The commotion outside Sharon’s door continued for what felt like an eternity.

Adele tried to stifle her moans, but they escaped through her fingers, a stark contrast to the triumphant laughter, the sounds of kissing, the teasing whispers coming from the girl behind her.

This symphony of suffering, like a monstrous beast gnawing at her soul, tore Sharon’s heart to shreds.

The frail, silver-haired girl sat huddled on the floor inside her room, biting her lip so hard she drew blood, her face buried in her trembling arms.

Tears mixed with blood, falling silently onto the floor.

*Plop. Plop.*

Numbness slowly enveloped her, erasing the pain, the passage of time.

A bone-chilling cold seeped into her very being, threatening to freeze her heart solid.

Would it be less painful to simply die like this?

Sharon’s life revolved around two people, besides her parents: Dorothy and Adele. And as time went on, they had become even more important to her than her own family.

Sharon wasn’t stupid.

Her longing for her father’s approval had been a futile pursuit, a desperate attempt to fill the void in her heart, to feel loved. But as she grew older, she realized that familial bonds meant little in the vampire world, where strength was the only currency that mattered. She had let go of that yearning.

As for her mother… Sharon hadn’t seen her since she had been brought back to the vampire world. Her face was fading from memory, erased by time.

Dorothy, however, had been the first ray of light in Sharon’s bleak existence. She had rescued Sharon from a life of neglect and loneliness, offering her a level of respect and kindness she had never dreamed of.

Even though Sharon knew it was just a whim, a passing fancy for the princess, she was eternally grateful. She had nothing to offer in return, her own life devoid of any meaning or purpose. But if she could pave the way for Dorothy’s future, she would gladly sacrifice herself.

Sharon didn’t understand the human saying “A scholar dies for his confidant”. Dorothy wasn’t her confidant. But she had given Sharon a new life.

From that moment on, Sharon had lived not just for herself, but for Dorothy.

If Adele hadn’t appeared, her bright smile like a shooting star catching Dorothy’s eye and igniting a spark in Sharon’s own heart… Sharon would still be Dorothy’s loyal follower, her devotion unwavering.

But the sounds coming from behind the door, each moan a dagger to her heart, were shattering her carefully constructed world.

For a fleeting moment, a moment Sharon herself might not have even registered, her usually timid, watery eyes turned dark and cold, a terrifying glint flickering in their depths.

………………

Adele sank to the floor, her legs trembling.

Dorothy adjusted her dress, her tongue darting out to lick a smear of blood from her lips. She smiled, a satisfied purr rumbling in her chest.

*Perfect.*

“Meh, average,” she said aloud, her voice a playful taunt.

Adele’s fists clenched. She wanted to punch Dorothy, to wipe that smug smile off her face. But her body felt weak and heavy, her anger reduced to a pathetic tremor.

Regret filled her heart.

Why had she antagonized Dorothy? A few sweet words, a bit of flattery… that’s all it would have taken. But no, she had to push Dorothy’s buttons, challenge her authority…

And now she was paying the price.

Drained dry, literally, in front of Sharon’s door.

In vampire culture, exchanging blood was considered a more intimate act than sex. So, among vampires, the most devastating insult wasn’t “She’s easy,” but “Her blood is so sweet!”

So, while Dorothy hadn’t physically violated Adele, she had claimed her in a way that was perhaps even more satisfying.

Adele could only hope that Sharon hadn’t heard anything. She had tried her best to stifle her moans, to keep her voice down.

The silence from Sharon’s room offered a sliver of hope. Perhaps Sharon was already asleep.

Adele truly didn’t want to inflict this kind of emotional torture on the poor girl.

Besides, she knew why she had defied Dorothy.

It was for Hermione, for Celeste, for the chance to continue her relationships with them. She had pushed Dorothy’s boundaries, testing her limits, hoping to force her hand.

And in a way… she had succeeded.

The chastity curse was Dorothy’s ultimate compromise.

It meant that Adele was allowed to have normal, platonic relationships with other girls. But any attempt to engage in anything more intimate, to offer her blood or to receive it, would result in excruciating pain.

And if Adele dared to stray, the curse would punish her in Dorothy’s stead.

Adele hated pain.

*Waaah…*

Her path to becoming a true heartbreaker had hit a major roadblock.