Lauren steered her Audi C3 into LUX nightclub parking lot, her companions, Ariana and Alanna, alongside her.
"Do you reckon they'll be here tonight?" Ariana inquired, her apprehension evident.
"They should. If not, I'll dig up their address in the NDI database or pay a visit to Apex headquarters," Lauren declared as she led the trio into the club.
"Do you think Damien will be here?" Alanna's question sent a ripple through Lauren's heart.
"Only one way to find out," Lauren murmured softly.
Ascending to the VVIP section, they drew the eyes of everyone in the VIP area. Even the bouncers and bodyguards parted a path for them, ushering them through.
"It seems you made quite an impression the last time you were here," Ariana mused in a hushed tone.
Lauren found herself reminiscing about her prior visit with Chloe, a chuckle escaping her unwittingly. "Or perhaps they're already aware of our arrival," Alanna interjected.
"Quite a possibility," Ariana concurred.
They were ushered into a private lounge, exclusive to the establishment's proprietors. Inside, Derek and Damon were immersed in an intense game of chess, while Venessa casually played snooker. Meanwhile, Damien's absence echoed in the room, his favorite bourbon left untouched.
"Only a Benneth witch would have the gall to saunter unscathed into the vampires' sanctuary," Derek quipped, a wry chuckle escaping him as he beheld the unexpected guests.
The group welcomed the ladies, genuinely puzzled by their unanticipated arrival. "What brings you here?" Venessa inquired as she approached the trio. "Please, take a seat," Derek urged, escorting them to a sumptuous sofa.
Once settled, the conversation turned to recent events. "How are you holding up, Lauren? I must admit, we didn't expect to see your faces after the tumultuous affair a few weeks ago," Damon remarked.
Lauren's gaze sought a familiar figure, but Damien remained conspicuously absent. "Damien hasn't returned since that day," Serafina interjected from her spot at the bar, echoing the unspoken query.
"It seems he's doesnt want to be found" Venessa added, her concern palpable. "We've scoured every corner but inexplicably, he's chosen to stay hidden," she concluded.
"So what are we going to do then?" she asked after a few seconds of oppressive silence.
"About what?" Derek asked, his dark eyes searching her face, amusement dancing in his lips.
"About the prophecy, and his father," she answered simply, her words cutting through the air like a sharp blade. The vampires stared in stunned silence, their centuries-old composure faltering under the weight of her revelation.
"What?" She asked, uncomfortable under their sudden collective gaze, unable to fathom the magnitude of her words echoing within the lounge.
"How do you still care about the prophecy and all after everything you've found out?" Damon asked, his tone reflecting a mix of shock and genuine concern.
At that moment, Venessa intervened with a mischievous glint in her eye, commanding attention with her unexpected demand, a sly grin tugging at the corners of her lips.
"Transfer my money right now," Venessa said, her gleeful expression widening into an impish smile directed at Damon.
"Happily," Damon replied, making a mockingly exasperated face at her request, clearly acknowledging the frivolity of their conversation in the face of impending doom.
"I'm lost, what's going on?" Ariana asked, bewildered by the sudden shift in the atmosphere, her voice tinged with confusion and a hint of amusement.
Venessa, reveling in her own cunning, decided to shed light on her master plan.
"Well, Barbie, this lot didn't think Lauren would ever come back, so I told them she would, and when she eventually come around , they would pay me 1 million dollars each, so..." Venessa explained, casting a mischievous wink in the direction of Ariana, as if to share in the joke.
Lauren's thoughts drifted to a different concern, a more personal worry etched on her features. Turning to Derek, she voiced her distress, her words laden with urgency.
"His number has been out of service since I've tried reaching him; can you email me his house address?" Lauren asked Derek, her eyes searching his face for any hint of understanding.
"Well, you know where he lives," he said, his voice tinged with an unspoken portent.
"What do you mean?" She asked, her brow furrowing in confusion and uncertainty, poised on the edge of a revelation.
"I mean, he lives a few blocks from you at the De castle estate. I will email you his house number, though I don't think you would find him there," he said.
The realization struck her like a bolt of lightning—his proximity, hidden in plain sight, stirred a mixture of shock and surprise within her. How had he managed to live beside her without a single word exchanged between them? It seemed so typical of him.
"Alright, thank you... we would be leaving then," Lauren said, her voice carrying a subtle air of finality as she made ready to depart.
Venessa, ever the convivial host, extended an inviting offer, her charm weaving through the evening air like a soft melody.
"Why don't you girls stay a little bit and have a drink with us?" Venessa suggested, her eyes containing a glimmer of genuine warmth.
"Thanks for the offer, but maybe some other time," Lauren politely declined, her words laced with a hint of regret, as she bid her farewells to their gracious hosts, ushering her companions along as they exited the room.