Chapter 4

I spread my arms to shield Connor, trying my best to stay calm. "Do you want to start a fight? The boss said anyone who attacks a colleague will be thrown out. You will never find such a good job again."

Jack Butcher stopped in his tracks, but his tone remained completely dismissive. "What a naive little girl who listens to everything the boss says."

"What? You don't want to listen to my words?" Victor appeared out of nowhere right in front of him.

Jack panicked instantly, waving his hands in a desperate attempt to explain. "Boss, let me explain." He let go of his weapon, and his large axe hit the ground with a sharp clang.

Drake remained completely unmoved. "Consider this a warning. Any further incident will result in immediate termination."

He then glanced around at the onlookers and told Connor to finish his dinner quickly. "Everyone, go back to sleep in five minutes."

Connor choked on his food in his haste, so I quickly patted his back with one hand while handing him a glass of milk with the other.

As soon as he swallowed the last bite, Connor took my hand and joined the others heading toward the sleeping quarters.

Along the way, a group of colleagues led by Jack took advantage of the fact that Drake was walking at the very front and repeatedly turned around to shake their fists at us.

Even though I knew they didn't dare to actually do anything, I still felt a bit frightened. My grip on Connor's hand tightened.

"Morgan, don't be scared," he murmured against my hair.

When we arrived at the sleeping quarters, I froze in shock. The tent was shared by everyone, and it was packed to the brim with rows of coffins.

I quickly pulled my hand out of Connor's grip and looked around at everyone with deep suspicion.

I wondered if I had been tricked into a vampire lair. It seemed impossible for a job to be this perfect without a catch.

I suspected that Drake was a vampire lord who used the job listings as a front to recruit blood bags for his subordinates. The thought made me realize that I might be the unfortunate blood bag in this place.

Connor looked at me as I stood there on high alert, then glanced at Drake before quietly moving closer to my side. For every step he took toward me, I took a step back.

Drake pressed his hand to his forehead in frustration. "Enough, Morgan, stop letting your imagination run wild. You know earning money is difficult, and I need to cut costs as an employer."

His explanation made sense, so I stopped retreating.

Since this continent was heavily populated by vampires, coffins were indeed much cheaper than standard beds.

The fear in my heart was quickly replaced by a sense of disdain for Drake. He truly behaved like a ruthless capitalist.

Still, a coffin was much more comfortable than the flimsy wooden boards that served as a makeshift bed back in the slums.

It took me only two seconds to convince myself, and I began to examine the options. I wondered which one I should choose, and why even these coffins were divided into different classes.

The two units in the center were significantly larger than the rest.

Noticing my gaze resting on the large structures, the butcher smiled maliciously. "New girl, a large coffin like this is not something your rank is allowed to sleep in. Why don't you come and share space with me instead?"

Connor frowned at his words. "Morgan, he smells bad; don't stay near him."

He then pulled me toward one of the large units. "This is my bed; I can trade with you."

The coffin smelled faintly of strawberry lollipops, which made the offer highly tempting.

However, when I looked at the narrow coffin Drake had assigned to me, I felt too embarrassed to accept. My designated space was so tight that someone as large as Connor would never be able to fit inside.

"Forget it, Connor; I will sleep in my own," I said. "But can I move my unit closer to yours?" I had no desire to stay next to the butcher and his foul-smelling companions.

"Of course," Connor replied happily. He helped me move my coffin, even thoughtfully sharing a soft blanket with me.

Drake stood nearby and watched the entire process without trying to stop us.

Although I had accepted the coffin as my bed, stepping inside still required a lot of mental preparation.

In the end, I decided that I would simply leave the lid open. I expected to stay awake all night, but I actually managed to sleep very well.

When I finally woke up naturally and opened my eyes, I found that someone had closed the lid over me.