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Chapter 2

Chapter 2

We arrived at the office, and I couldn't wait for the day to be over. Thoughts of George had completely ruined my mood. Just as I was about to step out of the car, Anna called my name, stopping me in my tracks.

"Eloise," she said, her voice filled with remorse. "I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. It's just that... it's been three weeks, Ely, and it breaks my heart to see you like this. He doesn't deserve your tears. You deserve someone better, and I know that," she spoke earnestly, meeting my gaze.

I nodded, struggling to hold back my tears. "I can't let them flow right now," I thought to myself, trying to appear composed. Anna seemed to appreciate my attempt at confidence and gave me a soft smile.

"Good, that's the spirit," she said, smiling at me warmly. She pulled me into a hug. "And remember, you're still going on that date tonight," she reminded me.

"Of course," I replied sarcastically, rolling my eyes even though she couldn't see me.

Together, we made our way into the office building. My mind was in no state to focus on work, but I showed up anyway. It was better than being absent. Besides, I didn't want to face my boss's wrath if I took a sick day.

As we entered the elevator, Anna continued talking, but I was barely listening. I nodded and responded with half-hearted "hmm"s and "yes"s, trying to appear engaged. Just before the doors closed, a man stepped into the elevator. There was something off about him. His skin, visible under his suit, looked unnaturally pale. "Good day," he greeted us, turning to face us.

I instinctively moved back, nearly losing my balance. I caught a glimpse of his sharp teeth as he grinned.

A vampire.

My mother's warning echoed in my head, "Stay away from supernaturals!"

I frantically looked around the elevator, but there was no escape. Panic surged through me. "Fuck!" I screamed internally.

"Are you okay?" Anna asked, her eyes filled with concern.

"I'm fine," I replied, taking a deep breath. "I just can't breathe." It happened to me often, particularly when I felt overwhelmed.

"Miss, are you alright?" the vampire asked, his dangerous eyes and sharp fangs fixated on me.

I stared at the wall behind him, trying to reassure myself that he would exit on the next floor. "Yeah," I managed to utter as the doors opened, allowing him to leave. I took a deep breath, relieved.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Anna asked, still worried.

"Yes. That guy, he's... super..." I trailed off, realizing that I couldn't share my supernatural knowledge with her. Sometimes, I felt like a bad friend for keeping this part of my life hidden from her, even though she was my best friend.

"Super what?" she asked, looking at me with a puzzled expression.

"A super cute guy," I replied, trying to lighten the mood. "He just caught me off guard, that's all."

"You know, babe, sometimes I feel like I'm the clueless one between us," she said, patting my back playfully. Little did she know how true that statement was.

We finally stepped out of the elevator, and I made my way to my office. "Hey, guys," I greeted my colleagues, receiving a series of mumbles in response.

"Almara," one of my colleagues called out, stopping me in my tracks. "The boss has been looking for you," he said, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

Suppressing the frustrated sigh I had been holding in, I replied, "Great," through gritted teeth and made my way to my boss's office.

I despised my boss. He was one of the most self-absorbed individuals I had ever encountered. He never took responsibility for his own mistakes and instead always blamed others.

"This is my trusted assistant," he declared, showcasing me as if I were a trophy. I had grown accustomed to it, but that didn't mean I enjoyed it.

With my curvy figure and fair complexion, I couldn't complain too much. It was my unique attributes that helped me secure this job. "Having intelligence was just an added bonus."

"Good day, sirs," I greeted professionally as I entered the office. I couldn't help but notice the youngest among them eyeing me from head to toe, which made me cringe internally. He appeared tall, sitting with honey blonde hair and the deepest blue eyes.

"Almara, these are our newest partners. You'll be accompanying Eric to the upcoming restaurant since he'll be the direct partner for that branch."

I nodded, mentally taking note of all my responsibilities.

"If that's all, sir," I said, and he waved me off dismissively.

"Kiss your ass," I mumbled under my breath. I loathed my boss, but the pay was good, so there wasn't much I could do about it. I retreated to my cramped cubicle of an office and sat down, focusing on preparing a schedule of my boss's activities.

Suddenly, I heard an awkward cough followed by the same sensation I had experienced earlier.

"Hi," a voice called out, startling me.

"H-hey," I replied, scanning the surroundings to see if anyone else was present. There was no one around.

Of course not. This floor was strictly for the boss and his associates.

"Are you lost? Looking for something?" I asked as the person approached, his stride predatory.

"I was wondering... You look stunning." His pale skin appeared even more delicate than before.

Thirsty.

I realized this with a wave of panic. I couldn't possibly be seen allowing another creature to feast on me in public. I would be labeled a freak!

"Would you mind if I asked you out for lunch later?" he inquired.

"She wouldn't," a soft but firm voice came from behind them.

I let out a breath I didn't even know I had been holding.

"Leave," the person from earlier, Eric, growled.

The exact sound didn't matter much to me. As long as he got this individual out of here.

"I'll be back, love," the person said, smiling at me.

"Hi, he seemed to be bothering you," Eric said, his smile enticing.

"Thank you," I replied, nodding. I returned to my work, knowing that it wouldn't be long before my boss began yelling about his schedule.

"What's your name?" Eric asked, still lingering at the door.

"Almara," I responded in a professional tone.

"I think I deserve to know your first name, don't you think? After all, I just saved you from that creep."

He emitted a strange vibe, and the more I observed his aura, the more I realized he wasn't human.

Well, this wasn't good.

I thought to myself as I stared at him from across the table.

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