Chapter 4 · My Blood Is His Old Salvation

Victor turned and grabbed my wrist, pulling me out of the room.

As we stepped into the hallway, sunlight streamed in through the window at the end, falling right onto the back of Victor's hand.

I saw his skin instantly redden and swell, with tiny wisps of smoke curling up from it.

Victor didn't even flinch. He just quickened his pace.

He led me forward, and I couldn't take my eyes off the burn on the back of his hand.

When we got back to the Blackwood residence, as soon as the front door closed, Victor let go of my hand.

"Gavin," Victor's voice was icy cold. "Change all the locks in the Blackwood residence to high-level iris recognition locks.

"And assign twelve more bodyguards outside, working in shifts around the clock."

Gavin immediately lowered his head. "Yes, sir."

I stood off to the side, listening to him give orders so calmly, and with every word, the fear in my chest kept growing. "What are you trying to do?"

I watched his back. "Are you planning to lock me up?"

Victor turned around, his eyes fixing on my face.

His face was still pale, and the burn on his hand looked nasty. "It's not safe out there."

"So?" I clenched my fists. "Are you seriously going to lock me up in here forever?"

He replied in a flat tone, "I wouldn't mind locking you up for life."

I stared at him in disbelief. "Victor, I'm a human being.

"You can't just treat me like some pet in a cage just because you crave my blood!"

That remark clearly annoyed Victor.

He stepped forward, looming over me.

I instinctively retreated until my back was pressed against the wall.

He lowered his head, his nose hovering dangerously close to the side of my neck.

I could feel his quick, uneven breath against my skin, laced with a faint, cold fragrance.

"You really think all I want is your blood?" His voice was hoarse and dangerously low.

I turned my head away, trying to avoid his breath.

But he reached out and locked his hand firmly around the back of my head.

Without warning, his cool lips landed on the side of my neck.

He didn't bite. He just sucked hard, sending a slight sting through my skin.

I froze, my mind going completely blank.

He let go of me and took a step back.

I pressed my hand to the side of my neck, where a dark red mark had been left.

"What are you doing?" My voice shook.

Victor stared at the mark, the red in his eyes slowly fading. "Just leaving my mark."

His tone turned flat again. "Now, any creature out there who catches my scent on you won't dare lay a hand on you."

I looked at him, his face so calm and matter-of-fact, and tears welled up in my eyes. "Victor, you're insane.

"I'm a human being, not some pet you keep. I don't need you marking me like I'm your property!"

I shoved him away and ran upstairs without looking back.

Behind me, Victor stayed silent for a long moment. Then I heard him murmur, "I know."

But he didn't follow me, and he didn't try to explain.

*****

For the next three days, I was confined to the Blackwood residence.

That mark on my neck never let me forget how trapped I was.

On the afternoon of the third day, Gavin handed me an invitation. "Ma'am, this is from the Chase family."

I opened it up. It was for Lucas and Madeline's engagement party.

Inside, there was a photocopy of an IOU.

It said my mom had borrowed one million dollars from the Grant family years ago, and there was her signature at the bottom.

On the back, there was a line: [8 PM tonight, Grand Hotel. If you don't show up, I'll leak this IOU to the media and ruin your dead mother's reputation.]

I gripped the photocopy so hard that my knuckles turned white.

My mom was always proud and principled. She would never stoop to borrowing money from the Grant family. This IOU was a total fake. They were just trying to smoke me out.

I looked up at Gavin. "I need to get out of here."

Gavin looked troubled. "Mrs. Blackwood, Mr. Blackwood said you're not allowed to leave..."

"Tell him if he won't let me go, I'll kill myself right here."

I grabbed the fruit knife from the table and pressed it against my wrist.

Gavin quickly stepped back. "Mrs. Blackwood, please, don't do anything crazy. I'll arrange a car for you right away."

By 8 PM that night, I walked into the Grand Hotel's ballroom by myself, wearing a black coat.

Chapter 4

Victor turned and grabbed my wrist, pulling me out of the room.

As we stepped into the hallway, sunlight streamed in through the window at the end, falling right onto the back of Victor's hand.

I saw his skin instantly redden and swell, with tiny wisps of smoke curling up from it.

Victor didn't even flinch. He just quickened his pace.

He led me forward, and I couldn't take my eyes off the burn on the back of his hand.

When we got back to the Blackwood residence, as soon as the front door closed, Victor let go of my hand.

"Gavin," Victor's voice was icy cold. "Change all the locks in the Blackwood residence to high-level iris recognition locks.

"And assign twelve more bodyguards outside, working in shifts around the clock."

Gavin immediately lowered his head. "Yes, sir."

I stood off to the side, listening to him give orders so calmly, and with every word, the fear in my chest kept growing. "What are you trying to do?"

I watched his back. "Are you planning to lock me up?"

Victor turned around, his eyes fixing on my face.

His face was still pale, and the burn on his hand looked nasty. "It's not safe out there."

"So?" I clenched my fists. "Are you seriously going to lock me up in here forever?"

He replied in a flat tone, "I wouldn't mind locking you up for life."

I stared at him in disbelief. "Victor, I'm a human being.

"You can't just treat me like some pet in a cage just because you crave my blood!"

That remark clearly annoyed Victor.

He stepped forward, looming over me.

I instinctively retreated until my back was pressed against the wall.

He lowered his head, his nose hovering dangerously close to the side of my neck.

I could feel his quick, uneven breath against my skin, laced with a faint, cold fragrance.

"You really think all I want is your blood?" His voice was hoarse and dangerously low.

I turned my head away, trying to avoid his breath.

But he reached out and locked his hand firmly around the back of my head.

Without warning, his cool lips landed on the side of my neck.

He didn't bite. He just sucked hard, sending a slight sting through my skin.

I froze, my mind going completely blank.

He let go of me and took a step back.

I pressed my hand to the side of my neck, where a dark red mark had been left.

"What are you doing?" My voice shook.

Victor stared at the mark, the red in his eyes slowly fading. "Just leaving my mark."

His tone turned flat again. "Now, any creature out there who catches my scent on you won't dare lay a hand on you."

I looked at him, his face so calm and matter-of-fact, and tears welled up in my eyes. "Victor, you're insane.

"I'm a human being, not some pet you keep. I don't need you marking me like I'm your property!"

I shoved him away and ran upstairs without looking back.

Behind me, Victor stayed silent for a long moment. Then I heard him murmur, "I know."

But he didn't follow me, and he didn't try to explain.

*****

For the next three days, I was confined to the Blackwood residence.

That mark on my neck never let me forget how trapped I was.

On the afternoon of the third day, Gavin handed me an invitation. "Ma'am, this is from the Chase family."

I opened it up. It was for Lucas and Madeline's engagement party.

Inside, there was a photocopy of an IOU.

It said my mom had borrowed one million dollars from the Grant family years ago, and there was her signature at the bottom.

On the back, there was a line: [8 PM tonight, Grand Hotel. If you don't show up, I'll leak this IOU to the media and ruin your dead mother's reputation.]

I gripped the photocopy so hard that my knuckles turned white.

My mom was always proud and principled. She would never stoop to borrowing money from the Grant family. This IOU was a total fake. They were just trying to smoke me out.

I looked up at Gavin. "I need to get out of here."

Gavin looked troubled. "Mrs. Blackwood, Mr. Blackwood said you're not allowed to leave..."

"Tell him if he won't let me go, I'll kill myself right here."

I grabbed the fruit knife from the table and pressed it against my wrist.

Gavin quickly stepped back. "Mrs. Blackwood, please, don't do anything crazy. I'll arrange a car for you right away."

By 8 PM that night, I walked into the Grand Hotel's ballroom by myself, wearing a black coat.