"Vampire…"
The moment An Ran saw those glowing red eyes, the word slipped from her lips. Though the vampire's face was obscured by his shoulder-length hair, an inexplicable sense of dread washed over her. Every fiber of her being screamed at her to run.
At the same time, the vampire recognized the girl. Wasn't she the one he had encountered near the bar district, riding a motorcycle? He vividly remembered the intoxicating scent of her blood when his nails had grazed her skin…
To think she was the human Richard had chosen—this was a stroke of luck he hadn't expected!
"We meet again, girl," the vampire said, his voice hoarse and grating, like the sound of a scorched throat.
Meet again? What did he mean?
An Ran had no memory of this vampire, but the fear he instilled in her was all too real. She didn't believe for a second that a vampire would be unable to handle two stray dogs. Unless… he had lured her out on purpose? But why?
Her thoughts immediately turned to the protective barrier around her house.
Suddenly, the vampire's red eyes began to flicker. Having experienced it before, An Ran knew he was trying to hypnotize her. She forced herself to stay calm, pretending to fall under his spell while planning her escape back home.
Sure enough, the vampire's gravelly voice spoke again. "Stand up. Come with me."
An Ran obeyed, though her heart pounded like a drum. Her face remained expressionless, but her tightly clenched fists betrayed her panic.
Seeing the girl seemingly entranced, the vampire grinned, convinced she was under his control. He turned and began walking, expecting her to follow.
But the moment his back was turned, An Ran bolted.
Three meters, two meters, one meter… She was almost at the door when she felt the vampire closing in behind her. Desperate, she pushed herself to run faster, but a human's speed was no match for a vampire's.
A strong hand grabbed the back of her collar and yanked her off her feet, slamming her hard onto the ground. Despair washed over An Ran as she realized there was no escape.
Furious at being tricked, the vampire roared, "You dare deceive me! You weren't hypnotized!"
Seeing the wild rage in his eyes, An Ran remembered the cross she wore around her neck. If he was a vampire, surely he would recognize it.
With trembling hands, she held up the cross. The vampire froze, his attention locked onto the symbol.
But to An Ran's horror, he didn't flee in terror as she had hoped. Instead, after a moment of shock, his red eyes glowed with manic glee.
This cross—it bore the insignia of the Morris family's heir! And to see it on a human girl could only mean one thing: she was of immense importance to the Morris family. What could be more perfect than this?
"Hahaha… Hahahaha…" The vampire's laughter echoed like a wail from the depths of hell.
His hatred for the Morris family had twisted his mind, and this girl was the perfect tool for his revenge!
He reached out to grab her, but An Ran, realizing the cross offered no protection, felt a wave of desperation. In her mind flashed the image of Richard's face.
"Richard!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.