My Billionaire Husband's Hidden Vampire Identity

"I do not agree! My life should be under my control! I won't marry an old cripple!" The woman's shrieks echoed throughout the mansion. Her anger twisted her features as she swept all the food and dishes off the table onto the floor. The servants all cowered in the corners, holding their breath. The stemmed wine glass tumbled to the ground, shattering and sending glass shards flying, one of which cut Cecilia's ankle. Cecilia lowered her head and pulled back her feet. The furious woman sitting across from her was her sister, Penny. The reason Penny was so angry was that their family business was getting worse and worse, and their father had decided to send one of them to be the wife of Friedrich, Salvov's wealthiest man, in exchange for the prosperity of the family business. And it was Penny who had been chosen. But rumors described Friedrich as an elderly man with white hair and a leg disability, seldom leaving his home. He was widely regarded as a grotesque figure and a deviant. So when Penny learned she had been chosen by her father to marry him, she flew into a rage, shrieking like a madwoman, pointing a fork at Cecilia and shouting, "Why should I marry an old man instead of her! I have someone I love, and she doesn’t! It should be her, not me!" Cecilia coughed a few times, frowning. What sort of logic was this? Just because she had no one she loved, she deserved to be married off? "Are you done throwing a tantrum?" Charlede, their father, who had been silent, finally spoke. He swept his sharp gaze over Penny, the fury in his eyes stupefying her immediately. She just stood there defiantly, glaring at Cecilia as if she were the one forcing her to marry. "You know well that Cecilia has a heart condition. If she gets married and fails to cope up, resulting in her death, how will our family face Mr. Friedrich? Do you want us to end up homeless?" Her heart pounded furiously. Cecilia looked up at Charlede in disbelief, coughing even more violently. "Is that the only reason I wasn't chosen?" Cecilia's mother had died of an illness when she was a child. Charlede married another woman the year her mother passed away. That was when she learned she had a half-sister two years older than her. Cecilia was shattered. Having just lost her mother, she now faced losing her father's love as well. She endured all the grievances and cold stares at home, trying everything to fit into her father's new family, wanting to share a bit of her father's affection with her sister, only to be scolded as a "useless fool." Until today, Cecilia had believed that her father still loved her, at least in the matter of marriage, as he hadn't chosen her. Cecilia never imagined it was for such a ridiculous reason. "Did you really think you could escape this marriage so easily?" Charlede rose to his feet, giving Cecilia a cold stare, shattering her last illusion. She would never hold a place in this family. Charlede approached Penny and, raising his hand, delivered a harsh slap across her face. "SLAP!" A crisp slap resounded through the hall. Penny clutched her face, her eyes reddening as she teetered on the brink of tears. Charlede waved his hand, and the servants immediately understood and left the hall. Charlede placed his hands on Penny's shoulders, his stern expression softening to a gentle one as he coaxed, "My dear daughter, I too dread the thought of you marrying such a man. I know there's someone you love. But consider this—Friedrich is an old man. Once he passes away, all his wealth will be yours, making you the most esteemed woman in Salvov. "You're a good girl, Penny. All the hopes of our family rest on you now." Penny's eyes were blank, lost in thought, as she nodded. Charlede's smile widened as he embraced Penny, murmuring, "That’s daddy’s good girl." Upon hearing this, Cecilia inexplicably found herself feeling a twinge of pity for Friedrich. In Charlede’s view, everyone was simply a tool to be used. No one was willing to marry Friedrich, and Charlede coerced his daughter into agreeing, solely for Friedrich's wealth. Perhaps Penny had resigned herself to her fate. Over the next few days, she dutifully followed Charlede's orders, preparing herself for the wedding. Yet occasionally, Penny's gaze would drift to Cecilia, her thoughts inscrutable. After leaving the college entrance exam hall, Cecilia purchased a small cake from a nearby supermarket. Back in her room, she placed a candle on the cake and lit it, making a wish. Today was her eighteenth birthday, and also the twelfth year she had spent her birthday alone. As she was about to blow out the candle, an urgent knocking at the door interrupted her. Cecilia opened the door to find a large two-tiered cake in front of her. In a moment of surprise, Penny appeared from behind the cake. "Cecilia, happy birthday!" With a puzzled look, Cecilia was embraced by Penny who said, "My dear sister, I'm here to celebrate your birthday. I'll soon leave this home, but before I go, I want to create a memory with you." Cecilia was doubtful, given that Penny often cursed her and had others bully her. But with tears in her eyes, Penny pleaded, "Cecilia, I'm getting married tomorrow. Before that, can we spend some quality time together, just the two of us as sisters?" Penny sounded very sincere, which moved Cecilia a little. Perhaps Penny really had a change of heart? "Thank you, Penny." Without a second thought, Cecilia ate the cake Penny offered her, despite it containing fruits she disliked. However, soon after eating the cake, Cecilia felt her head becoming fuzzy and heavy, feeling herself drift off. Before she closed her eyes, she saw Penny's face twisted in a malicious grin, and heard her chilling words, "The most noble woman? I couldn't give a damn. I want to be with my own lover! "You foolish, ugly girl, spend the rest of your life with that crippled old man, changing his catheter bags forever!"