Ardonis' point of view.

***6 years later***

"Mr. Stepanov...., your blood analysis confirmed it. You have stage three heamatodipsia." I don't move as Dr. Halloran hands me the test results.

For a moment I imagined that perhaps the doctor made a mistake. in the past, Vampires never got truly sick. They were weakened, starved, harmed-but disease didn't touch them.

Until now.

The doctor continued. "It's the same strain recorded in the recent medical reports. Your nervous system will gradually deteriorate. Paralysis begins in approximately six months, and then-"

"Death." I cut in.

Silence thickened the room like fog. Halloran swallowed.

"I'm sorry."

I stood up and left without another word.

I had seen others brought down by this disease. Proud clan lords, brought down gasping for breath while human reporters whispered that perhaps they weren't gods after all.

The drive back surfaced a memory from six years ago.

I remember sitting in my office when the phone rang. The hospital number flashed on the screen. I'd answered casually expecting normal checkup results. Instead, the doctors voice had sounded cheerful.

"Congratulations, Mr. Stepanov. The pregnancy has been confirmed. Mrs. Stepanov is six weeks along."

I'd erupted into joy thinking that yes, finally all my sacrifices were paying off. But by the time I'd gone home, she was gone. I had gone to her father to ask of her whereabouts, even shook him up a little to get him to talk. But he denied knowing where she was. The private investigators found nothing. No travel records, no credit card uses, no footprint, nothing. It was as if she had vanished into thin air.

My wife. My unborn child. No note. No trace.

And now six years later, I was dying with no heir to continue my bloodline.

Elara my partner and countess had left me for another Lord. I suspect she must have sensed the disease eating at me and she decided she wanted no part of it. Typical.

I barely remember walking into my office suite-into the board room, where the directors sat in hushed tension.

A project flickered on the wall: Acquisition finalized.

Human government pressure, economic sanctions, pharmaceutical accusations-they had pushed the company to the edge. And now it had been bought by an investor I never heard of.  I had been removed as CEO since the new owner had bought the most shares.

"Ardonis," chairman Vale began, "The transition has been approved. The new owner is assuming leadership directly. We-"

The conference room doors opened.

High heels clicked across the marble floor with a slow, calculated precision.

 I freeze. The last person I expect to see walks in.

Nyra Hearthe. In the flesh.

She wore a black fitted corporate suit emphasizing her slim waist and full hips. Sleek blonde hair is pulled back, chin raised high, eyes cold as mine had once been. There were no traces of the timid bride I had disvirgined. No hesitancy. No warmth just pure power.

She doesn't look at me.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen," she said smoothly. "As of today, I am the new chief Executive officer of Vosper Pharmaceuticals."

The board members rise to greet her. She shook hands with each of them. I couldn't speak.

She finally reached me and then casually, her gaze brushed over me.

There is no hatred, no rage.

Just indifference.

"Mr. Stepanov," she said with polite formality. "You're still here?"

I stare at her, shock blocking my words.

"Nyra." I finally managed.

She didn't flinch.

"Ms. Hearthe," she corrected. "We're not familiar. Remember you work for me now."

She turned back to the board.

"Thank you all for the warm welcome. I'll keep this brief."

She opened the folder on the table. "Effective immediately, I am assuming full operational control of Vosper pharmaceuticals. Departments will be restructured, starting with research and development. This company has spent the last few years trying to manage losses-my intention is to regain purpose."

I leaned forward at that. "What purpose?" I asked.

She doesn't look at me. "The development of the cure for Heamatodipsia."

Silence.

Several board members looked at each other uneasily. Their expressions show intense worry. Not for people but, their investments. Chairman Vale speaks up first.

"That disease is theoretical, Ms. Hearthe. We still don't even know the cause of it, talk more of a cure."

Nyra shoots him a glance, and he falls quiet.

"It's real. Deadly. And its not just killing vampires any more. Some humans have begun to show early symptoms of a new variant of the disease."

I felt a jolt move through me. I keep my face neutral.

Nyra places a small USB drive on the table. "Over the last four years, my research team has developed a treatment blue print. We're ready to begin phase two-live testing."

Another board member Anthony asks. "You're saying you already have a cure developed?"

She nodded. "A prototype. It requires genetic calibration using infected vampire subjects."

I stiffened. She has it. She has the cure.

Nyra continued, "Funding will be reallocated from non-essential divisions. All research teams will report directly to me. I expect written confirmation from department heads by end of the day."

She closed the folder. "Any objections?"

Murmurs. None dared to speak. She finally turned her gaze to me. Her expression was calm, professional and cold.

"I expect everyone's cooperation. There will be consequences for those who intend to stand in the way of progress."

A few board members turned, shocked. They just realized they have gotten more than they bargained for with the new CEO.

"Meeting adjourned." Nyra says then promptly leaves the board room and almost immediately the room burst in chorus of complaints against the new boss. I tune them out and leave to my office as well.

With sudden urgency, I reached for my phone and dialed my private investigator.

"I need you to get me everything there is to know about Nyra Hearthe from the last 6 years. Her address, contacts, anyone she's close to. Everything. And start searching also for any information regarding a child."

"Understood sir," he responded and hung up.

she has the cure.

 She came back stronger than ever. This cure is the chance I need to get close to her, my second chance.

Nyra's point of view.

I close the door behind me.

CEO.

Funny how the title falls into place. It took five years of blood, grit, and strategy to get here. But the single look he gave me in the board room.... for a moment, almost made me feel  like that girl again. The one who walked down the aisle hoping her vampire husband would love her.

I remind myself: that girl is gone.

The office is elegant and modern, overlooking the city. Mine now. I own everything.

Six years.

Six years since I ran away with nothing but the clothes on my back and a few dollars I had saved up that could barely cover the hospital birth. Lucien was born in a private clinic under a false name. The safest choice.

He came out quiet. Almost didn't cry. Just opened his eyes and stared at me.... like he understood the world already. My boy.

The first few months were survival. But I knew science. I knew formulas. My father might have sold his soul to create something that kills.... but I used what I learned from labs to save. Thanks to Kelly, my best friend and partner, I was able make this a reality.

We started out in a basement lab. Recalibrated old formulas. Developed treatments for blood toxicity, lung degradation in humans living in hybrid zones, and a serum for mutation fever. When the first drug was approved, I signed my name as N. Hart. Half the industry thought was a ghost.

Then the profits came.

One year. Two. Suddenly, I wasn't the runaway wife anymore. I was a name whispered in pharmaceutical spaces, the woman whose drugs have saved over a million lives.

When Lucien turned five, I bought our mansion. Private land. Off-grid security. Untraceable. Safe.

Then I bought shares. Vosper pharma had the research I needed to expand. I stayed quiet until I owned enough to take the chair and move into the helm of power in the company.

And now.... I'm here.

Creating the cure for the one disease that can kill a vampire. After all they put me through, creating a cure is not out of the goodness of my heart, but the influence and power it would give me in the world. No one, human or vampire would ever look down on me or disrespect me.

I hear loud footsteps approaching my office. My door opens without knocking.

Ardonis.

He closes the door softly behind him.

"How dare you come in here without knocking first.? what part of being your boss do you not understand. Is this how things are done here?

"I'm sorry for that, but there's something important I need to talk to you about."

"There is nothing we have to discuss."

We stare at each other in silence. He looks like me like he was seeing me for the first time. Truth is, he never bothered to look the first time.

"What is it?" I asked breaking the silence.

"You didn't say anything at the meeting."

"I said everything I needed to." I keep my voice steady

He steps closer. "You've made progress on the cure."

"I have."

"You're running trials soon."

"Yes and?"

"I want to be one of the first test subjects."

"But the trials are for people with-oh"

"Yes, I have recently been diagnosed. And I would like to volunteer my body."

I look at him. At the man who used me like a transaction. At the vampire who planned to discard me once I had given him what he wanted. And here he was, at my mercy with his life literally in my hands. I will use his body, just like he tried to use mine.

I won't waste my pity on him. Not when I've built an empire.

"You understand the risks," I say.

He nods.

"If the drug fails, you could lose motor function within weeks. Possibly sooner. If your nervous system begins to decline, there's no reversing it. You could die."

"I understand. It's a risk I'm willing to take."

"The trial team will not be responsible for any outcome."

"I accept."

"Fine then, I need your blood, full medical history, and genome sequencing. Testing begins when the compound is fully calibrated."

"Just tell me where and when."

I hold his gaze. "One last thing. My lead scientist Xavier Locke is going to work with me directly in the research."

"Who?"

Before I could reply, my office door opened without a knock.

"Nyra?" Xavier stepped in with a folder tucked in his arm, his usual confident stride." The compound statistics are ready. Figured I'd update you before your next session-"

He paused noticing Ardonis.

"Oh sorry. Didn't realize you had...company."

I straightened. "Ardonis, this is Doctor Xavier Locke, lead scientist on our haematodipsia project."

Xavier offered his hand to Ardonis but it remained hanging in the air.

Xavier didn't seem bothered. He casually turned to me instead. "The new molecular indicators are reacting just as you theorized. Your approach might actually stabilize neural degradation. Brilliant, Dr. Hearthe as always."

I give him a huge smile. "Thank you, Xavier, we'll review it later."

"Perfect," he replied, then added, "I cleared out the evening schedule for you."

"I didn't approve that, "I said.

"You will," he replied smugly. "You always do."

Ardonis' face hardens.

I return Xaviers smug look. "Fine, you know I can't say no to Chinese food. I'll come find you when I'm ready."

He nodded and exited. But not before giving me a lingering look.

When the door closed, the temperature of the room shifted.

Ardonis faced me. "Who is he to you?"

I didn't blink. "I already told you, Xavier is the lead scientist on this project so, you better treat him with respect, he is gonna be working hard trying to save your life."

The silence thickens.

Then he says finally. "I'm not asking to be cured you know," he said, softer. "I just ask that...you not give up on me."

Anger spreads through me. "You have no right to make any demands from me."

"You're right," he apologizes. "I'm sorry if I overstepped."

"Whatever, I'll reach out to you when we are ready to begin testing."

"Okay." He gets up and turns to leave.

At the door he pauses.

Then-

"I never stopped looking for you."

I don't answer.

He leaves.

I exhale.

For five years, I ran so my child wouldn't live as a pawn. Now I build so he has something to inherit.

And if Ardonis Stepanov thinks he could just walk back in our lives without repercussions, he has another thing coming.

Ardonis' point of view.

"Mr. Stepanov, I've compiled a list of what I could find on Nyra Hearthe." The private detective I hired James, said.

"Let's get into it then." I gestured for him to sit and took a seat across from him, heart racing.

"Miss Hearthe keeps a very private life," he began carefully. "Public records are limited. She avoids social media, keeps her home address off databases. Only thing I got is business related."

"Go on..."

"She spent a few years working in an underground lab making drugs for simple diseases think over the counter drugs like paracetamol, Ibuprofen, aspirin etc. But here's how she made her billions; get this, she took those basic medications and carried them to the next level. Her brand of these over-the-counter drugs work in less than a minute with no side effects what so ever."

"How is that even possible?" I ask.

"Only she knows, sir."

"Did you get anything on a man, Xavier Locke?" My voice came out strained.

He is silent, then, "He's her lead scientist. Been working with her for four years. They attend almost every conference together. Photos exist of them travelling to research facilities out of state. They appear...close."

"Define close," I growled.

"Rumor says he's her right-hand man. Some whisper that they may be more than colleagues."

"And the child?" I asked.

"That's the strange part," he said. "There is zero information about any child connected to her. No hospital records, no school records, nothing. If she has one, they are off the grid. Hidden deliberately."

I closed my eyes. She hid our child from the world. From me.

"Keep digging," I ordered.

"Yes, sir. But...she's really good at covering her tracks."

"Well, you'll just have to find a way to uncover them then. I need to know everything about her. You understand me?"

"Yes, Mr. Stepanov."

**************

The steel doors of the elevator opened to reveal an advanced, well-equipped lab with Modern laboratory equipment's. The smell is antiseptic and nauseating.

Xavier and Nyra stand close together both wearing lab coats, expecting me.

"Welcome Mr. Stepanov," he greets, voice smooth, "I've been anxious to get my hands on you."

Nyra shoots him a look. And whispers "Behave."

He smirks. "Scientifically speaking of course. But you know who else I would love to get my hands on?"

Okay he is annoying. What does she even see in this guy?

"Xavier," Nyra cuts in, voice sharp. But expression light.

He laughs. "Sorry okay, just trying to keep the subject relaxed."

"I'm relaxed," I say flatly.

Nyra moves to her computer, typing ferociously. "From the samples we collected, we see that your condition isn't following the same pattern as the other recorded cases."

"Different how?" I ask.

"This mutation seems...... adaptive," she explains. "Your cells are reacting unusually to the strain of heamatodipsia. It may mean that we can slow the degeneration or the process is sped up. We do not know for sure."

I feel a flicker of hope and dread. "So, what now?"

"We hope that it's the former. But to confirm, we'll need to conduct more tests. We'll need more samples. Your blood itself might just hold the cure."

Xavier grabs a tourniquet and tightens it around my arm. "Relax your lordship I've drawn blood from tougher vampires, just a quick draw. Try not to bite me"

"Trust me," I reply. "If I wanted to, I would have done it a long time ago."

Xavier chuckles, unfazed.

Nyra steps forward, tone clinical. "Just focus on staying calm. You're stable enough for the procedure."

The needle pierces my skin. A thin line of dark red blood pulses through the tube. The scent-my own blood-burns through my throat like fire. My fangs press hard against my gums threatening to extend. My muscles coil. My base instinct screams to attack, defend, survive.

Although I am weakened by the disease, the instinct is still pure, primal.

"Ardonis." Nyra warns softly.

My hands grip the chair until the metal creaks. I squeeze my eyes shut. "I'm fine," I grunt. "I won't lose control

"Should I stop?" Xavier asks.

"No." I snap. "Finish it."

He completes the draw and steps back quickly. "All done."

I exhale slowly, letting the hunger bleed out of my system.

Nyra steps in front of me. "You handled it better than most. That's a good sign. We'll reach out to you when the results come in."

Xavier grabs a vail of medication and hands it to me. "Take this, it will make you feel better." Then to Nyra. "You still up for dinner tonight?"

"Sure. I'll have to go home for a change of clothes though." Was her reply.

I can't believe this guy. Asking my wife out in front of me again. Yes, I still consider her mine. We technically never got divorced.

Nyra looks in my direction ......Ardonis, you can see yourself out now. We are done for today."

I huff. And leave the room. Their giggles trailing behind me.

Hours later, I was seated in the clan council chamber.

"Lord Ardonis," Elder Gravon smirked, "We've heard rumors the disease has unfortunately struck our mighty leader.

Shit, how did this get out so fast. I was hoping I'd had at least a few days to break the news to these old bats.

Murmurs spread across the vast dark hall.

"You lost your wife. You lost your company, and now you're dying." Another elder added.

"If you cannot control your household," a third chimed in, "How can you control the clan?"

Elder Gravon speaks up again. Smirk still on his face. "Perhaps it's time to pass leadership to someone more.....stable."

The door opened and in walked Theodore Culkin, my distant cousin-a man I despised.

Looking all smug and proud he said slowly. "Our clan needs a strong Leader to take it back to its glorious days. I am willing to take the role for the good of our bloodline."

And beside him stood Elara looking equally smug in his arm. And she had the audacity to wink at me.

My fist clenched. Power surged through my veins. How dare they?

Elder Gravon's voice cuts through. "One more thing-if you die without an heir, by tradition, Lord Theodore takes everything. The title, estates and even what's left of your personal fortune."

He turned to Elara, and she nodded in approval.

That's when the truth hit me.

If I die before being cured...

Everything I built would go to the two people who betrayed me. And Nyra's child, my child, would inherit nothing.

Elara looked straight at me. "Well, Ardonis? Do you admit defeat, surrender your power?"

I stood up slowly.

"No," I said, voice low but dangerous. "I'm just getting started."