Chapter 52: – This Is Good! –
Fernando tilted his head, jaw tight. "That man has nothing. He can’t give her what I can. He’s a nobody, a lowlife. So why does she act like that with him? She lets him touch her, lets him get that close, and she looks at him with that... odd fondness. I never even thought this woman was capable of feeling a thing. Not with that icy heart of hers. What could he possibly even have?" His lips curled. "It irritates me. No, it annoys me."
He turned fully toward Antonio. "What do you think?"
Antonio blinked, caught off guard. "I-I don’t know what you mean, boss."
Fernando took a sip of wine, eyes narrowing in on the man. "Nikolas. That’s his name, right? Tell me, Antonio, who is he?"
Antonio seemed to hesitate.
The man frowned. "What do you know about him?" he asked. "Is he rich or something of the sort?"
"No."
Antonio shook his head.
"Doesn’t seem like it. The place he lived with Lady Di-grassi isn’t exactly luxurious."
Fernando’s frown could only deepen. It made zero sense. "Then why is she all over him? I don’t get it. Why would a woman of her class be this way over a man who can offer her nothing?"
"Boss—"
"Wait a second." He snapped his gaze to him. "Antonio, that day, you told me not to go after him. You said it was best I didn’t because he was... something I didn’t know. What did you mean by that?"
Antonio darted his gaze around. "That’s..."
"Tell me the truth. What is it about him? Is he a dangerous man?" Fernando pressured.
Antonio swallowed hard.
"I think it’s best you don’t know."
Fernando’s expression fell. "I am your boss, Antonio. You’ve worked for me for a long time. I don’t think you want me to fire you, do you?"
"No, sir!"
"Then get on with it. Tell me everything."
Antonio hesitated. He drew a deep breath, swallowing. "Boss... have you ever heard of vampires?"
"What?"
"Yes, vampires."
Fernando cocked a brow, taking another sip of his wine. "Antonio, what in the hell are you rambling about? I don’t know what you’ve been watching, but this isn’t what I asked you—"
"They’re real," Antonio cut in. "They exist."
Fernando frowned. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
"That man—" Antonio exhaled. "—He’s one of them."
"What?!"
"He’s not human, boss. He’s a vampire."
Fernando took a long moment, letting all the information sink into his head. Then suddenly, he burst into laughter, clutching his glass as he shook his head. "I get it now. I’m in a terrible mood, and you thought you’d cheer me up. I’ll give it to you though; you almost had me. That was funny. Got me laughing. But don’t ever try it again."
"I’m not lying, and I’m not joking, boss," Antonio said with a straight face.
Fernando stared into his eyes, searching for a sign that he was kidding. When he found none, he deadpanned.
"What are you saying?" he asked, setting his wine down.
Antonio clasped his hands behind his back and stepped forward. "Vampires have always existed, sir. They just hide and mix so well among us that most people don’t even know they are real."
Fernando’s gaze grew expectant. "And you know this because...?"
"I’ve seen one."
Antonio cleared his throat.
"I was twelve. I saw one, but it was dying."
Fernando still looked unconvinced. "Vampires are vulnerable to the sun. They burn. And you’re saying Nikolas is not human? That makes no sense." He shook his head. "He walks in the sun just fine."
"That’s actually part of what confused me, sir," Antonio admitted. "They shouldn’t be able to walk in the sun, but somehow he does."
Fernando cut in, "How do you even know he’s a vampire? This sounds like bullshit—"
"I’m sure you’ve noticed his superhuman strength."
The man went quiet. He vividly recalled that day they met—the crushing pressure when Nikolas gripped his hand. It felt like his bones were being crushed by a large stone.
"Exactly." Antonio watched the realization that painted his face. "Vampires are superhuman. Faster, stronger. Some can even resist fire; that is the strongest one among them. I think Nikolas is one of those..."
Fernando’s pupils were wide as he listened to him. "What are you saying?"
"I’m saying that if he wanted you dead, it would take him less than three breaths of time to take you out. That’s why I told you to leave him alone. He’s extremely dangerous, sir."
"Wait, wait, wait." Fernando reeled back. He felt like he was losing his mind. "You mean Nikolas is a vampire? Like, the blood-sucking vampires from books? The ones that bite humans for survival?"
Antonio drew in a deep breath. "Yes."
"Even now, some humans who know about them willingly offer to be a blood bank to them," he continued. "They let these vampires feed when needed, then eat properly to replenish what they’ve lost. But from what I’ve learned, most of them don’t bite humans anymore. Some can survive just on regular food. Still, blood is their strength. And if I’m right, going too long without one weakens them terribly and makes them less immune to harm."
Fernando’s eyes shone. "What do you mean by ’less immune’?"
"Well, naturally, if you shot him, he wouldn’t die. Not even if you stabbed him. They heal almost instantly, especially the strong ones. But that man, Nikolas, I don’t know if he feeds. If he hasn’t in a long time, he might be weaker than he looks. A gunshot could actually kill him."
Fernando began pacing at the pondering of this information.
He asked, "So you’re telling me you’re really sure? He isn’t human?"
"Yes, sir."
Antonio nodded firmly.
"I’ve learned to tell them apart from humans over the years."
This was unbelievable. Fernando’s breath hitched. "Fucking hell..." He raked a hand through his hair. Then suddenly grinned, waving Antonio away. "Get out. Now."
"Boss—"
"GET OUT! I need to think!" he bellowed.
Antonio bowed and took his leave.
Now, Fernando couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear, almost manic. He couldn’t believe it. The bastard Vivian was married to wasn’t even human. He was a monster.
"This is good," he burst into laughter, pressing both palms against the glass window.
His shoulder shook as he kept laughing. "This is so, so good!!"