Both Annie and Vincent, who had watched the scene from a distance, pursued the youngest Dokovic brother. Meanwhile, Yuna approached her sister, curious about the man who had been with her.

  “Do you know that guy?” she asked, unable to hide her astonishment at Nasai's uncharacteristically bold behavior.

  Yet, the youngest Nakama sister remained transfixed, unable to tear her gaze away from the place where the enigmatic man had gone.

  At the same time, in one of the mansion’s grand hallways, Patrick found himself in agony, overwhelmed by an uncontainable torrent of emotions, which made him the bearer of inconceivable pain.

  “You’re unstable,” his older brother informed him, approaching and kneeling by his side.

  “Brother…” Patrick murmured in a faint whisper, his hands trembling.

  “Go home,” Vincent ordered, met by a defiant look from Patrick. “In your condition, you’ll be a nuisance, and you can’t feed on anyone.”

  “You can feed on me temporarily,” Annie suggested as she entered the scene.

  “No.”

  “This isn’t the time for pride, brother,” Vincent urged, pulling off Patrick’s mask to reveal the increasingly intense sky-blue color of his eyes.

  Feeding on another vampire was far from ideal; unlike with humans, when a vampire was bitten by another of their kind, the pain was unbearable, comparable to the worst torture. Moreover, the energy gained was temporary, akin to a mere snack.

  That’s why Patrick was against Annie’s suggestion; he considered that enduring such pain for such a fleeting result was unnecessary. Nevertheless, he couldn’t defy his older brother’s commands, so he allowed Annie to come close enough. Sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, he let her move in beside him, placing one hand on her waist and delicately brushing her hair with the other. He drew close to her like a feline ready to capture its prey, and he bit her with as much gentleness as he could muster, as if she were a piece of porcelain or a priceless work of art.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  And on that rainy night, as fierce lightning illuminated every corner of the beautiful setting, Patrick gave in to Annie’s proposal. And though it was painful for her, and it had been a long time since Patrick had last bitten her, she felt as if they had finally become one again.

  ━━━━━━???━━━━━━

  Almost simultaneously, in the hall where the party was taking place, another unwanted encounter was unfolding.

  “Are you Yuna Nakama?” Devon asked as he approached them.

  “Yes. And you are…?” Yuna responded cautiously to the masked man standing before her.

  “The one who acquired the company.”

  “Please forgive my impudence,” she replied, taken aback and speaking more politely upon realizing his identity. “This is my sister, Nasai. Thank you for the invitation.”

  “One must keep the workers content,” Devon replied, courteously greeting Nasai. “Might I ask for a moment of your time to speak in private?”

  “Of course.”

  The two sisters, accompanied by Devon and his two escorts, followed him, while Ronnie, who had been in the hall observing the scene, mentally contacted his companions.

  “Annie, whatever you’re doing, stop it. Devon is making his move.”

  After ascending to the first floor and passing through a corridor lit by natural fire sconces, the two young women entered a sitting room with a single door before them.

  “Forgive my bluntness, but the matters we are about to discuss pertain solely to the company and its employees,” Devon said to Nasai before crossing the door.

  “Nasai, wait for me here,” Yuna reassured her sister, pointing to one of the sofas in the room for her to sit on.

  “All right,” Nasai nodded, watching her sister step through the door guarded by two women, one on either side of the entrance.

  Nasai complied with her sister’s request and sat on the leather sofa, though something unsettling lingered in the air, making her, like a watchful hound, unable to relax fully in her seat.

  Meanwhile, in the mansion’s hallways, Annie received Ronnie’s message.

  “Devon has taken Yuna; you need to move,” Annie said, her coppery eyes flashing as she wiped the blood from her neck, steadying herself against the wall. “I’m fine; I’ll stay with Ronnie and meet you outside,” she added, reassuring a visibly concerned Patrick.

  Time was running out, the moment of change was fast approaching, and the Dokovic siblings were ready for whatever lay ahead.

  “Are you prepared?” Vincent asked Patrick, extending his hand to help him off the floor.