~ Jessica Slade POV~
My father is never wrong about what he senses, and I have to find out who this person is. If it turns out that he or she is a werewolf, the person will suffer a painful death in my hand for daring to step foot into my territory.
I can't shake the feeling that it's Eric. He wasn't anywhere to be seen on my way to the office. Where could he have gone? I don't trust that man, not one bit. My eyes will always be on him. He won't be the one to bring down me or my father.
My phone starts ringing…
"Who the hell is this!" I mutter to myself, annoyed by the interruption. I hate it when someone disturbs me, especially when I'm deep in thought.
I grab my phone to check the caller—it's my dear mother again. I wonder what she wants this time. I can't help but recall how she disowned me and left when I was just five years old. She caught me sucking the blood of one of my father's prisoners.
"Jessica! What are you doing?" My mother had stared at me in shock, clutching her chest.
"I'm sorry, Mom. I just felt thirsty for blood. Please forgive me," the younger version of me had pleaded, with blood still dripping from my mouth.
But instead of understanding, she shouted at me, telling me to stay away from her. She despised me. My mother walked away, leaving me behind. I ran to my father's room, crying in front of him. He was the only one who ever loved and understood me.
To make me feel better, my father took me out for a while. When we returned, one of his vampire servants informed us that my mother had left, taking the prisoner's son with her.
I always knew she might do that someday. The love she showed that boy was far greater than what she gave me—probably because he wasn't a vampire like me. My father hated the boy, but my mother loved him. Still, I had to ask my father why she left.
"Why did Mother leave us, Popman?" I asked, holding my father's hand.
He knelt down, gently touching my face. "It's fine, Jessica. Forget about her. She sided with the enemy who killed your grandfather."
"What do you mean, Father?" I asked, confused.
"The child she took with her is a werewolf. His parents betrayed my father. Jessica, it's just you and me now. Forget about your mother. Together, we'll rule the world and make our enemies pay for the pain they've caused us."
"Okay, Father," I said, hugging him tightly.
Snapping out of the thought, "This is why I must make my father proud. Together, we'll rule the world and wipe out all the werewolves!" I called my secretary and asked her to come to my office immediately.
The project must begin. When she arrived, I instructed her to arrange an appointment with Lovethpower's magazine show and also to call our system analyst.
Lovethpower's magazine is the most popular show in the Philippines. They have a massive fan base, and we'll need many humans to work on this project. I'll do whatever it takes to ensure its success.
A knock on my office door. "Yes, come in," I said. Eric entered, showing the proper respect.
"Madam, you called for me," Eric said, hands folded behind his back.
"Yes. I want you and your team to prepare. We'll soon start recruiting new staff for an upcoming project," I informed him.
"Alright, Madam. But may I ask what the project is about?" he inquired.
"You may not, Eric. Just wait for my orders. The only thing I want from you and your team is to be ready. Now, leave my office."
Eric turned and left the room. I couldn't distinguish his heartbeat from a human's—it was normal. That means Eric isn't the one my father was talking about, I focus back on my laptop.
~ Kaelos POV ~
There's a knock on the door. "Who is it?" I get up from the couch and open the door. Oh, it's Eric.
"What took you so long? Gabriel and I have been waiting for you. Come on in."
"Uh, Kaelos, where's Gabriel? We need to talk." Eric seems anxious, and it shows on his face—he doesn't even sit down.
"Hey, Gabriel, come out. Eric is here." Gabriel immediately steps out of the room when I call his name and asks Eric what's going on.
"I met Vark Slade today, and I think he knows I'm a werewolf," Eric says, breathing heavily.
"What! How did that happen, and did anyone follow you here?" Gabriel asks, both of us glancing at Eric, as Gabriel quickly peep through the window to see outside.
"I don't know, but I ran into the restroom so Vark Slade wouldn't hear my heartbeat."
"Calm down, Eric. Why did he visit the company? I thought you said his daughter was handling everything," I ask.
Eric explains that Vark Slade and his board members are up to something, and he suspects it's nothing good. Jessica told him to get ready because the company will be recruiting new staff soon.
"I told you, Kaelos, we need to plan before Vark takes over everything," Gabriel says to me.
"Hey, Gabriel, what's that?" Eric asks him.
"You know what, Eric, what can we do? We can't just sit here doing nothing," Gabriel replies.
Eric suggests that we start investigating what Vark Slade is planning, and while doing that, he'll take me to see the Vark Slade company. He also mentions using Jessica to get information about her father, since she apparently can't tell the difference between human heartbeats and werewolves.
"Isn't his daughter as powerful as he is?" I ask Eric.
"No, future Alpha. She only has vampire powers, nothing more," Eric replies.
Gabriel asks Eric who we should use, pointing out that he can't do it because Jessica would figure out who he is. Eric admits he can't do it either, since he's already working for VSI company.
They both look at me. Wait, I hope these two aren't thinking I should do the job.
"Hey! Why are you two looking at me? Don't tell me you want me to do it. No way, I can't do it." I sit down slowly, refusing to look either of them in the face.
"Come on, future Alpha, there's no one else we can trust with this mission but ourselves. Eric and I can't do it, so please, this is the chance we've been waiting for."
"Gabriel, it's difficult to do something like that. Remember, I'm not familiar with the city. How am I supposed to get close to a vampire? You know I hate them." I explain to Gabriel how tough this is.
I haven't even agreed to Gabriel's request when Eric adds that I wouldn't be getting close to Jessica alone. Not only that, but I also need to make her fall in love with me so she'll trust me completely.
"Are you serious? I can't do it—make her fall in love with me? Come on, you two are asking for too much. Vark Slade's daughter? No way, I won't do that. Never." Seriously, these two are something else.
"Think about your parents and the other werewolves who lost their lives, future Alpha. We have to do whatever it takes to bring down Vark Slade. Please."
That gets to me. Gabriel knows how much I want to kill Vark Slade. While we're talking, Eric's phone beeps with a message, and he checks it.
Suddenly, I hear people screaming. I ask him what it is, and Gabriel is also waiting for Eric to explain what he's watching.
Eric says there's a room on the sixth floor inside VSI company called the "darkest room." Vark Slade keeps humans there for his VIP members in case they need blood to drink.
"What! I don't understand," I say to Eric, confused by what he just said.
"I found out about the room five months ago when I saw Jessica coming out of the elevator with bloodstains on her white-collar suit. I sniffed her body without her knowing and followed the scent," Eric explains.
"So, you found this room? Why didn't you report it, Eric? You know about Vark Slade's evil deeds, and I'm sure neither he nor Jessica were there when you discovered the room," Gabriel asks.
"Yes, Gabriel is right. You should have reported them, Eric."
"It's not that easy. We're talking about Vark Slade's property here. I found out the room is for the company's VIPs whenever they need blood to drink! I can't just give out that information without solid evidence. That's why I installed a CCTV camera in that room, but no one knows. Now, a new set of people are being taken to that room as we speak."
What Eric reveals makes me hate Vark Slade even more. I tell Gabriel and Eric that I'm ready to do whatever it takes to kill Vark Slade, as the prophecy says. But first, we have to rescue those innocent people trapped in the darkest room in that company.
"How will you connect me with Jessica?" I ask Alex, my lips curling and eyebrows furrowing.
Gabriel and Eric see the determination in my eyes—I'm ready to start fulfilling the prophecy.