Alexa didn't move.
She was still standing there, frozen in place, barely breathing.
Her fingers curled by her sides, nails digging into her palms as her mind tried to wrap itself around his words.
"Tonight, I'll show you who I really am."
He hadn't said it to scare her. That's what made it worse. He spoke it like a vow.
A promise.
A warning.
She stared up at him—into those eyes that looked calm, almost amused, but held something beneath. Something vast. Unknown. Not entirely human.
"…And if I don't go to my room?" she whispered before she could stop herself.
Levi's lips curved—not into a smile, not fully. It was something else. A twitch of the mouth, dark and unreadable.
"I wasn't asking," he said softly. "But you can disobey—if you're willing to pay the price."
Her breath caught.
Her throat felt tight, dry. "And what price is that?"
He leaned in slightly, just enough to send a jolt down her spine. His voice dropped to a murmur, but it sliced through her like heat against ice.
"Your soul. Inch by inch. And I'll make you beg for it."
Alexa stumbled back.
Not because he touched her. He hadn't.
But because she believed him.
"Go," he said again. "Rest while you can. When night falls, I'll come for you."
She swallowed hard and turned without another word.
Her footsteps felt unsteady as she climbed the stairs. Her room door shut behind her, and for the first time since she'd come into this house—
She wished she could disappear.
****
Alexa sat on the bed with a quiet sigh, dragging her phone from under the pillow like she was hoping it would distract her.
She couldn't stop thinking about what Levi said.
"Tonight, I'll show you who I really am."
What the hell did that even mean?
She shook her head and typed into the search bar: "Are vampires real?"
Then changed it to: "What do vampires do?"
She didn't even finish scrolling when a notification popped up, right at the top of her screen.
BREAKING: Hayes Corp Signs Mega Deal With Veyron Group—Rapid Rise in Rankings
She froze.
Eyes locked on the screen.
She tapped it with numb fingers. The article loaded with pictures—her dad in a suit, all smiles, standing next to men in dark ties, shaking hands.
Biggest deal of the quarter. Hayes is back. A new era.
"What…" she breathed. "Are you kidding me?"
Her heart started thudding. Her mouth hung open for a second before it twisted.
She blinked fast, like it would clear the screen or change the headline.
But no. It was real.
They were doing better than ever.
After everything.
After what they did to her.
After throwing her out like she meant nothing.
"Unbelievable…" Her voice cracked. "These people are—"
Her fist clenched around the phone, and then—
"Sons of b*tches!" she spat, throwing the phone across the bed. It bounced once and landed face-down on the covers.
She stood up and started pacing. Her bare feet hit the floor too hard. Her breaths were sharp.
They sold her. For this.
For their stupid company and a handshake deal.
And now they were winning. Richer. Celebrated.
While she was stuck in this house… owned by a man she didn't understand… one who talked about showing her who he really was like it was some kind of horror movie.
She sat back down, digging her nails into her palm, trying to hold herself together.
She didn't feel like herself anymore.
She felt like a tool that got used and left behind.
Her eyes burned, but she blinked them dry.
Crying wouldn't fix anything. It never had.
Tonight Levi would come.
And she didn't know whether to be scared… or just tired of everything.
*****
Flames. Smoke. Screams.
The ground burned beneath him as little Levi stumbled forward, bare feet scraped and bleeding, arms covering his head from falling ash. He was six. Small. Hurt. Shaking. But still crawling.
"Father!" he screamed, his voice cracked and hoarse. "Please don't!"
The heat was suffocating, the sky black-red like the world was ending. His body was bruised, cuts running down his arms and legs, blood mixing with dirt. But he didn't care. His eyes were locked on the man ahead—kneeling, motionless, bleeding.
His father.
Surrounded by robed figures. Elders. Cold. Faceless. They didn't look at Levi. Didn't flinch. Their hands rested on staffs and blades like this was just another ceremony.
Levi reached out a shaky hand. His little fingers stretched forward, desperate, as he dragged himself closer. "I'm here," he choked out, crying. "Please… get up. Please…"
His father turned his head slowly. His face was pale, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. But he smiled. A small, sad smile that hurt more than any wound ever could.
"Levi..." his voice came broken, soft, like the last breath in his lungs. "Survive. Avenge me."
Then—thud.
The axe came down.
One clean slice.
Levi saw it. Saw the moment the blade sank into his father's neck and separated him from the only thing he had left in this world. His head rolled, lifeless eyes still on Levi.
"NO!"
The scream ripped out of Levi's throat as he collapsed on the burning rocks, hands clenched into fists, face wet with tears. "You said you wouldn't leave! You promised!" he cried, shaking. "You lied!"
The elders turned away, robes sweeping the blood as if none of it mattered.
And Levi was left there, crying, screaming, alone.
—
He jolted awake.
His chest heaved. Hands clawed at his own skin as if trying to rip the dream away. But it was still there—alive in his head like it had just happened.
Levi sat up, breathing hard, fingers gripping his hair. His body was damp with sweat. His jaw locked tight.
"That dream again..." he muttered under his breath, voice low, scratchy.
He pressed his palm to his chest. His heart wouldn't slow down.
The silence in his room felt heavy. Empty. Like it was holding its breath.
And all he could see was blood. And a smile.
His eyes blinked against the afternoon light pouring through the windows. It was just a nap. Just a nap, but his chest was still tight, like something had wrapped around his ribs and wouldn't let go.
He ran a shaky hand down his face.
He swung his legs off the bed and stood up, body tense. He didn't head for water. Didn't head for air. No, his feet took him where they always did after that dream.
To the whiskey.
He grabbed the half-full bottle from the shelf near his desk, unscrewed the cap, and brought it straight to his lips. The burn hit the back of his throat, sharp and hard, but he didn't flinch. He welcomed it.
His hand braced against the table, head tilted down slightly. For a moment, he just stood there—silent, tense, letting the liquor do what it always did. Ground him. Numb the edges of the memory.
His fingers twitched at his side.
The axe.
His father's voice.
The fire.
He took another swig, deeper this time, and exhaled harshly through his nose.
"I'm not that boy anymore," he said to no one. "That boy died a long time ago."
Still, the words didn't convince him. Not fully. Not when his hands were still shaking.
He set the bottle down hard, not caring if it cracked the wood. Then leaned forward, both palms flat on the desk, his breath finally beginning to slow.
But the ache in his chest? Still there. Always there.
And somewhere, beneath all that stillness, rage curled.
Silent.
Waiting.
Levi stepped out of his room, the quiet hum of the afternoon pressing down on the corridor. The whiskey burned slightly in his chest as he moved, eyes half-lidded from sleep and the dream that still clawed at the back of his mind.
He walked, head low, then stopped.
Her door—left half-open.
His eyes narrowed.
He pushed it gently. The room was dimly lit, her scent faint in the air, sweet and stubborn. But she wasn't there.
Then the sound hit him. Water—running.
The shower.
He stepped inside without a word, not out of curiosity, but something sharper. That same tug he always ignored.
His eyes scanned her room quickly. Her phone was there on the bed, screen black. Her bag in the corner. And on the wooden table, something caught his eye.
A black cross-beaded necklace.
Delicate. The kind a girl like her might wear out of habit, maybe for meaning. He walked over and picked it up, letting the chain dangle between his fingers.
The beads were small, a little scratched at the edges. He turned it in his hand, thumb running over the cool metal of the cross.
"This is hers," he muttered to himself, eyes flicking toward the bathroom door again as water still ran.
He stared at it for a second longer.
"Why would someone like her wear something like this?" he said quietly, his voice low, more thoughtful than mocking.
His thumb hovered on the cross again.
"Trying to stay protected… or trying to believe someone's still watching?"
His jaw clenched, something bitter curling at the edge of his chest. Still holding her necklace, he glanced once more at the door.
Then he looked away.
Levi's fingers were still curled around the necklace when the sound of the bathroom door creaked behind him.
Alexa's voice cut the silence, sharp and soaked with heat.
"What are you doing in my room?"
He didn't flinch. Just slowly turned, the necklace still dangling from his hand.
"Your door was open. I checked."
She narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms over the pink towel snug around her chest. Wet strands of black hair clung to her face.
"And that gave you the right to stroll in and go through my things?"
"I didn't go through anything." He looked at the necklace again. "This was just… lying here."
Her eyes dropped to the pendant—and hardened. "Put it down."
He didn't move.
"I've seen this before. I could've sworn I've held it just like this."
She stepped forward and snatched it from his hand like it burned her.
"Then maybe it was in your dreams. Respect it."
Levi's eyes locked on hers. "It belonged to someone important?"
"My mother," she said flatly, turning to grab her clothes from the chair.
But just as she turned her back, he grabbed her wrist—firm, not forceful.
"You're angry," he said. "Because your mental fortitude is low. You saw the news and couldn't handle it."
She froze. His words sliced deep.
She turned back, her voice shaking but laced with bite.
"You think I'm weak?"
He didn't answer. Just watched her.
"I'm still standing, aren't I? After everything. After being thrown out like garbage. After being dragged into this twisted world of yours."
Her voice cracked slightly. "So don't you dare measure my strength based on one damn headline."
He didn't let go.
"Then why," he asked calmly, "did you allow yourself to be bought by me? And why are you still here—after knowing who I am?"
She stared at him. That single question stripped her to her bones.
"I didn't allow it. I was forced," she spat, even as her voice lowered. "And don't flatter yourself. I'm not here for you—I'm here because I have nowhere else to go."
For a second, the room stilled. His eyes didn't soften, but something unreadable flickered behind them.
She stared at him, his words ringing sharp.
She turned away, but he didn't move. His silence filled the room like smoke.
Her voice cracked near the end, and she looked away like she could hide it.
Levi's eyes didn't leave her.
Then she glanced at the necklace in her hand—her mother's. The one she clung to like a piece of the past that still mattered. Her grip tightened. Her chest ached.
"That company was all my father had," she whispered, more to herself than him. "That legacy. That name. I just wanted to fix it. Make something right."
Her throat burned. She pressed her lips together, fighting the tears. But they came anyway—slow and hot, slipping down her cheeks without her permission.
"I'm tired," she muttered. "I'm tired of pretending like I'm not falling apart."
She didn't even realize when her knees gave and she sat at the edge of the bed, eyes on the floor. Her wet hair clung to her skin. Her fingers trembled on the necklace chain.
"I'm not strong," she said, barely audible. "I only act like I am."
Levi stepped forward, his presence as quiet as it was undeniable. He didn't touch her. Just stood there. Watching. Breathing.
Then, after a beat, he sat down beside her. Not close. Not comforting. Just near enough to let her know—
He wasn't leaving.
He didn't offer a hand or a word. He simply existed beside her.
And somehow, that silence—cold, steady, brutal—felt stronger than anything else.
They sat in that silence for a while.
No words. Just her breathing uneven, her eyes blurry with quiet tears. She wiped them once with the back of her hand, angry at herself for breaking in front of him.
Levi finally spoke, his voice low. Unshaken.
"Do you want me to leave?"
She didn't even think. Her head snapped toward him.
"No."
It came out too fast, too sure. She blinked, surprised at her own answer—but it was already out there.
Levi didn't react. Just turned his eyes toward her like he was reading something she didn't understand yet.
"Okay," he said simply.
No smile. No softness. But somehow, in that simple word, it felt like he'd anchored her back to herself.
She looked away, clutching the necklace again. Her voice barely a whisper.
"Just… sit."
And he did.
No questions.
No promises.
Just him. Beside her. Quiet and still.
Levi watched her in silence, then stood, brushing invisible dust off his shirt. "Get dressed."
She glanced at him, confused. "Why?"
He didn't break eye contact. "Because tonight... I'll show you who I am."
A pause. His voice dropped a note deeper.
"I told you once before. You just didn't listen."
Alexa's lips parted, but no words came out. Her chest rose slowly with her breath, unsure if it was fear she felt—or something more dangerous.
He turned toward the door, then stopped halfway. His eyes cut back to her.
"Don't keep me waiting."
Then he walked out, leaving the weight of his words behind like a shadow that clung to the air.