This is a bad idea.For the umpteenth time that sentence rang in my head. A little regret tucked into my heart for rejecting Oliver's offer to take me home.Well, it was actually part of my pride that prevented me from taking up the offer.We just ended our relationship two weeks ago. After two years of being with him, finally a few weeks ago a woman came into my apartment and slapped me just like that before screaming at me to stay away from Oliver.She claims to be Oliver's girlfriend, and admits they have been dating for over a year.Damn Oliver, he's not even that handsome. But that damn thing has been cheating on me behind my back for over a year.I looked back again for the third time, while my feet were still moving. My instincts told me something was following me, or someone.All this because Mr. Newman forced some of his staff to work overtime for the past three days.And today is the worst, we can only go home at half past twelve in the evening. Me, Oliver, and several other
My hand cramped the last clothes I brought into my suitcase, then closed it. Three hours later my plane departs, meaning one and a half hours later I have to be at the airport. I opened my suitcase again and threw a book into it."I've already called a taxi." A blonde head appeared from behind the door. I smiled as I zipped up my suitcase. "Thanks, Lana."She came into my room and jumped onto my bed, her long legs dangling gracefully on the edge of my bed. "You sure that's enough for two weeks?" he asked, looking down at my small suitcase.I shrugged my shoulders "I'll be back the weekend." Even though it's tiring but I don't want to spend 2 weeks alone in an unfamiliar city.I dropped my body next to Lana. We rented an apartment with two rooms together. I've known Lana since college, even though now we work at different companies but we still rent an apartment together. She is still 23 years old, one year younger than me even though we graduated together.Lana comes from a rich, very
After treating my blisters, taking a bath, and ordering Chinese food delivery, I sat down on my big hotel sofa alone. The sky outside was already very dark and it started to rain.I tied my slightly loose sleeping coat and stared at the TV across from me blankly. This past hour my head has been busy trying to guess who my savior man is. Well, since I can't guess the name so I can at least guess the occupation.With his stern and intimidating voice and face, he might just be a young banker. He doesn't look too old from my age, maybe around 30s? But there was something in those blue eyes that made him not look like he was in his 30s.I bit the corner of my lip and frowned, then a knock interrupted my thoughts. I walked to my hotel room door and opened it. A bell boy stood up carrying my delivery and a black box. I gave my delivery money and tip to him then took the Chinese food I ordered."Miss Heather? This one is for you too." He said as he handed over the black box he had brought."F
My eyes blink once.Shaw&Partner.Shaw.I stared at his face with a stupid look for a few seconds. "So ... what's your name?" "Nicholas. I didn't know we were hiring an auditor." He answered as he took his wine glass and drank the rest. Waiter Giorgio returned with my Chamomile, filled his glass with wine, then disappeared again. My brain is still trying to process the information it just received. He is not a banker but a lawyer. Nicholas Shaw.God, I'm having lunch with my client's boss."... that means you'll only be in Manhattan for a while?"I half did not listen to his question. "A week. After my audit here is over I'll be back in San Francisco." I answered hastily.I stared at the corners of his mouth which were pulled down. Is he really gay?Christine's words a few days ago replayed in my head.'A week." he repeated to himself. Suddenly the atmosphere became more awkward as he fell silent. Giorgio returned to our table with my salad and a steak for Mr. Shaw.I stared at the pl
My heart slightly jumped inside my chest at the sound of his voice. I raised my head to meet his dark blue eyes, his eyebrows slightly raised in surprise.I've never seen someone as handsome as Nicholas Shaw.He was wearing a suit that was more formal than what he usually wears to work. Usually he only wears a shirt and jacket, butthis time he wore three layers. Shirt, vest and coat. His cufflinks flashed slightly in the lobby light as he raised his hand to press the elevator button, preventing the elevator doors from closing again. His jacket and vest are black with a dark blue tie, matching his eye color.I was still looking at him when he called me the second time."Oh." My feet stepped out of the elevator, then stood in front of it a little awkwardly. I just thought about it and bam! suddenly he was in front of me."Hey." I forgot my formal attitude for a moment."You still here?" he asked, pulling the corners of his mouth down."I told you I have to finish my work .. " I muttered
I didn't tell Lana until the next day. Maybe I'll call her back later, during my lunch break. Besides, I'll be back in San Francisco in three days, then Mr. Shaw will forget me ... and I will forget him.A little regret enveloped my heart. Ugh, Ella don't be stupid. Maybe Mr. Shaw has only been polite so far to me, he just happened to help me and change my shoes.... and take me to lunch, and drive me home.I pulled the corners of my mouth down. He's just being polite, right? It looks like he already has a partner though. I looked at my reflection in the hotel mirror, today I was wearing a blood red blouse, a gift from Lana and a black pencil skirt. I rarely wear this blouse. I love the color and the silk, it's just that this blouse looks a little too flashy. Perhaps more suitable for formal dinners than work.I straightened my slightly wavy auburn hair. I used to plan to dye my hair brown but unfortunately I never got around to it. My amber eyes looked back at my reflection in the mi
"Actually ... I found a slight discrepancy in the financial statements a few months ago."Mr. Shaw turned back to me. He brushed his right hand through his dark brown hair and gave a small nod, telling me to continue."There were about ten rather suspicious outflows, all sent to different accounts at the Bank of Rotterdam, some to Thompson&Thompson-""Thomson&Thompson?" all attention Mr.Shaw turned to me when I said the name. "Are you sure, Eleanor?"I nodded "That stream of funds wasn't sent directly to the Thompson&Thompson company, but was transferred to an offshoot company owned by Thompson&Thompson. If all the funds were totaled it would probably be about 4 or 5 percent of the value of your company, Mr. Shaw.Four or five percent is an awful lot if the company is as big as Shaw&Partner. Maybe enough to buy a small office building.I studied the expression on his face in the dim light of his SUV's headlights, the wrinkles on his forehead deepening. Which means only one; So far he
Everything happened so fast, my brain had not finished processing what was happening when his lips touched mine which was still slightly wet from Wine. Then the whole system in my head stopped, my brain turned to jelly.He kissed me carefully at first, then slowly his kisses turned deeper. Strangely all the nerves in my body seemed to gather in my lips, making them a hundred times more sensitive. I've never felt a better kiss than this.His lips traced mine gently, slowly, as if he didn't want to rush. I could smell his mint and expensive aftershave distinctly, smells I'm usually only able to smell faintly around him.My heart was beating so fast I could almost hear it pounding in my ears. Then suddenly he pulled himself away from me. I opened my eyes and looked at him. The blue color of his eyes looked darker than before. But I didn't have time to observe him further because the next second I heard the sound of my flash drive hitting the floor again, his big hands cupped my face and
My body shivered with desire at the sound of Nick's sharp voice. He grabbed my hair and pulled me back onto the bed, facing him again.His blue eyes gleamed with lust, but I'm sure my own eyes looked just as desperate.One of his hands gripped my shirt. "I'm sorry if I ruin your clothes, Eleanor," he murmured, his voice strained. I wanted to laugh, my husband was still apologizing in a situation like this. The ticklish feeling disappeared quickly as he pulled off my shirt, scattering it around me.He undressed me until I was left in just my bra and panties. His satisfied gaze on my body only fueled the fire within me. The air in the room felt thin. No matter how hard my lungs worked, I couldn't breathe normally.He lowered his face and kissed me passionately, while one hand slipped around to my back to unhook my bra. In an instant, my bra was thrown to the corner of the room, and his warm, large hands cupped my breasts.The sensation of his touch sent waves of pleasure throughout my b
I'm not sure how much time has passed. After our last conversation, Dostov said he would check on Lana and the others downstairs because he was afraid the blood cleansing process wasn't finished, so he asked me to wait in his apartment.Our previous conversation kept repeating in my head. But no matter how frustrated and worried I am now, in the end, Dostov's words are the ones that prevail in my mind. I can't change the future, even if I were to know it. All I can do is hope and pray that what Dostov saw won't happen in the future.Suddenly, the door to Dostov's apartment opens again. But it's Nick's face that appears behind it. I stand up to greet him, but both of us freeze upon realizing something. His previously warm gaze turns cold instantly. "Eleanor... Why do I smell Alastair's blood on you?" he asks as he takes a step closer to me.Damn, I forgot about Alastair's blood."Nick, I didn't realize the blood I drank was Alastair's," I explain, stepping back to distance myself from
They stared at each other for a few minutes, silently."Whose blood is it?" I asked, hoping to hear his answer.He grimaced again. "Nicholas will be later. But right now, there's nothing more effective than Volder Ella's blood."I couldn't help but feel familiar with that scent, my body already recognizing it without Dostov confirming it. Nicholas will definitely be furious later. "Ugh, Dostov," I grumbled, closing my eyes in frustration."Don't worry, he won't be mad at you. Plus, by tonight, Alastair's scent on you will fade away... with Nicholas." He sighed and shifted his gaze to the bookshelf in the room.I glared at him and sighed. His intention was good, to free me from the torment of blood lust as soon as possible, but I was still annoyed because he didn't warn me earlier. "Are you better now? Do you want blood again?" I replied curtly."Not blood again, just another blood. Not Alastair's blood," he mumbled, still looking slightly guilty with his college kid face. The frustrat
Carleon's anger and terror were evident as he whispered in disbelief, "No, Dostov, you promised me!" He tried to stand up, but Nick pushed him back down with his foot, causing him to fall by Dostov's feet again. "Carleon, consider this as you redeeming yourself for your sins all this time," Dostov said calmly. "Isn't now the right time to make amends for everything?" He whispered softly, looking down at the side of his foot. "Vlad will retaliate against you!" Carleon shouted in anger. Dostov stared at him expressionlessly. "Haven't you realized yet? Vlad has abandoned you. He knows about your plan to form your own clan. Isn't that why you were looking for the newborn Valkyrie? To gather power and break free from Vlad?" "No..." Carleon shook his head. "Dostov... You've set me up." His voice sounded shocked and trembling. Nick, who had been observing Carleon, now looked up in surprise at Dostov. "Nicholas, you should take him away. Gregory and Lana must be waiting," Dostov continue
I didn't have time to see what happened next because Volder pulled me and slammed me onto the carpet, causing my back to hit the floor hard. I quickly rolled to the side to avoid his black hands and long nails that were about to slash me.I stood up and approached the baby doll with one hand while Volder, the man in front of me, hissed angrily. He lunged at me, aiming for the baby doll I was holding, but once again I managed to dodge him. I couldn't see where I was going because all my focus was on Volder in front of me, but the sounds around me were chaotic."Don't you dare touch me," I hissed angrily, showing my own fangs. Volder smirked mockingly and lunged towards me. I tried to dodge him again, but one of his hands managed to grab my long hair and yank it forcefully, pulling my body towards him. I tried to fight back with one hand, but he yanked my hair down again and slammed his knee into my head with great force.He threw me to the floor again and reached for the bundle I was h
Chapter 132 It felt like a wave of icy water washed over my body as I heard Carleon's last question. Carleon. Nick and I looked at Dostov simultaneously, who still appeared calm. Dostov was the one who spread those rumors? I thought with horror, but Alice had said that Dostov wasn't the one responsible. On the other hand, Nick just observed both of them, even though he usually easily succumbed to anger when it involved our children. "This is the second time I'm warning you, Carleon. I'm not in the mood for small talk. If you can't respect my request, you should leave my territory quickly." Then Dostov turned to us, though he quickly winked one eye at me. The tension in my shoulders eased. Dostov walked back to his seat and sat down. "Ah, forgive me once again. I just wanted to see the reactions of the new members of your clan who are present here. Consider it as me helping you test their loyalty to you," Carleon continued. So his previous question was a provocation for us... "If
I could hear the pounding of my own heart. We walked side by side. Alice separated herself from us, as she was planning to enter after Dostov finished speaking. I had heard stories about Carleon from Greg and Lana, who had met him directly. As Vlad's right-hand man, he was incredibly loyal and always carried out his duties perfectly. According to Nick's stories, Vlad never intervened directly or displayed his powers openly because everything was done by Carleon and his subordinates. I had to remind myself repeatedly that we were safe and under the protection of the Dostov clan. We entered the ballroom of the headquarters accompanied by around eight members of other clans. However, Carleon's entourage had not yet appeared; it seemed they were still in the elevator as this headquarters was located on the top three floors of this hotel building. Dostov sat in his chair casually, wearing a yellow hoodie that contrasted with the black robe we were wearing. We stood around his chair sile
The day we have been waiting for has finally arrived. As planned, we all gathered at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel at ten in the morning. Dostov would receive Carleon in the same ballroom as our honorary clan acceptance ceremony yesterday.If Carleon does indeed come today, then some clan members designated by Dostov will also be present as witnesses, although we are also sure that Carleon will not come here alone.While I am nervous, there is someone much more nervous than me at the moment. Lana's face has been pale since we met this morning, and Greg hasn't let go of her embrace. I'm sure Greg's feelings right now aren't doing well either, but he hides his worries very well behind a calm and normal expression on his face.We have to separate to discuss what we need to do later. Greg, Lana, and Luke are waiting in one of the rooms directly connected to the ballroom. Meanwhile, me, Nick, Dostov, and Alice are talking in another room that is more private.Other clan members are waiting in
Chapter 129Dostov informed us to evacuate Elliot and Rosie from Manhattan as soon as possible, so today we planned to leave for San Francisco.Sebastian and Ludmila Moran... I don't remember them very well because we only met once, that too when I was still human. The only thing I remember from that night is Greg's confession that he was the one who bit me six months ago.But as far as I remember, the husband and wife seemed friendly and accepting of me back then, and most importantly, Nick trusted them.We had to hire a private jet because... of course, because of Elliot. He couldn't stop saying "yum yum" to every human he met. Even Nick noticed Elliot's strange behavior at the Waldorf Astoria hotel last night. We were also afraid that Elliot would show his little fangs to everyone if we took a regular plane.Almost a year and a half has passed since I moved to Manhattan, but San Francisco still looks the same. Strangely, I don't miss this place at all, even though I lived in this c