CHAPTER 4: CHAPTER 4: VAMPIRE BOSS

As soon as the afternoon workday ended, most of the people in the company had left.

Sophia Lowell stood by the window, watching the figure of Henry Quinn holding flowers downstairs, waiting, and couldn’t help but find it laughable.

Henry Quinn worked as an ordinary government employee in the city, a position his dad had pulled numerous strings and bought off connections for, in name only.

His dad is the head of the largest automobile dealership in City A and was strongly opposed to Sophia’s relationship with his son, preferring Sienna Lawson’s family background.

Sienna’s parents also work in the government, and if the two families were to unite by marriage, some government projects might be directly linked with Quinn Family’s transport business.

Therefore, Sienna was determined to win, and because Henry and Sophia were still dating, they could only see each other in secret.

Sophia stood at the elevator entrance, with earphones in, on a call with Henry.

She scrolled through comics on her tablet, while feigning coquettish flattery with a look of disdain.

[Alright dear, you go ahead first. I’ll be there soon; I’ll definitely be on time, don’t worry.]

She didn’t realize that the elevator had already opened, with Ethan Sinclair holding the door open to prevent it from closing.

Her feigned coquettishness made Zane Sterling in the elevator barely smile.

Ethan didn’t dare laugh and turned his face away.

[Yes, you know, our boss is such a vampire...]

She was about to say something more when she unintentionally met Zane’s dark expression and Ethan’s ’we’re dead’ look.

Startled, she hung up the call.

"Mr. Sterling..."

"Hmm."

She thought she detected the slightest hint of a smile on Zane Sterling’s lips.

"Come in!" Ethan gestured to her.

Sophia forced a smile and walked into the elevator, standing by the side.

An awkward atmosphere quickly engulfed the three of them.

One sentence can cause this much trouble—

"Ms. Lowell, are you going on a date?" Zane asked.

"Not at all, just sending a friend to the crematorium." Sophia blurted out.

"Need any help?" He wasn’t surprised by her response.

"No need for now." She forced a smile.

Ethan understood the implication in her words.

Because the matter between Henry and Sophia wasn’t a secret among the three of them.

Ding—

The 18th floor, the marketing department’s floor, where suddenly seven or eight people crowded in.

Ethan and Sophia quickly stepped back.

"Hello, Mr. Sterling!" The group greeted without a hint of awkwardness.

Zane only nodded slightly.

The marketing department was indeed carefree, laughing and chatting in the elevator non-stop.

"There’s no room here, move over a bit."

Someone said, and the elevator became crowded.

At this point, Sophia felt a tightness around her waist, warmth from through the thin shirt, being drawn to Zane’s side, her makeup brushing against his black suit, leaving a faint white mark.

But he quickly released her.

Instantly, her face felt like it was on fire, as if it had been in a furnace for 49 days.

The first floor arrived, and the marketing department people swarmed out, still gossiping occasionally.

"Did you see, a love mark on Mr. Sterling’s neck!"

"I heard this morning Mr. Sterling had breakfast with someone, don’t know who, but seeing the love mark on his neck, it must be a woman!"

...

Truly, the marketing department lives up to its name!

At this point, she wanted to leave with them but saw Henry still waiting outside, so she quickly moved aside.

Zane looked at her, expressionless.

"Are you getting out?" Ethan asked with a smile.

Sophia was sure he knew something.

Going out would mean facing the jerk, staying would mean leaving with them?

She did come in Mr. Sterling’s car today, she couldn’t just leave with him, could she?

"I left something upstairs, you go ahead, and I’ll go up later." Sophia casually made an excuse.

So long, even this one-floor elevator ride felt long, like having a knife at your throat, threatening you at any moment.

Basement 1, they finally exited.

Wanting to leave but couldn’t, might as well return to her desk to draw.

——

On the 28th floor.

Sophia breathed a sigh of relief, she returned to the window, looking at the countless lights outside.

She sat back at her desk, played some music, and started sketching.

Not sure how much time passed, Henry called again. She didn’t answer, just shut off her phone, made a cup of coffee in the pantry, and continued sketching.

Let’s see how long you can keep being a time management master!

Ten thirty.

Sophia pursed her lips, looked at the draft, and felt quite satisfied!

She closed her laptop, stretched lazily, slung her bag over her shoulder, and headed for the elevator.

"Hmm?" Both elevator lights are off?

She opened her phone and saw a message in the group chat, saying the elevator was under maintenance and wouldn’t open until eight in the morning?!

Does that mean she had to walk down 28 flights of stairs?!

She took her phone, took a picture of the elevator.

[The queen is trapped, is there anyone to rescue...] Adding the picture, she posted it to her Moments.

She then weakly walked to the gloomy emergency exit.

She sighed, mustered her courage, and started walking down the stairs.

She had barely taken a few steps when her phone rang, scaring her into a scream, without seeing who was calling, the phone slipped and fell to the middle of the stairwell.

The ringtone echoed in the staircase, then stopped, leaving only her faint breathing in the engulfing darkness.

She groped for her phone, finding it with a black screen, probably broken from the fall.

Heavens! Such bad luck!

She pressed the power button, hoping to salvage the sudden disaster, wanting it to reboot.

But the phone remained dark; instead, the sensor lights above flickered on.

Soon, a distinct sound of footsteps descending the stairs echoed.

"Tap, tap, tap..."

The sound of leather shoes, accompanied by faint breathing.

"Who? Who’s there?" She shrank slightly into the corner, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

Just then, a tall figure stood at the staircase.

He stood silhouetted against the light, his perfect outline blending into the shadows, the dim sensor light illuminating him, making it impossible to see his expression.

"Me, the vampire boss."

It was unmistakably his voice.

"Mr. Sterling, how come you’re here too?" Sophia, shaken, asked tremblingly.

"Vampires usually operate at night, don’t they?"

It seemed like Zane’s voice carried a teasing smile.

"..."

This guy sure holds grudges.

But her anxious heart calmed down. At least he wasn’t someone shady.

But then again, maybe not a decent person either.

"Come up." He instructed.

"I’m going home."

She suddenly felt that the man before her was more terrifying than any other situation she could find herself in.

Zane exhaled almost imperceptibly.

"The first floor is locked; you can’t get out."

He paused: "Elevator repairs typically take one to two hours. If you don’t mind, come up for a cup of coffee."

Could she say she minded very much?

But it seemed there was no other option.

He didn’t wait for her reply and started going up.

Sophia looked at the dark, bottomless pit of the staircase below, and chose to follow him upward.

The 30th floor, even the emergency exit had an access control.