My Annoyingly Handsome Vampire

Chapter 3

The VALOR jet touched down at 7:03PM.

Raville to Burberry City. 42 minutes. He could have teleported.

But Boss X did not teleport to PR events. Boss X arrived with cameras.

The door opened.

Cold air. Flashes.

Xeron stepped out in a 3-piece black suit, no tie. A black nose mask covered the lower half of his face, and dark sunglasses hid his eyes even though the sun was down. Hair perfect. Jaw sharp. The mask.

He was only 20.

But he was CEO of VALOR. And only two people in the world knew that under this suit was Lord X.

Jace walked on his left.

Aria J was on his right, already talking to reporters.

"Mr. Vance, VALOR's investment in Trish Ware—"

"No questions tonight," Aria cut in smoothly. "This is about supporting young entrepreneurs."

Inside, the coffee shop had been turned into a gallery. White lights. Glass tables. Trisha Lake, 21 and terrifying, shaking hands like she was born in a boardroom.

Xeron scanned the room once.

And stopped.

Her.

Kira.

Hair in a messy bun with a pen stuck through it. Black apron. Tray balanced on one hand. Dark circles under her eyes that no amount of concealer could hide. She was talking to some investor, nodding, smiling, and he could see the exhaustion in the way her shoulders held.

His chest stopped.

Actually stopped. Like his heart forgot for one second how to be a 400-year-old monster.

Jace leaned in, voice low. "Don't. She's human."

"I know," Xeron said.

"You're looking at her like—"

"I know what I’m doing, Jace."

He didn't.

Not really.

“

"Can I get you anything, sir?"

She did not look up. Rule #1 of service: do not make eye contact with people who wear watches worth more than your tuition.

"Water."

The voice was low. Gravel. Like he did not use it much.

Kira nodded and turned.

That is when she felt it.

Someone was watching her.

Not the normal 'you're the waitress' watching. This was heavy. Like a weight on the back of her neck.

She risked a glance, as she set the water down.

Black suit. Nose mask. Sunglasses. Jaw that could cut glass.

And eyes.

Even behind the dark lenses, she felt them.

They were not looking at her like a waitress.

They were looking at her like she was the only thing in the room.

Her hands shook.

Coffee sloshed in the cup on her tray.

"Sorry—:

"Don't."

One word.

She froze.

He reached out and steadied the cup himself. His fingers did not touch hers. But they were close. Close enough that she could feel the cold coming off him.

"Thank you," he said.

Then he looked away. Like she had imagined it.

Kira walked back to the kitchen on unsteady legs.

Trisha grabbed her arm. "You okay? You look pale."

"I'm fine. Just tired."

"VALOR's CEO is here. He doesn't usually make an appearance. Let's not mess this up."

Kira nodded.

She did not tell Trisha that the CEO's eyes had followed her all the way to the back.

Xeron drank the water.

But felt nothing.

All he could think about was the scent of her. Coffee. Soap. Exhaustion. And underneath it, something else. Something clean. Something that made the 12AM pain in the back of his head go quiet for 3 seconds.

Dangerous.

She was dangerous.

In the car after, he stared straight ahead. The city lights blurred.

"Who is she?"

Ken, driving. "Kira Li. Final year at Burberry College. Business Admin. Works here and does freelance data entry. No family money. Lives alone."

Xeron was quiet.

"Make sure she gets home safe," he said finally.

"Sir?"

"Do not tell her. Do not let her notice you. Just... make sure."

"Yes, sir."

He leaned his head back.

400 years of control.

Gone in 3 seconds because of a girl with tired eyes and a tray.

Jace glanced at him. "You’re in trouble."

Xeron did not answer.

Because he was.

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