Ch. 31..35: Fatal Kiss Of The Vampire Chapter 31-35

Chapter 31: I’m Not Used To It

Kylie blinked, her face full of puzzlement. “What? A professional killer?!”

“Last night, you said you wanted to hire a professional killer,” Ethan said. Kylie almost fell down from her chair. Had she really said that last night? She must have been drunk and shouldn’t be taken seriously!

“Lord Ethan, please don’t take my words seriously, when I’m half-dreaming. I was very sleepy and didn’t know what I was saying. Besides, is there anyone else more qualified than you in Seattle to be a killer?” Kylie fawned but felt that something was wrong, once she had finished.

Either way, Ethan was delighted that Kylie didn’t still want to hire a professional killer to kill the one who had seen and touched her…

He smiled. “Then why didn’t you think to hire me last night?”

“Well…” Kylie stammered for a long time, and couldn’t think of what to say. Ethan stood up and flattened her hair from the other side of the table. “Go brush your teeth. You can’t fight not being hungry. Or do you want to eat before you brush your teeth?”

“Absolutely not…” Kylie immediately stood up.

***

After breakfast, Kylie put on Ethan’s windbreaker again, in preparation for the trip to Seattle. But Ethan suddenly stopped on their way out of the hotel.

“What’s wrong?” Kylie looked around, not knowing what had happened. Were there reporters nearby? Ethan strode, with his long legs, towards a black car that was pulled up on the side of the road.

Kylie was curious and followed him. There was Nate Bass, leaning back in the seat, in a sweet dream, with earphones on. The cigarette that was dangling from his mouth was completely burned up, and the cigarette ash was all over his pants.

Nate had been indifferent and proud when he’d sent Kylie to Baleney the day before. But now he was sleeping in the car, four legs stretched out, with grime on his face. He would definitely be taken as one of the paparazzi by someone who didn’t know him!

Wasn’t he a friend of Ethan’s? Then why had he stayed outside all night, instead of coming inside?

Kylie asked, in a hoarse voice: “Lord Ethan, why is he sleeping in the car; is he alright?”

Ethan remained indifferent, then suddenly kicked the car door. After that racket, Nate sat up with a shock. He opened the car door, complaining: “You’re so bad, you even chose a bedroom without a window. I couldn’t see anything by all means.”

Ethan looked down at him. “Have you settled what I told you to, or are you here for more trouble?”

“Not yet…” Nate cleaned off the cigarette ash from his pants, glancing from Ethan to Kylie, and muttering to himself: “No problem! Am I wrong? Impossible, Ethan would definitely work till dawn, given his ability…”

“What ability?” Kylie asked. For some reason, the topic reminded Kylie of what Fanny Bass had told her: Lord Ethan doesn’t fancy women. Was it because of…

Nate took out another cigarette, letting this one dangle from his mouth. He lit it up, then said: “Because whenever he’d stop by for boxing, he’d practice the entire night!”

Kylie was speechless with misunderstanding. Fine, you win!

Kylie secretly stared at the man in front of her. Could he also do boxing? What had his profession been, in the past?

Nate flew the helicopter again, to get them back home, but he talked much more than he had the last time. Ethan remained silent all the way, so Nate eventually got bored and stopped talking.

Kylie was completely stunned when she got back to Ethan’s house. She had been in the Baleney scenic zone for only one night, yet the house decoration had completely changed.

It was no longer made up of an aggressive masculine style; there were now warm colors and a certain coziness that made it feel more home-like.

What was even more excessive, was that he’d designed exclusive closet-like rooms that were strictly for her inner clothing, like lingerie, and other rooms that were only for her exterior clothing, like jackets.

From nightwear to evening gowns, from shoes to hats… All for her, and everything an international luxury brand.

“Are they the right size?” The man behind her said, with levity.

Kylie replied, after a long pause: “It’s not about the size.”

“The style?”

“Lord Ethan…”

“I don’t like it when you call me that.” The man’s handsome face was full of determination.

“Jesus!” Kylie was too shy to call him ‘husband.’ “I’m not used to it,” she said.

“Then you’ll have to get used to it, gradually.” Ethan seemed quite serious.

Chapter 32: Take The Initiative

Kylie didn’t know what to say. Ethan squinted, to understand her expression-which had switched to unpredictable, then back to normal.

“Even if we’re in a fake marriage, you’re still Mrs. Parker. It’s quite reasonable that I treat you well.”

After a few moments, he looked at her and said: “You don’t wear the wedding ring. I understand that it would be inconvenient during film shooting. But if you never wear it, the Parker family will doubt our relationship.”

It sounded reasonable, for sure, but… Kylie took a deep breath and bad-mouthed Ethan behind his back. Her clothing was good enough!

Just because of the huge pay gap between herself and Ethan, he thought she needed him! He had done so much for her, but she could do so little to repay him. Plus, Kylie knew that they could never be equals, even if she worked extremely hard to pay him back.

“Then, I’d better accept, rather than reject,” she finally told him.

“Yes, good. I need to go deal with something now.” Ethan left. Kylie was walking around the dressing room by herself. She randomly picked up a piece of clothing, and her jaw fell when she saw the label. All of a sudden, something dawned on her…

The cheongsam that she had worn at the opening ceremony, designed by the master of national culture, must have been more expensive than most of these clothes, combined!

But the pieces of the cheongsam had been left at the Baleney Hotel, and couldn’t be fixed, anyway. Kylie felt so sad that she looked through the photos of the Tea House opening ceremony on her phone.

But it turned out that there was tons of news on the competition between the two companies, but photos of Kylie were nowhere to be found. Now she was frustrated.

According to her search, Laurence Finch must have met up with the producer of Tea House, or there would have been a promotional photo of her, at the very least. But Director Johnson hadn’t called her yet, which must mean that she was still a part of the film crew.

Kylie was more and more puzzled. Right at that moment, a message came through her phone.

Star: “Congrats!”

Kylie: “You’ve already seen the news?”

Star’s grey profile picture suddenly lightened up: “You look beautiful in cheongsam.”

Kylie was immediately happy and typed quickly: “Do you have photos?”

Within a minute, Star sent a photo of Kylie on the red carpet. It was the very photo of her nearly falling. Kylie looked at her face, laughing out loud. “Why do you always see me in a mess?”

After a long pause, Star replied: “If you don’t fall, how can I have the chance to help you stand up?” Kylie’s unhappiness was totally wiped away because of his message, and she felt warm in the heart. “Star, thank you,” she replied.

“Why don’t you marry me then?”

Kylie’s heart began to beat faster. She didn’t reply to him, and his profile picture turned grey once more. The two had ended the conversation for no reason.

Sitting in her dressing room for a long time, Kylie decided to take the initiative. She was not the type of girl who simply waited to die. So, she called Director Johnson.

“Director Johnson, how are you doing?” Kylie greeted him in an authentic West Coast dialect.

“I’m good.”

“How is everything going then?”

“Not bad.”

“Great! I should let you go then.”

“Okay.”

Kylie wanted to slap herself and spoke right away before Director Johnson had the chance to hang up: “Actually, I’m calling… It’s no big deal. I just didn’t see my promotional photos when I read the news…”

“Do you want to ask me whether you’ve been replaced or not?” The sophisticated Director Johnson snorted. This young girl had been playing with him.

“Director Johnson, you’re absolutely smarter than me!” Kylie complimented him. Although Julian Johnson couldn’t see her give him a thumbs-up, his voice sounded quite unpleasant: “Kylie Finch, we don’t need to put everything on the table, you know that.”

Kylie didn’t know. It was because she didn’t understand the unspoken rules, so she wanted to figure it out.

“Director Johnson, am I still a part of the film crew?”

“Hasn’t your agent informed you yet?”

“Informed me?” Kylie was immediately disappointed. She could tell from Director Johnson’s tone that he had already informed Lucas Jackson, but that the latter hadn’t informed her.

Kylie didn’t want Director Johnson to know that she had a terrible relationship with her agent and company, so she could only reply in a perfunctory way: “I’m informed, but I just want to hear it from you, to be sure.”

“8 a. m., on Wednesday, outdoor filming at the Baleney scenic zone. Don’t be late again!” Kylie was already infamous for being late.

Long after the director had hung up, Kylie continued to hold the phone in her hand. She couldn’t believe her ears! Director Johnson had told her to join the film crew on Wednesday!

But if Laurence Finch hadn’t interfered, then why was she still excluded from the promotional photos? And if Laurence Finch had invested in the picture, then why hadn’t she been replaced? Well, Lucas Jackson must be the evilest person, for not telling her anything!

No, she must call him to ask. A few minutes later, Lucas’s sissy voice sounded through the phone: “Kylie Finch? What’s up?”

Kylie immediately said: “Lucas Jackson, why haven’t you told me about shooting the outdoor scenes in Baleney yet?”

Lucas Jackson was stunned, then sneered. “Well, you know about it anyway, even though I didn’t tell you anything. So, you can go there by yourself. I need to take care of Khloe.” Then he immediately hung up.

“Bloody sissy!” Kylie swore. She suddenly felt something furry touch her feet. She looked down. Pupu was there; he had snuck in without her noticing.

“Pupu, I’ve been so lucky ever since I met you!” Kylie happily embraced Pupu and rubbed her head against his.

Lord Ethan, who was standing directly outside the door, saw her hug Pupu, and was so jealous of his dog. That woman must be dumb or blind to think that Pupu was the reason for all her good luck! Ethan thought.

But anyway, as long as she was happy and wore a smile every single day in the coming years-that would be enough for him.

Chapter 33: I Don’t Need Love

Lord Ethan pushed the door open and came in. “Did you win the lottery?”

Kylie held Pupu, who was confused about no longer being able to touch the ground. “Pretty close,” Kylie replied. “Director Johnson just told me that I haven’t been replaced and that a mysterious, powerful man is helping me!” Kylie made up the last half of her sentence.

“Well then, congrats.” Ethan nodded a little, with one hand in his pocket. Kylie released Pupu.

“Probably the boss of Peak Pictures fell in love with me at first sight when he saw my video… I don’t know whether the boss is handsome or not… But if Peak Pictures could thrive within such a short amount of time, the boss must at least be super intelligent.”

“Are you sure the boss of Peak Pictures fell in love with you at first sight?” Ethan’s face remained expressionless.

“That must be it!” Kylie was so proud, but then something dawned on her. “I need to go to the Baleney scenic zone for shooting, and I’ll be out there for a long time.”

Ethan’s eyes lightened, but he didn’t say anything. Apparently, Pupu didn’t know what was going to happen next. He ran several circles around Kylie, then squeezed out the door.

Kylie thought that Pupu wanted to play ball with her again, and decided to follow him. Pupu came back with the old mess of mud in his mouth.

Kylie took it, glancing at Ethan. She said, in a resigned, yet delighted way: “Pupu, are you wishing me good luck with this amulet?”

Ethan looked at the abstract mess in her hand, and his brows softened in a way she’d never seen. He allowed her to take the mud with her to Baleney.

Something definitely needed to be prepared before they headed off. Kylie had to prepare the daily necessities for herself.

The new clothes in the closet were extremely expensive. It would be flaunting to wear these with the crew. So she consulted Ethan, then went out shopping, carrying a small backpack.

Just outside the villa, she saw a man cross the road and head towards her.

The man who stood in front of her was Aiden. When she saw the familiar and handsome face, she clenched the straps of her backpack.

When he saw her appear, he strode closer. Her long hair was twisted up in a bun. She wasn’t the same hippie-chic he had known; now, she wore a simple and elegant dress, which made her look more graceful and less biting than before.

Only her complexion hadn’t changed. She wore a coolness that seemed to warn him to keep his distance.

Aiden didn’t know what to say. As Kylie walked past him, he asked: “You live with him?” His tone sounded jealous.

“Of course.”

He frowned and said: “What does ‘of course’ mean?”

Kylie glanced at him and responded: “We’re a couple: we sleep together and eat together. What’s the problem?”

He noticed that the expression in her eyes became complicated. After a while, he spoke with a heavy voice: “You’ve only known him for a few days. You don’t know him at all.”

“I knew you for five years, and still, I couldn’t see through you.”

Because she obviously wanted to get away from him, Aiden was hurt, and continued, with insistence: “He doesn’t love you.”

After a moment of silence, she chuckled and replied: “I don’t need love. He has wealth and influence, which can fulfill my vanity. That’s enough.”

Vanity? He had never thought she was a girl with vanity.

She expected that he would leave and not bother her anymore, so she walked away.

But later, a car followed her. “Where are you headed? Let me escort you.”

She looked up at Aiden and said, after a moment: “I thought you had come here to explain what happened that night.”

“That day… I’m sorry.”

“I don’t need your apology.” She continued to walk forward. With her eye corners tilted upwards, and her standard slanted eyes, her smile was really charming. But when she didn’t smile, she gave off a cold and lofty feeling.

“Aiden, you should know me better. I never bear any grudges, and if for some reason I do, I avenge myself immediately.”

Kylie’s insouciance made Aiden feel that she was not the same girl who had been extremely frightened that one night.

Aiden’s car crept beside her. His voice was deep when he spoke: “I did plan to pick you up that day, but I saw a lot of reporters when I got to my hotel. I was afraid of getting you in trouble, so I asked my driver to pick you up.”

Since she didn’t respond, he continued: “I didn’t know that my driver was close with Khloe’s cousin until the police called me. It’s Ken White-he stole a car key to pick you up.”

“Really? Then how did he know where I was?” Kylie didn’t look at him but stared straight ahead.

Aiden stretched his hand out of the car window and caught her wrist. This forced her to stop and listen to his explanation. “My driver said that Ken White gave him money, so he told him your address. I fired him already. Trust me.”

Kylie looked at him and stood motionless.

They were surrounded by silence. Aiden licked his dry lips, and pleaded: “Where are you headed? Let me escort you.”

Kylie nodded finally. “To the mall.” And so she got into his car, and the Audi started to drive at a normal speed.

They were both quiet for a moment until Aiden spoke. “Kylie?”

“Eh?” Kylie turned to face him, surprised to hear him speak her name. Even when they had been in a relationship, Aiden had called her by her full name. Now that they were broken up, he seemed so much sweeter.

His voice was tight: “You should keep a good distance from my uncle.”

“Ah, but he’s my husband. You tell me how?” Moreover, she thought, what qualification does he have for such a request?

“At least, don’t fall in love with him.”

“You are really hilarious,” Kylie answered drily. “I am your aunt, and you are my nephew. You should never speak to me like that.”

Chapter 34: Can’t You Be A Lady?

Aiden’s complexion became dull. After a few seconds, he quickly responded: “Do you really think it’s an accident that he met you in front of the coffee shop that day? He had just been at the airport, so he wouldn’t have passed that way!”

The car stopped at the gate to the mall. Kylie unfastened her seatbelt as Aiden held her hand. She looked at him with confusion but continued to listen.

“When I was in Baleney, I went to see you at night. I saw that your room was dark, and I thought you were asleep. But when I was about to leave, I saw my uncle coming out of your room and into another. Believe me, and he’s up to something!”

Kylie stood at the gate of the mall and watched the Audi disappear.

Ethan had left the room that night, but he had explained to her that he’d gone to see his friend. As for why they had met in front of the coffee shop, that may not have been an accident.

But the words spoken by Aiden sounded like they were meant to cause disagreement. What purpose could Ethan have to approach her, a poor, random girl?

She persuaded herself to stop thinking about Aiden’s words, but she couldn’t help but take out her mobile phone. She found a bench to sit on, searching for Ethan in her phone book.

She really didn’t know anything about his past…

There was one piece of information that she found in the news: that he had taken over as CEO of Century Group a few days ago. But the picture that came with the article was of the Group building, which soared high up into the clouds. There was no photo of him, the pilot of the Group.

It was as if Ethan had suddenly appeared in this world. There was nothing to reveal whether he had joined the secret force or run some illegal business.

Kylie wondered where all the rumors about his past originated. Is there something behind it all?

“Kylie?”

A soft female voice suddenly emerged from behind her. She exited the pages she had been browsing and turned to leave. But the person behind her didn’t intend to let her stride away.

“It’s been ages. Fancy running into you here. Which dress do you like? Shall I pay for you? After all, with your income… you can’t afford it.”

The person who spoke was Khloe, the white lotus, the last person that Kylie wanted to see.

She had just been bothered by Aiden. And now, Khloe. A good Jack makes a good Jill!

She turned towards her with a cold expression and saw Khloe wearing a cap and sunglasses. But she was not alone. Taylor, Aiden’s mother, accompanied her. No wonder Khloe was so kind!

Taylor taunted, with a sneering smile: “An ugly duck can’t be more than that. Don’t think you can become a white swan with a few white feathers. If you can’t afford it, don’t come here. Don’t let people who never come here mistake the Galleria as a sales mall.”

“Auntie…” Khloe’s voice was soft and pitiful. “My sister was almost raped a few days ago. It’s really horrifying. I was so worried that she’d suffer from psychological damage. I felt relieved when I saw her shopping. We are sisters. It doesn’t matter who pays the bill.”

“Ha!” Taylor’s eyes changed immediately. His upper lip rose. “She really is strong enough if she can go shopping after being raped. Anyway, no need to wonder about this. She’s already experienced so much-raped or not, and it’s all the same to her!”

“Please don’t say that she can hear you.” Khloe pouted, almost crying.

“What are you afraid of?” Taylor gestured to Khloe. “It’s lucky that Aiden chose you. If Aiden had chosen her, he would have been cheated on many times.”

“My sister really cares a lot about Aiden. Otherwise, she wouldn’t…” Khloe tried to defend Kylie.

Taylor patted Khloe on the shoulder, with an expression that told her not to be silly again. “If she really cares about Aiden, why does she stay with Aiden’s uncle? She only loves money.”

“No… she isn’t that kind of person…” Khloe put her finger under her sunglasses and rubbed as if she was really crying.

Kylie hugged her own shoulders and watched Aiden’s fiancee and his mother echo each other. When she had heard enough, she took out her cellphone with a smile.

“You two should look at this. It’s not me who bothers Aiden, but he who bothers me.” After saying that, Kylie turned her phone around so that the screen faced the two women. She saw Taylor’s face become dull, then Khloe realized what it was, and she couldn’t pretend to be weak anymore.

“Sister… This is…” Khloe tried to snatch the cellphone, but Kylie waved her away.

The photo had been taken just moments before when Kylie had been in Aiden’s car. Her hand was being gripped by Aiden’s hand, as she had been trying to undo her seatbelt. Their heads were close. You couldn’t see their faces clearly, but it was apparent that they were having an intimate moment.

She had learned this trick from Lord Ethan: fooling the eyes with photos.

“You little bitch.” Taylor was so angry and looked like she wanted to fight Kylie. Kylie took a step back and smiled brilliantly. “Your son has inordinate ambitions on me. What would you think if that photo was sent to Lord Ethan?”

Taylor suddenly stopped advancing on Kylie, and her face became very pale.

Since Lord Ethan had taken over the Century Group, the senior manager had been experiencing big changes so that some of the members, such as Matthew, had lost power and were loudly complaining about it.

Because of this, Matthew had been venting his anger on Taylor. He complained that she didn’t know how to behave socially, and was a family gossip. He also grumbled that her family was unable to help him at such a critical moment.

Taylor felt wronged. Khloe had asked her out to go shopping, so that had helped relieve some of the tension. But if she made Ethan angry through a quarrel with Kylie, Matthew would blame her again.

It’s an invisible, but terrifying, food chain.

Chapter 35: Don’t Move

Thinking about this, Taylor snorted and said: “You also don’t want Ethan to misunderstand, and think you’re having an affair with another man, right? It’s better to delete the photo. I’m going to play cards. I’m not in the mood to talk with you anymore. Let’s go, Khloe.”

Khloe was reluctant to leave, but she felt obliged to follow her mother-in-law. But a few steps later, Khloe turned around, took off her sunglasses, and glared at Kylie.

Actually, she had never intended to send that photo to Ethan; she just hated to have to listen to Taylor’s long-winded complaints. Once her ears were rid of her, she was in a good mood to go shopping.

Back at Toprak Mansion, Lucy offered to help Kylie carry her bags.

“Where is Lord Ethan?” Kylie asked.

“The Lord has gone out on business,” Lucy answered, respectfully.

“Here, give the bags to me. They’re not heavy.” Kylie took the shopping bag back from Lucy and directly went upstairs.

As she passed the locked room, she deliberately put the shopping bag on the floor and stretched out her arms to make it look like she was resting. When she saw that nobody was nearby, she tried to open the door.

Since Ethan had renovated the house, that room must also have been renovated. But it was still locked.

Kylie became even more confused. Although she didn’t have much interest in exploring the privacy of others, she was still curious about the locked room.

Like with Pandora’s Box, the urge to open it is greater when you are told you cannot.

Today, Kylie had specially bought a pair of conservative cotton pajamas. When she hanged them in the wardrobe, she wanted to laugh, for no real reason.

The man’s clothes were all black or white, while her cartoon pajamas changed the color combination and style of the whole cloakroom, making it incongruous. It was just like her: loud, unreasonable, and taking over Ethan’s life.

While he was not yet home, Kylie made a big change for the bedroom by opening the curtain. As the sun shone in, she unconsciously narrowed her eyes. The sky was blue, and she could see a spattering of white clouds from the window. The temperature was high, but the air was fresh.

Pupu slipped into the room and circled her, barking. “Pupu, how about we play a challenging game?” Kylie smiled secretively and took Pupu downstairs.

The game she had in mind was really challenging…

Kylie was lying on the sofa, glancing at Pupu, who was unwillingly curled up on the floor. The beady eyes seemed to ask her: “Are you kidding me? Why no games?”

Pupu suddenly stood up. “Don’t move,” she said. Pupu lay down again, after having been scolded by Kylie. Poor Pupu glanced at her, then put his chin on the ground.

“Well done,” Kylie praised. “Now let’s pretend we’re dead bodies. Whoever moves first loses, understand?”

Lucy passed by the sitting room; she felt funny and embarrassed. “Ma’am, your game is really special. Don’t you want to bring Pupu into the entertainment industry?”

Kylie was a little tired today. She lay on the sofa and relaxed, just like Pupu. Except her hands were holding the script of Tea House.

When Ethan entered, he saw a snow-white foot dangling from the sofa, which was shaking in a very ostentatious way.

His pupils quickly contracted; he felt a stream of warm blood pass over his abdomen. He narrowed his eyes and stared at the foot fetish. The image in his mind was of a woman with a slender waist.

He came back to earth and caught her small ankle with his big hand. Then, he applied a little force.

“Ah!” Pupu looked up, alert when he heard her scream. It’s Ethan! So he cheerfully wagged his tail and was free to move about.

Kylie looked up with a perfect, cold face. He looked down at the shocked little woman in his line of vision.

Her ankle was cold. She could feel his warm hand. Her heart began to beat faster, uncontrollably, until her script became crumpled and deformed in her tightening grip.

“You…” Kylie’s lips moved, but she couldn’t say anything more.

The man had no expression, but she could sense danger in his eyes.

He stared down at her. As he had caught her ankle, her skirt had slipped up, so that her smooth leg was uncovered. He swallowed, then tossed her leg aside.

“What’s this? Can’t you be a lady?” the man scorned, in a low voice.

Kylie was scared to sit up, but she managed to pull her skirt down.

He had left a bit of warmth on her ankle. She adjusted her breath, looked up at him, and answered: “This is my home too. Surely I can do whatever makes me comfortable. You look like a statue with suits and ties every day, but that doesn’t mean I have to wear a dress and look like a graceful goddess.”

Ethan squinted at her, and spoke in a low, soft voice, with a hint of carelessness: “A goddess in Hello Kitty underwear?”

What? She quickly closed her legs and stared at him in astonishment.

No matter what their age, every woman had a princess dream with their girlish heart. So did Kylie.

The Hello Kitty underwear was included with the Hello Kitty pajamas that she had bought that day.

Had he… seen them?

Kylie’s face turned red, and she wished she could escape. Luckily, Lucy came in and ended the awkward tension in the living room.

“Sir. Ma’am. Dinner is ready.”

“Nice, I happen to be very hungry.” Kylie stood up in a hurry, and walked away, almost stepping on Pupu on her way out.

She staggered and rushed into the dining room. Looking at her flustered back, Ethan tightly closed his lips and followed her.

Kylie ate like a cat, with her head down. The fork in her hand was very busy.

The man sitting at the opposite end of the table was always elegant. So elegant that he undid his cuff buttons, and pulled his sleeves up. Then, he placed his elbow on the table.

Kylie glanced at him. He was sitting there and hadn’t yet begun to eat. Instead, he was simply staring at her.