My boyfriend Vampire lord

"Why...?" Claire's broken voice echoed throughout the grand hall. Blood continued to flow from the wound in her abdomen, staining the white marble floor crimson. Only a few hours ago, she had been sitting in the same place dressed as a bride. Happiness had filled her face, dreams of the future sparkled in her eyes, and her heart had belonged entirely to the man she believed would soon become her husband. But now, that very hall felt no different from hell itself. Standing before her were four people—her father, Richard, her stepmother, Melissa, her stepsister, Sophia, and Ethan. None of them showed even the slightest trace of pity or regret. They watched her as though she were a complete stranger dying before their eyes. Claire tried to stay on her feet while pressing her trembling hand against her wound, but her legs were already giving up. Tears streamed endlessly down her cheeks. Even now, she couldn't believe that the people she had called family all her life were patiently waiting for her death. "Mom…" Claire's voice trembled. "I always considered you my mother." "Why did you do this?" Pain filled her words. Somewhere deep inside, she still hoped that perhaps the woman before her possessed even the smallest amount of humanity. But Melissa only looked at her with disgust before bursting into laughter. "Mother?" "Since when did you start calling me that?" "You were never my daughter." "Your real mother died long ago." "I only stayed here because billions worth of assets were under your name." Claire's face immediately turned pale. It felt as though another knife had pierced her heart. Ever since childhood, she had called this woman her mother. Melissa had never shown her affection, but Claire had always believed that perhaps things would improve one day. Today, she finally understood that nothing had ever been right. She had never been loved. To them, she had always been nothing more than money—a key to unimaginable wealth. Richard slowly stepped forward. There was not a single emotion on his face. "Since everything is about to end, you deserve to know the truth." "I never loved your mother." "She had money, land, and a successful company." "I married her because of that." "But before she died, she transferred everything to you." "She left nothing for me." "Since then, I've been waiting for your twenty-first birthday." Claire felt as though she could no longer breathe. The man standing before her was her father. The man for whom she had made birthday cards as a child. The man whose smile she had spent years trying to earn. Yet now, without the slightest shame, he admitted that he had never considered her his daughter. Memories flooded her mind one after another. His constant distance. Melissa's coldness. Sophia's jealousy. Suddenly, everything made sense. For twenty-one years, she had lived in a house where nobody had ever loved her. Slowly, Claire turned toward Ethan. He was the man who had changed her life over the last two years. He had made her laugh. He had spoken about dreams and promised to stay beside her forever. With trembling hands, she reached toward him. "Ethan…" "You loved me…" "Didn't you?" Silence filled the hall. Then Ethan burst into laughter. "Love?" "You?" "I couldn't even stand looking at you." "I've always loved Sophia." Sophia smiled proudly. Taking Sophia's hand, Ethan looked at Claire with cold eyes. "Your mother's lawyer explained everything to us." "Before you turned twenty-one, the inheritance couldn't be transferred." "If you had died earlier, everything would've gone to an orphanage." "So we waited." "First, we got your signatures on those documents…" His eyes drifted toward the knife buried inside her stomach. "And now…" "We don't need you anymore." Claire's entire body trembled. Suddenly, she remembered her twenty-first birthday a few days earlier. That day, numerous documents had been placed before her. They had told her those papers were related to new company projects. Trusting her family and Ethan, she had signed everything without even reading. Now she realized it had been the greatest mistake of her life. Everything had been stolen from her. Her love. Her family. Her future. And now, even her life. Blood continued flowing while darkness slowly clouded her vision. Yet the pain inside her heart remained stronger than the fear of death. She wasn't afraid of dying. What terrified her was realizing that the people she had given everything to had never once considered her their own. Sophia stepped closer and leaned beside Claire's ear. "You know something?" "I've always hated you." "Everywhere we went, people praised you." "They said Claire was beautiful." "They said Claire was talented." "But look at you now." "In the end…" "I'm the winner." Jealousy and arrogance were clearly visible in her eyes. For the first time, Claire realized that Sophia had never considered her a sister. She had always been an enemy. Every memory from childhood until now unfolded before her eyes. Every smile had been fake. Every relationship had been built on lies. Every expression of love had been nothing but betrayal. Her tears finally stopped. Perhaps the pain had become so overwhelming that even tears had surrendered. Outside, rain had begun pouring heavily. Lightning illuminated the hall through the windows. Claire collapsed onto her knees. Her white wedding dress had turned red with blood. Her breathing became heavier with each passing second. The four people standing before her looked at her as though they had finally rid themselves of an unwanted burden. But at that moment, something changed inside her. The pain remained, but another emotion was born alongside it. Hatred. If she survived today, she would never trust anyone again. And if she lived… She would show the world that even a betrayed woman could reclaim everything that had been stolen from her. But for now, darkness slowly consumed her vision. The sound of rain became louder and louder, and little by little, her consciousness faded away… Claire lay motionless on the cold marble floor. Her eyes were half-open, half-closed, and the blood flowing from her body had already formed a crimson pool beneath her. She could still hear everyone's voices, but her body had become so weak that she could no longer move. At that moment, Ethan walked toward her and grabbed her hair, forcing her head upward. Hatred and cruelty were clearly visible on his face. "You b***h!" "I spent two years chasing after you." "Two whole years!" "And you made me wait all this time." "You wouldn't even let me kiss you." "It was always the same excuse…" "After marriage." "After marriage." He burst into laughter. "Look at you now." "Who did you think you were?" "A princess?" Every word pierced Claire's heart like poison. Once upon a time, the sound of Ethan's voice had been enough to make her smile. But now, that same voice hurt her more than death itself. Sophia wrapped her arms around Ethan and smiled mockingly. "Oh, forget about her, baby." "She must already be dead." "But I have to admit, she was really arrogant." "She always acted like the world revolved around her." "But in the end, what happened?" "I'm the one who won." She laughed while looking down at Claire. "And just imagine…" "She actually considered me her sister." "What an idiot." Melissa smiled proudly. "My daughter is right." "I've hated this girl ever since she was a child." "Everyone praised her." "But now everything is over." "There is no more Claire." Richard remained silent, but there was satisfaction written all over his face. After years of waiting, his dream had finally come true. The entire fortune was now theirs. "Come on," Melissa said coldly. "We need to get rid of her." "Everything must be finished before sunrise." "If someone sees her or the police arrive, we'll be in trouble." Ethan laughed. "Relax, Mother-in-law." "Remember the cliff nearby?" "We'll throw her down there." "There's a river below." "The body will disappear somewhere far away." "No one will ever know." Evil smiles spread across their faces. Not one of them cared that the girl before them was still breathing. Some time later, Claire was thrown into the back seat of the car like a lifeless object. Heavy rain poured outside while lightning repeatedly split the dark sky. The car sped through the deserted road. With every bump, more blood flowed from her wound. Her consciousness was fading, yet deep inside, her heart still continued to beat. Perhaps her desire to live had not completely disappeared. About thirty minutes later, the car came to a stop near a high cliff. The rain had become so heavy that even a few feet ahead was difficult to see. Ethan and Richard dragged Claire out of the car. Her head struck a rock, but no sound escaped her lips. She had almost lost consciousness. "Let's finish this," Ethan said coldly. The two men dragged her toward the edge of the cliff. Below them, a raging river roared through the darkness. For one brief moment, Claire's half-open eyes looked toward the stormy sky. Then— A powerful shove. Her body flew through the air. Seconds later— Splash! The freezing water swallowed her whole. The violent current carried her away into the darkness. Rain poured endlessly from above while the deep river dragged her body downstream, throwing her against rocks and powerful waves. Standing atop the cliff, the four of them watched for a few moments before returning to their car with satisfied smiles. But fate had perhaps written something entirely different for Claire. Several miles away, the same river flowed through the middle of a dense forest. The night had become even darker. Tree branches swayed violently in the wind, producing eerie sounds. Near the riverbank stood a man dressed entirely in black. From head to toe, he wore dark clothes. His face was incredibly handsome, his body tall and powerful, with broad shoulders and an almost unreal appearance. Anyone who saw him would mistake him for a movie star. Yet there was something strange about him. His eyes. Even through the rain, they glowed faintly crimson. Silently, he gazed at the river. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed. Something was floating in the water. A body. Within seconds, he moved with unbelievable speed and reached the riverbank. Claire's body had become trapped against a large rock. Her face had turned completely pale, and her breathing was so weak that it was almost impossible to notice. The young man knelt beside her and checked her pulse. "She's alive…" Rain continued pouring heavily. Without hesitation, he pulled her onto the shore. Then he pressed against her abdomen and forced the water trapped inside her body out. Water poured from Claire's mouth, and after a few moments, a weak breath finally escaped her lips. The young man sighed in relief. A few moments later, he disappeared into the forest and returned with several herbs. Crushing them carefully, he applied the mixture to her wound. Surprisingly, the bleeding slowly began to stop. For a moment, the young man stared at her pale face. "Even after all these injuries…" "You're still alive." He carefully lifted Claire onto his shoulder and walked deeper into the forest. After some time, he arrived before a small wooden cabin hidden among the trees. There was no sign of another human being. Only darkness. And endless forest. Opening the door, he carried Claire inside and laid her gently on the bed. A lantern hanging nearby cast a warm golden light across the wooden walls. For several moments, the young man simply stood there, looking at her. For the first time, concern appeared within his crimson eyes. Meanwhile… Richard's mansion in the city was brightly illuminated. Several bottles of expensive liquor had already been opened in the living room. Sophia danced happily with excitement. "Mom!"