Chapter 3

Ivy

He couldn’t have done that to her.

No way.

The thought looped in my head like a broken record, refusing to let go. My feet carried me back to the house on autopilot, but my mind was spinning.

Mr. Dante was standing outside, talking to a couple of police officers, his hands resting casually in his pockets like this was any other morning. His voice was calm, repeating the exact same thing he told me earlier.

“The last time I saw Mrs. Tessa was around seven last night.”

Seven.

That same lie.

I didn’t even slow down as I walked past them. My pulse thudded in my ears. Every step up the porch felt like stepping into the lion’s den, but this time, I wasn’t running away. I had a plan.

He was hiding something.

And I was going to find it and use it against him, cause I have a plan to make him do what I want.

I pushed the door open quietly, my heart pounding a little too fast. Before he came back in, I went straight to his room..

I scanned the room carefully, my fingers brushing against the edge of his bookshelf. That was when I saw it.

A book.

It wasn’t like the other ones. Its leather cover was black and worn, the edges uneven, as if it had been opened too many times. I picked it up, my hands trembling just a little, and flipped it open.

“To become human, you must have sex with many humans and drain their energy. This will make you human… and stop you from drinking human blood.”

I froze.

My stomach clenched so hard I almost dropped the book.

What the hell was this?

I turned it to the front page, but before I could finish reading, a voice thundered through the room.

“What the hell are you doing here!”

My body jerked. The book slipped from my fingers but he was faster. Mr. Dante’s hand shot out and snatched it midair, the veins in his forearm tightening. His jaw was locked, and his blue eyes burned into me, sharp and furious.

I stuttered for breath, my heart hammering so loud I swore he could hear it. His shoulders were tense, his grip on the book so tight I thought it might snap.

He must’ve noticed the way I flinched because his expression shifted slightly, less storm, more calculation.

“I’m sorry for yelling,” he muttered, not sounding sorry at all. “Rosa’s at her boyfriend’s, right?”

“Yes,” I mumbled, still clutching my hands behind my back, like that would stop them from shaking.

“Good.” His voice softened as he shoved the book back into the shelf like nothing happened. “I’ll make something for us to eat.”

He turned toward the door, but before he could leave, I reached out and grabbed his wrist.

He stopped. Slowly.

Then turned his head toward me.

His glare could’ve sliced through bone. “What is it?”

I swallowed. My fingers tightened around the strap of my dress. “I saw you and Mrs. Tessa last night.”

He didn’t even look surprised.

Not even a flicker.

“Oh.” His mouth curved into something between a smirk and indifference. “So you were the one hiding near the front door.”

“Why did you lie to the cops?” I demanded, stepping closer despite my shaking knees. “Why say she left at seven?”

His eyes narrowed, the edges of his jaw tightening. He stepped toward me until the air around us thickened. “What exactly are you trying to do here?”

“I’m not trying to expose you,” I blurted, my voice trembling. “I just need something from you.”

His brow lifted. “And what would that be?”

I inhaled, feeling the heat crawl up my neck. “I want you… to break my hymen.”

For the first time, his composure cracked. His eyebrows shot up, and he let out a sharp laugh, a low, disbelieving sound that made the hair on my arms stand.

“You must be joking.” His voice dripped with amusement, but there was a flash of something else behind it. “You’re Rosa’s your friend, my daughter..”

“I know.” My cheeks burned. “But I saw you last night and… I just know you’d be the one who can do what those stupid boys can’t.”

He stared at me for a beat, like he was trying to decide if I’d lost my mind. “I’ll pretend I never heard this,” he muttered, turning toward the stairs.

“If you leave, I’ll go to the police,” I said quietly.

That made him stop.

Outside, I could still hear the faint murmurs of the officers. My voice wavered but I forced the words out. “I’ll rat you out.”

He chuckled under his breath and slowly turned around, his hands in his pockets again, looking dangerously amused. “Wow. You’re threatening me now?”

“No.” My throat was tight. “I’m just… desperate.”

He tilted his head slightly, eyes scanning my face like he was peeling layers off me. “You’re just a fragile little girl who wouldn’t survive five minutes with me. I don’t do soft. I do hardcore. I’m sure you didn’t see everything that happened last night.”

Then, without warning, he pressed something on the wall, and a hidden door slid open with a low hiss.

A secret room.

My breath hitched.

Inside was a collection of things I couldn’t unsee, whips hanging neatly like trophies, leather restraints, chains glinting faintly under the dim light.

He leaned lazily against the doorframe, watching me. “I do this to every woman who walks in here.”

I should’ve been scared. I should’ve run. But I didn’t. I straightened my spine, even as my heart tried to break out of my chest.

“It doesn’t matter,” I said quietly.

His eyes narrowed. Maybe he expected me to scream or faint. Instead, he reached for one of the whips and snapped it against his palm. The sharp sound made me flinch.

“You’re sure?” he asked, his voice low and dangerous. “Even though you might end up like the woman you saw on the news?”

I pressed my palms against my thighs, trying to steady the tremor in my hands. “I don’t care.”

And I meant it.

My illness had already written an expiry date for me. If I was going to die, I might as well die having lived at least one thing I wanted.

His lips curved slowly. “I see. You’re a bold one.”

He unbuttoned his pants with an easy flick, the sound of the zipper loud in the quiet room. My pulse skipped, panic clawing at my chest. I hadn’t planned for this part to happen this fast.

Then he freed himself.

My eyes widened, and a nervous, awkward laugh almost bubbled out of me. Oh God. It was big. Ridiculously big.

“Show me what you’ve got,” he said, his voice dipping low. “Go ahead. Take it.”

My hands trembled as I let my bag drop to the floor. Adjusting my glasses. My mouth was dry, but my mind was oddly clear. I reached out, my fingers brushing over him lightly at first. His skin was hot.

He hissed softly, tilting his head back, his eyes darkening.

I wrapped both hands around him, it took two, and started moving slowly, up and down, teasing, learning. My tongue flicked out to taste the tip, and his lips parted slightly. His breath caught.

A small, arrogant smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, but it melted quickly into something raw. I built a rhythm, slow at first, then faster, and the sound of my movements filled the air. His fingers twitched at his sides, then finally, he grabbed me.

One hand wrapped around my neck, not tight, but firm enough to make my breath stutter. Then his mouth crashed against mine, my glasses almost falling from my nose bridge.

It was nothing like I’d imagined.

The kiss was hot, intense and reckless.

His lips tasted like coffee and danger, his tongue pushing against mine, hungry. My back hit the wall. His body pressed into mine like he wanted to devour me whole.

But then—

Something changed.

His eyes snapped open, and they weren’t blue anymore. They were red. A deep, glowing, unnatural crimson.

My stomach dropped.

The book. The line about draining energy.

Was that book… about him?

Before I could process it, something hot and electric surged through me, like fire spilling through my veins. I gasped and pulled away from the kiss, stumbling back.

His expression twisted in panic. “My Crimson Stone!” he hissed, his gaze darting down to my chest. “Oh no.”

I staggered, clutching the wall behind me. I’d been feeling weak for days, but now… now I felt strong. Stronger than I’d ever been.

He grabbed my shoulders and shoved me against the wall, eyes wild. “Who the hell are you?” he snarled. “Did they send you?!”

My breath caught, my mind a tangled with confusion and adrenaline. My lips were swollen from his kiss, my heart hammering against my ribs.

Then—

“I’m home!”

Rosa’s voice rang from downstairs.