the door for me. Mr. Shaw held my hand as we walked towards the house. He left his black suit jacket in the car, and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows. A smile appeared on his handsome face as he caught me watching him. He lifted my hand, which he was holding, and gently kissed my fingers.

"Need more privacy time?" Suddenly, Gregory Shaw emerged from behind the door, smiling warmly at me but frowning when he shifted his gaze to Mr. Shaw. "We've been waiting for you for 45 minutes, Nick."

I still wasn't sure why Mr. Shaw invited me here. "You look beautiful, Eleanor," Greg said suddenly, winking playfully.

"Her name is Miss Heather to you, Greg," Mr. Shaw reprimanded, pulling down the corners of his mouth. Greg just laughed, then his eyes focused on our hands. His smile faded quickly, and I felt my face blush as he glanced at me briefly. "Everyone's waiting inside."

Everyone? Who?

We walked into the house, and even the interior was more luxurious than the outside. Designer creations and artworks adorned every corner. We passed a spacious foyer facing a swimming pool, entering another large room. This room was adorned with bookshelves, sofas, paintings, antiques, and a grand piano arranged to exude elegance. Mr. Shaw released my hand just before entering this room.

Four other people stood around a mahogany table in the middle of the room. Two strangers, Eric, and Alice. Alice wore a matching blue evening gown that complemented her pale, beautiful eyes, and, as before, she looked stunning. Her graceful aura made everything she did seem elegant, even when just standing. Suddenly, I realized this room was filled with people like Alice and Mr. Shaw—like magazine cover models for the high-end lifestyle.

"Ah, here he is, Nicholas," murmured a woman standing not far from Alice. She was equally beautiful, with slightly curly dark brown hair framing her small face perfectly, and her large brown eyes looked at me and Mr. Shaw alternately with a hint of surprise. "I didn't know Nicholas would bring a guest."

"Ludy, this is Eleanor Heather. Eleanor, this is Ludmila," Mr. Shaw introduced us, and I smiled at her. Ludy returned my smile warmly, then Mr. Shaw pointed to the man next to Ludy. "And this is Sebastian Moran, her husband."

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Heather," Mr. Moran smiled at me, but his voice sounded a bit surprised. He looked about the same age as Mr. Shaw.

"Pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Moran, Mrs. Moran," I replied with a smile. Eric nodded politely as our eyes met. Mr. Shaw stood beside me, engaging in small talk with Mr. Moran.

Everyone held a glass of red wine. Gregory Shaw sipped his wine, leaning against one of the bookshelves, gazing at the carpet beneath him with furrowed brows.

"Do you want something to drink, Eleanor? Or shall we go to the kitchen together? Sebastian has quite a wine collection," Alice suddenly asked me. "Oh, by the way, this is Moran family's home."

"Okay, sure," I replied as I walked with her. Mr. Shaw glanced at me for a moment, smiling faintly before continuing his conversation with Mr. Moran.

We walked through several hallways and rooms; the house was vast, like a museum. Alice didn't engage in conversation with me, and I couldn't read her expression. Was she going to interrogate me later? Or worse, perhaps scold me?

Alice led me into a large kitchen where several chefs in uniform were busy cooking. However, we continued into another room, a smaller and tidier kitchen. I wasn't surprised that such wealthy people had two kitchens.

Alice opened a large wine storage cabinet and took out one of the bottles. "This is Ludy's favorite wine," she murmured as she poured it into two new glasses, handing one to me.

"Thank you," I replied before taking a sip, letting the sweet and slightly bitter taste linger on my tongue.

"Nicholas never introduced his female friends to us," Alice casually remarked as she took her glass.

I almost choked on the wine. "Sorry, what?"

Her pale blue-gray eyes stared at me intently. "He never bothered introducing his female friends to us. And I've known him for a very long time..." There was no jealousy in her voice, just a hint of surprise.

"Oh..." I gripped my wine glass with one hand. "I thought you were his female friend?"

She smiled at me, her elegant face looking even more beautiful when she smiled. Unfortunately, it seemed she rarely smiled. "Nicholas is just an old friend. Same as Greg, Eric, Sebastian, and Ludy." She observed my expression before adding, "Don't worry, Eleanor. I'm not interested in him at all. And I can assure you, Nicholas is not interested in me either," she added with a slight chuckle.

I felt a slight warmth in my face after hearing her last sentence. So, all this time, I misunderstood? A sense of relief filled my chest like a bunch of balloons floating away.

"So, where did you two meet? I saw you for the first time in Manhattan."

"Mr. Shaw saved me when I was almost hit by a car. And coincidentally, I was auditing his company."

Alice smiled again. "Oh? Nicholas saved you?" Her gaze suddenly fixed on my neck as I brushed my hair back. The smile on her face disappeared instantly. She raised her head and sniffed the air, her expression changing dramatically.

"Miss Heather, do you have a moment?"

I turned towards the other door of the kitchen, Gregory Shaw standing in front of it. I hadn't heard him enter earlier. He glanced at me briefly before turning his gaze to Alice with a bit of coldness.

"Of course," I replied before walking towards him. I actually wanted to avoid him tonight.

He was wearing black jeans and a black band-logo t-shirt. His previously worn denim jacket was now off. A beard was growing over his jaw. In this appearance, he no longer looked like an expensive lawyer. Perhaps more like a Men's Health magazine cover model?

"Gregory... Are you out of your mind?" Alice's voice sounded strange, so I turned back to look at her. She leaned against the kitchen counter, folding her arms. "Nicholas will kill you." She murmured quietly. I looked back and forth between them. What were they talking about?

"This is none of your business," Gregory retorted impatiently.

Alice shrugged with a smile. "You're right." Then she tilted her head slightly. "But I can't wait to see his reaction."

"I didn't know she was—" Gregory covered his mouth abruptly, gritting his teeth. "Can you step outside for a moment? I need to talk to her."

Alice just shrugged before walking out of the kitchen, leaving me alone with Gregory Shaw. He took a deep breath and ran his hands through his black hair. "Anyway, I have to clean up this mess. But I don't know where to start," he muttered more to himself. "But I don't know where to start," he said to me.

I still didn't understand what or why he wanted to talk to me alone, but I tried to listen as politely as possible.

"Miss Heather, we've met before in San Francisco," he stated, his forehead wrinkling.

"Oh? I don't remember," I replied.

He took another deep breath and locked eyes with me. "San Francisco, seven months ago. We met that night."

"Seven months ago—"

"Right in front of that damn alley," he interrupted impatiently.

My wine glass slipped from my hand, shattering on the floor, the sound echoing in the silent kitchen. My body froze as that familiar sense of terror returned. Panic, fear, and despair engulfed me.

The familiarity with Gregory Shaw, the throbbing pain whenever he was near, and his voice... all the signs. And I just realized it now.

As he approached me again, I opened my mouth to ask him to stop, but all that came out was a muffled scream that had been trapped inside. For a moment, I envisioned his fangs, the ones I saw that night. I leaned against the wall behind me to support my suddenly weak body.

What was happening to me?

Gregory Shaw stood there, frozen, seemingly waiting for something. Panic made it hard for me to breathe. It felt like my body was back in that cold night, feeling the chill in the air, hearing the screams of agony...

A few seconds later, several people entered the kitchen, but I couldn't see who as my eyes were still fixed on him. A pair of hands cupped my face, forcing me to divert my gaze.

Nicholas's face suddenly replaced his. "Eleanor!" his voice cut through the fog that had clouded my mind. I gripped his wrist tightly until my fingers turned slightly pale. "He... Oh God, he—He's the one who bit me." My words didn't sound clear even to my own ears.

"Eleanor, take a deep breath." Nicholas still held my face, and his thumb wiped the wetness from my cheeks. I only now realized I was crying. He pulled me into his embrace, and for a moment, a fleeting sense of safety enveloped me. Just a moment. I could feel him talking angrily, burying my face in his chest. Until I caught Mr. Shaw's next question.

"You... what?" his body suddenly tensed. He released me from his embrace, turning his back on me. I leaned against the wall, unable to take my eyes off him.

"I didn't know she was yours, Nick! Ahh... at that time, she wasn't yours, right?"

The next moment, Mr. Shaw threw a punch at his brother, causing both of them to fall to the floor, and he didn't stop with just one punch. His hands kept moving to hit him until I could hear the sound of breaking bones.

"Did you touch her?" He grabbed Gregory's shirt with both hands, and his voice... his voice sent shivers down my spine. Gregory groaned, but he didn't retaliate against his brother.

"You touched what's mine, Greg." Mr. Shaw landed another punch. I could only stand there, frozen in my place. Eric and Mr. Moran entered the kitchen to separate them. Mr. Moran took the injured Greg out of the kitchen, while Eric tried to keep Mr. Shaw away. Even though his back was still facing me, I could see the anger in his tense body.

"Let go, Eric," he ordered with a cold tone, unexpectedly, Eric immediately obeyed. And that's when Nicholas turned to me. We locked eyes for a few moments before my hands moved to cover my mouth to stop the suppressed sob.

"You... You're like him."