The barrage of questions left me at a loss for words.
"Lionel... I, of course, have missed you, but Dene can protect me... Being with Dene is just a game, a test that Rion set for me!" My heart was tense, yet filled with longing. I got out of bed and reached out to hold his cold hand, but I couldn't help but wonder, "Lionel, don't you have no heartbeat? Can you still feel heartache even without a heartbeat?"
He narrowed his deep blue eyes and gently wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "Darling, have you forgotten? You can bring my heartbeat back!"
As he spoke, he raised his hand in front of me, revealing a bloody heart, pounding strongly... "Baby, look how steady it beats?"
"Ah—" I woke up screaming, my body drenched in cold sweat. I frantically grabbed the glass on the bedside table and gulped down some water, finally calming my racing heart. "Those damn vampires are everywhere! Thank goodness, thank goodness, it was just a nightmare!"
But I couldn't bear to stay alone in the room.
I quickly turned on the light, left the room, and went to knock on Rion's door.
"Rion, open the door! Rion—"
The corridor was wide but short, with intricate patterned carpets stretching all the way to the clear window.
Outside the window, the night was deep, like an abyss with no end in sight.
Suddenly, Lionel's figure appeared at the window, smiling as he reached out to me. "Margie, come here. You know I love you... Even though I haven't said it, you know I've always missed you!"
"No! No... I won't go over there, leave, don't come near me!" I shouted abruptly, but in the blink of an eye, there was no one there.
Oh God, what's wrong with me? I hugged my head and leaned against the wall, crying helplessly.
Dene came upstairs. "Margie, what's wrong?"
"He's following me... Lionel Albert, that vampire!" I threw myself into Dene's arms.
He patted my back. "It's okay, sweetheart. How about coming to my room? You forgot, Rion isn't home." Then he muttered helplessly, "It's just an illusion, don't be afraid. You just let him into your heart, and now you need to let him go."
Let him into my heart? Does that mean, "I've fallen for him?"
"You could say that, Margie. Why not let him experience heartbreak?"
As we spoke, we arrived at his bedroom downstairs. He opened the door, revealing a clean gray carpet that led to the large bed. He helped me lie down, then took a towel and wiped the cold sweat from my forehead.
After turning off the lights, he lay down gently beside me, pulling me into his arms. His fingers played with my long hair as he spoke softly, "Margie, close your eyes and think about the happy times you had with Bevis when you were kids. Running through the vast lavender fields of Provence, the bright sunshine, the warm breeze..."
In Dene's magnetic, gentle voice, I closed my eyes. His poetic words painted beautiful images in my mind.
The hand patting my back gradually slowed, and a kiss landed on my forehead. I instinctively snuggled closer to him, finding a comfortable position, and wrapped my arm around his waist, drifting off peacefully.
In the morning, I woke up to the furious roar of my dear cousin Bevis Bain. "Dene William, you bastard, I'll kill you! What did you do to Margie?"
With that, he quickly pulled me, still groggy, out of Dene's arms and patted my face. "Margie, how could you sleep in the same bed with this jerk?"
"Last night, I had a nightmare, and Dene let me sleep here." I hugged Bevis, tears streaming down my face. "Brother, why did you only come back now? Our home was completely burned down."
He held me tightly, clearly exhausted, as if he had rushed back overnight.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left you alone at home. Forgive me, okay? Have you been doing well? Were you hurt?"
Then, two glamorous women in black burst into the room, shrieking in anger, "Dene, as soon as we're gone, you're in bed with another woman?"
No doubt, these two women were Amelia and Catherine.
Amelia had golden hair, a round face, big eyes, a petite figure, and delicate skin, like a doll.
Catherine had a wheat-colored complexion, sleek black short hair, a tall and alluring figure, and wore a black leather outfit that accentuated her stunning curves. Clearly, they were both deeply infatuated with Dene.
Dene clutched his head in frustration, grabbed his robe, and suddenly exploded in anger. "This is my bedroom, get out!"
Amelia and Catherine shrugged and quickly left. It was clear they still feared Dene's authority.
Bevis adjusted my robe and smoothed my messy hair, leading me toward the door. He glanced at me and casually remarked, "You don't look well. Is Rion's schedule too heavy for you? Look how thin you've become..."
Dene suddenly called out to me, "Margie."
"Hmm?" I turned to look at his dejected expression, unsure of what he wanted. He was probably upset about being woken from a good dream. "What is it?"
"Try to love me, and stop thinking about the vampire."
"Okay, I love you!" Compared to nightmares, I preferred a warm embrace and a few poetic words to lull me to sleep.
He smiled, his lips curving up like the first clear ray of morning sunlight, piercing through the dust and shining warmly into my heart. I thought, maybe I could fall in love with Dene.
"I won't allow it!" Bevis said coldly, pulling me away. "Dene is a hypocritical womanizer. Amelia and Catherine are fighting over him, and he's openly juggling both of them. Add you to the mix, and that makes three!"