Chapter Nine — Vincent Monroe
776 Words
The living room fell silent as Vanessa stared at the silver lighter in her hand.
Her fingers tightened around it slightly.
Mandy frowned.
“That tiny thing belongs to your creepy uncle?”
Vanessa nodded slowly.
“He’s carried one exactly like this for years.”
Dira suddenly felt sick.
“So he was really here…”
“Yes.”
Radi hugged herself nervously.
“Why would he come himself?”
Vanessa’s expression hardened.
“To send a message.”
Jacob stepped forward immediately.
“You need to call the police.”
Vanessa gave a humorless laugh.
“The Monroe family practically owns half the city’s politicians. Vincent knows exactly how far he can go without getting arrested.”
“That’s insane,” Mandy muttered.
Dira stared at the lighter again.
The engraved V reflected under the living room light like a warning.
For the first time, this situation stopped feeling like a strange family drama.
It felt dangerous.
Real dangerous.
The next morning, Dira woke up exhausted.
One security guard stood outside the house while another vehicle followed them to school.
West Valley High exploded with gossip the second the black SUVs arrived.
Students crowded the parking lot whispering excitedly.
“Oh my God, are they celebrities now?”
“I heard Dira inherited millions.”
“No way, seriously?”
Mandy climbed out of the car first.
“If one more person stares at us, I’m charging admission.”
Radi sighed.
“We’re never surviving this school year.”
Dira kept her hood up as they walked inside, but it didn’t help.
Everyone watched her now.
Not because she was strange.
Because she was rich.
Oddly, that felt even worse.
During lunch, Liam found Dira sitting alone behind the gym.
“You disappeared after school yesterday,” he said carefully.
Dira looked tired.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I explained.”
“Try me.”
She hesitated before finally speaking.
“My biological family is insanely rich.”
Liam blinked.
“…Okay.”
“And my uncle may or may not be threatening me over an inheritance.”
He stared at her silently.
“You’re right,” he admitted. “That does sound fake.”
Despite everything, Dira laughed softly.
Liam sat beside her.
“So what happens now?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
Before Liam could respond, a black luxury car pulled into the student parking lot.
Students immediately turned to stare.
The driver stepped out first.
Then another man emerged slowly from the backseat.
Tall.
Sharp black suit.
Cold expression.
And silver eyes almost identical to Dira’s.
Her blood froze instantly.
Liam noticed.
“You know him?”
Dira whispered one word.
“Vincent.”
Her uncle looked directly at her from across the parking lot.
Then smiled.
Not warmly.
Like a man who already knew he had power.
Mandy and Radi appeared nearby immediately after noticing Dira’s expression.
Mandy looked ready to fight someone.
“Why is Dracula at our school?”
Vincent walked toward them calmly while students whispered all around.
Even teachers looked nervous.
When he finally stopped in front of Dira, his smile barely changed.
“You’ve grown up beautifully.”
Dira forced herself not to step backward.
“What do you want?”
Vincent glanced briefly at Mandy and Radi.
“The famous sisters.”
Mandy crossed her arms.
“You’ve got about five seconds before I become a problem.”
To Dira’s surprise, Vincent chuckled softly.
“You remind me of Vanessa when she was younger.”
“Yeah? Well you remind me of a supervillain.”
Radi whispered harshly:
“Mandy!”
Vincent ignored them both and looked directly at Dira again.
“You inherited something that belongs to this family.”
Dira swallowed hard.
“My grandfather left it to me.”
“An old man’s guilt made him emotional before death,” Vincent replied coldly. “That doesn’t make you a Monroe.”
The words hit harder than Dira expected.
Vincent stepped closer slightly.
“You grew up in a normal little suburban family. Stay there.”
Dira forced herself to speak.
“And if I don’t?”
For the first time, Vincent’s smile disappeared completely.
“Then things will become very unpleasant for everyone around you.”
A chill ran through Dira instantly.
Then Vincent glanced at Liam.
At Mandy.
At Radi.
Like he was reminding her exactly who could get hurt.
Before walking away, he leaned closer and whispered softly:
“You are not ready to learn what this family really is.”
Then he left.
And for the first time in her life, Dira truly understood fear.
- Writer
