The Devil

Mom was serious about that guy—they were really getting married. She had the huge diamond ring and everything. I knew I could try convincing her all I wanted that this was a terrible idea, but she wouldn’t listen. She was in love.

The object of her affection? Damien West. CEO of a well-established real estate company. He was your typical handsome, rich guy—the kind who could have any woman he wanted. My mother, Gwen, worked for a much smaller firm. She said they met at some business meeting or event. I didn’t know the full story, but honestly, it all sounded like complete bullshit.

There was just something off about Gwen’s new love. For starters, I couldn’t find any trace of him dating anyone in the past five years. It was like he hadn’t even existed before that—then suddenly, he was this big-shot millionaire with cars, houses, and a polished public image. What had he done before the money? Where had it come from? How had his company started? And why my mother? Those were the questions I needed answers to.

I didn’t dislike Damien just because he was a bloodsucker—I disliked him because I knew nothing about him. He put me on edge. And yet my mother was dead set on marrying him in two months. That was how long I had to “adjust.”

Mom didn’t bother hiding Damien anymore. He drove her to work, took her out constantly, and dropped her off late like they were living in some rom-com. She was living her best life—and I was watching it all unfold from the sidelines.

One night, I stood by my bedroom window and watched as Damien dropped her off. But before he drove away, his gaze flicked directly to my window. The curtains were drawn. He couldn’t possibly have known I was there… right? Then again, who knew what powers a vampire had. The books might’ve been nonsense—or maybe not.

⸻

“Mom?”

“Hey, baby. I thought you’d be in bed by now.”

“I couldn’t sleep.” How could I, with everything happening? My mom’s life could be in danger, and I had no idea how to stop it. “I need to talk to you. About Damien.”

“You know, you could refer to him respectfully.”

“You expect me to call him Daddy?” I scoffed. Gwen actually laughed at that.

“I’m serious, Mom. You know nothing about him.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Liz. I’ve known Damien for months. He’s in real estate, originally from Louisiana, never married—he was too focused on his work.”

“That’s what he told you? God! Can’t you see how weird this is? He’s rich, handsome, powerful—and he wants to marry you just months after meeting? He doesn’t even care that you have an eighteen-year-old daughter?”

“Damien adores you. You’d feel the same if you gave him a chance,” she snapped. “And for your information, I might be middle-aged, but I’m still a catch.”

“What about Dad? He—”

“Your father is dead, Liz! He’s been gone for years.”

“He was killed by a vampire! And now you want to marry one?!”

“God! Enough, Liz. Please.”

She clearly had no intention of listening. Without another word, she stormed upstairs and shut her door.

That night, I tried digging deeper into Damien’s background again—but came up with just as little as before. The man was practically a ghost. And what was available felt too… perfectly crafted. This wasn’t paranoia. Something was up.

⸻

Thursday morning. I should’ve been at school. Instead, I was walking through the glassy halls of Damien’s real estate firm. The building was massive—way bigger than I’d expected.

I approached the front desk. The receptionist looked more like a runway model than an office worker, with flawless skin and glowing red eyes. Vampire.

“Good morning.”

She looked up at me. “Good morning. How may I help you?”

“Can you tell me where Damien West’s office is?”

“Why? Do you have an appointment?”

“No.”

She stared. I stared right back. I glanced at her name tag.

“Look, Glenda. Just give him a call. Tell him Liz wants to speak with him.”

“Sorry, sweetheart, the boss has a tight schedule. I only call him when it’s important.”

“It is important.”

“Right. Now scoot, kid. I’ve got work to do.”

So fucking rude. And she didn’t even look that much older than I was. Lucky for me, I’d snagged Damien’s private number from Mom’s phone last night. I dialed it and put the call on speaker, purely for Glenda’s benefit.

He picked up on the third ring.

“Hello?”

“It’s Liz.” No pleasantries—not with him. “I’m at your company. I need to talk to you.”

There was a pause. I figured he was weighing whether to let me in or not. Considering how cold I’d been every time he visited the house, he probably wanted nothing to do with me. Typical arrogant bastard.

“Fine,” he said curtly, then hung up.

Moments later, Glenda appeared to escort me to Damien’s office. She even opened the door for me—then shot me the filthiest look before leaving.

The office was huge. Glass walls offered a panoramic view of the city. Damien sat behind a massive oak desk, eyes now glowing red, locked on me the second I entered.

“What a pleasant surprise,” he said flatly, expression unreadable.

“Cut the crap.” I crossed the room, stopping only when the desk stood between us. “I want you to stay away from my mother.”

“Interesting proposal,” he said with a smirk. “But no.”

“I know what you are.”

I didn’t, not really—but he didn’t need to know that. My bluff seemed to hit a nerve. One moment he was lounging in his chair like a king; the next, he was right behind me. I hadn’t even seen him move.

He had me cornered. Tall, imposing, eyes blazing with that unnatural red light. My knees weakened.

“Oh? Do tell me,” he said, voice laced with dark amusement.

Why the hell did I think this was a good idea?

I thought of the photo of my dad’s corpse—pale, drained, abandoned in a filthy alley.

“What am I?” Damien pressed.

“A monster. Like all of your kind.”

Damien laughed, but his eyes stayed cold. “Petty humans,” he muttered, his voice thick with contempt. “I will marry your mother. And there’s nothing a brat like you can do about it. Now—get out.”

My legs moved on instinct. Only once I’d exited the building entirely did I finally exhale.

Damn that devil.