Unexpected Man

Last night's events still echoed in my mind. That red-haired man felt so real, yet it should have been impossible for him to come and go as he pleased.

Unless... he wasn't human.

"Vaelora," I heard Saga call my name.

I turned to him stiffly, "Y-yes?"

"I've been calling you, Miss, but you only turned when I finally used your name," he replied.

We were on our way to the office; Saga had picked me up this time. My security had suddenly become tighter than usual, and I was sure this was Alaric's doing.

"Is something bothering you, Miss?" Saga asked.

His eyes caught mine through the rearview mirror every now and then. Clearly, something was bothering me.

That red-haired man with the crimson eyes haunted my thoughts. I felt this sudden, overwhelming sensation that he had always been near me all this time.

"No, I'm just tired," I lied.

I could hear his steady breathing from the front seat, even though I was sitting all the way in the back.

"Tonight, I have to make sure you get home safely," Saga said firmly.

"Alright, this time I'll obey," I replied.

The car pulled up in front of Haugen Corp. I got out and walked toward my office, praying today wouldn't bring any strange incidents like yesterday.

There wasn't much work today, except for a scheduled meeting with a client. Alaric mentioned he was an old client of our family who had just resurfaced.

Oddly enough, the client had specifically requested to discuss business with me alone. Funny, isn't it? I wondered what he was like. I couldn't help but be curious.

"Vaelora!"

Just as I was heading toward my office, I heard my brother's voice. I turned around and saw Alaric standing right in front of the meeting room.

But it wasn't him that caught me off guard, it was the tall man standing beside him, boasting vivid red hair and captivating hazel eyes.

He was incredibly handsome, but he looked dangerously familiar.

That man... He looked exactly like the one who had confronted me in the archive room! His hair, his face, his build, everything was identical.

The only difference was the color of his eyes.

Alaric motioned for me to come over, and I took a deep breath. I tried to walk calmly, even though the atmosphere felt entirely different now.

It was as if something heavy was pressing down on the air around us. I felt suffocated for no reason, completely transfixed the moment our eyes locked.

There was one other thing I remembered vividly about the blood-red man from last night: his scent.

A distinctive, masculine, and alluring scent that had etched itself into my mind. And this man carried the exact same scent as, that creature.

"Let me introduce you to Mr. Kael Morveth, the investor you're meeting with today," Alaric said to me.

Oh my God. So this breathtaking man was my client?

The man extended his hand to me. "Kael Morveth. You can call me Kael."

Our eyes met again, and it felt like an electric shock snapped between us. Those hazel eyes pierced right through me, leaving me paralyzed.

Slowly, almost unconsciously, I reached out and shook his hand. A slight smirk played on his lips.

"Vaelora Haugen. You can call me... Vael," I managed to say.

I realized there was a strange similarity between our names, Kael and Vael. Crazy. A coincidence I never expected.

"You can have your meeting in this room, please," Alaric said, inviting Kael inside.

I quickly grabbed Alaric's arm, pulling him back so I could speak to him privately. I insisted that I shouldn't be the only one facing Kael.

"Why are only he and I meeting?" I demanded in a whisper.

Alaric sighed briefly, then shot me a sharp look. "I have important work to handle. This was a specific request from Mr. Morveth, and we must comply."

Alaric's answer made me suspicious all over again. Was this someone's cunning plan, or could it really just be a coincidence?

My steps felt incredibly heavy as I walked into the room. I saw Kael sitting at the corner of the table, leaning back and staring straight at me.

His aura was unlike anything else, he seemed to radiate a heavy energy that weighed down the entire room.

I closed the door tightly and walked toward him.

"Vaelora," he smiled. In that exact moment, I knew. He was the man from last night.

That smile was identical.

"Who are you really? And why are you showing up in my office now?"

Kael curled his lips slightly. "Impatient, aren't we?"

"Come here, we have a lot to discuss." His cold hand touched me again, and goosebumps immediately erupted across my skin. Yet, he seemed entirely calm, not bothered in the slightest.

Before I could even think to refuse, he pulled me down to sit right next to him. I was stunned by how blindingly fast his movements were.

"Haugen... a dishonest family. They didn't tell you anything, did they?" he said.

His hazel eyes sharpened slightly, and I could feel the sudden gravity of his tone.

"I don't understand what you mean. Just explain to me what your purpose is in meeting me?!" I finally lost my patience.

His hand reached up and brushed against my cheek, agonizingly slow and gentle. It felt ice-cold. I tried to push it away, but he held it firmly in place.

"Your family owes me their lives," Kael replied quietly.

Their lives? Did my family commit some kind of crime? My heart hammered against my ribs, a cocktail of anxiety and fear rising inside me.

"Your name is written in the book. You saw it yourself," Kael added.

I couldn't grasp the full meaning of his words, but just the reminder of that book... it sent a violent shiver down my spine. Fear gripped me that something terrible was about to happen.

He finally withdrew his hand, his expression shifting back into something colder, yet relaxed.

"You'd better find out the rest for yourself, because I don't have much time for this," Kael said.

A busy man? Then why did he bother coming all the way here just to leave me hanging with cryptic riddles!

I growled silently in frustration. This man was infuriating. He purposely triggered my curiosity but refused to give me answers.

I forced myself to snap out of it, opened the file I had brought, and began discussing business as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.

Kael was a creepy man who completely intrigued me. Handome and terrifying all at once.

"Vael," he suddenly whispered close to me, making me shiver violently. "Are you ready for the next blood moon night?"