V had always been cold and distant, never showing any emotion. He was used to doing things efficiently, one task after another, never wasting time. Even as a kid, his parents raised him with strict discipline and little affection. He didn't know what it felt like to care, to feel anything at all, before meeting Grace. To him, humans and vampires weren't that different—just different diets and lifestyles. Love? That was an alien concept to him, a place he'd never ventured into.
Meeting Grace wasn't some random encounter; it was part of his plan. He sought her out deliberately. But when he actually saw her and heard her voice, something strange happened. He felt something stir deep inside, like his heart was suddenly a loose cannon, bouncing around in his chest. Even when he tried to suppress it, he couldn't stop it. This—this was what people meant by a heartbeat.
