It was followed by a photo.

Seraphina, lounging on a lavish bed, her neck marred by a deep, fresh bite mark from Clarence, surrounded by love bites.

Her skin was turning pale, the first sign of a successful turning.

She gloated, rubbing their "ceremony" in my face.

“Surprised? He said it’s the second time he’s ever craved someone’s blood this much. The last time was 500 years ago, with you. But he says I taste so much better.”

Another message followed.

“Oh, and he’s taking me to Paris tomorrow. For my first ‘honeymoon’ as a vampire. ;)”

I turned off my phone and faced the doctor. “I think I need to leave now.”

“But His Highness, the Prince—”

“I’ll tell him myself.”

I went to the ancient castle of the Progenitor, the first vampire.

Once made, a blood bond is nearly impossible to break. Only the Progenitor had the power.

The ancient Progenitor regarded me. “Are you certain of this, child? Once the bond is severed, there is no turning back.”

I was well aware of the Thorne clan’s power, and I wanted a clean break. “I ask you to sever the bond. And I swear on my immortal life that I will never be an enemy to the Thorne Coven, nor will I ever reveal its secrets.”

All I wanted was my freedom.

Moved by my resolve, the Progenitor finally nodded.

Two hours later, I walked out of the ancient castle, the parchment dissolving our bond in my hand.

The sky over New York was gray and heavy, threatening a storm.

My phone rang.

It was Clarence.

“My love, I’m so sorry. That business took longer than expected. Where are you now?”

“Home,” I lied.

“Good. I’ll be right there. But…” his voice grew hesitant, “I might have to go to Paris tomorrow for an urgent matter. It’s complicated. I might not be back until next week.”

His romantic getaway with Seraphina.

“Alright,” I said calmly.

“You’re not angry?” Clarence sounded surprised. “I know the timing is terrible, but it's Coven business. You understand.”

“I understand.”

“Molly,” he said, a sudden insecurity in his voice, as if he needed reassurance. “I love you. You know that, right?”

I looked down at the parchment in my hand and asked the question one last time.

“Clarence,” I asked softly, “could you ever fall in love with someone else?”

“What?” He laughed. “Darling, what are you worried about? How could I possibly love anyone else?”

“But if… let’s just say, hypothetically, if something went wrong between us—”

“Impossible,” he cut me off, his tone laced with a harsh, possessive edge. “Molly, listen to me. As long as your name is Molly Thorne, you can never leave me. You are my soulmate, the vampire I personally Embraced. There is nowhere on this earth you could hide from me.”

My name isn’t Molly Thorne anymore, a calm voice said in my head.

My new human name is Celeste.

“What if I wanted to leave?”

He laughed again, a sound full of arrogant confidence. “Then I’d give you a three-day head start. And then I’d come find you. I told you, as long as you are Lady Thorne, I will hunt you down and drag you back, no matter where you run. You can’t escape me, my love. You can never escape me.”

I hung up the phone and stood on the streets of New York, looking at the distant skyscrapers.

I didn’t know if he could find me in three days.

I only knew that in three days, I would finally be free.

Three days left.

I sat at my vanity, staring at my reflection.

Long black hair, perfect makeup, the diamond necklace Clarence gave me… all of it so perfect, so false.

My phone buzzed again.

Another photo from Seraphina in Paris, this one of her in Clarence’s arms in front of the Eiffel Tower.

“He said only the romance of Paris is worthy of me. This is more exciting to him than any of your anniversaries.”

I ignored it and contacted my advisor at the vampire bank.

“Lady Thorne. A pleasure to serve you.”

“I need to transfer all my personal assets anonymously. It needs to be done today.”

Two days left.

I met Maria for a final goodbye. She was my only real friend.

“Molly, you don’t seem… right,” she said, her eyes full of concern.

“I’m leaving New York,” I stated simply.

“On a trip?”

“For good.”

Maria paused, then nodded. “I understand. Do you need my help?”

This is why I loved her. She never pried, only offered support.

“No. But…” I handed her a small package. “This is for you.”

She opened it to find some of my personal jewelry. “Molly, this is too much…”

“No. It’s a gift for a true friend.” I hugged her. “Take care of yourself, Maria.”

As I left the museum, another message from Seraphina arrived.

“He bought me this castle at an auction tonight. Isn’t it gorgeous? You should enjoy your last few days as Lady Thorne while you still can.”

I blocked her number.

The final day.

At 3 a.m., the castle was as silent as a tomb.

I stood in my art studio, looking at the canvases that documented five hundred years of my life. Each one had once made my immortal existence feel meaningful.

Now, they just looked like gilded cages.

The people from a human charity arrived at four on the dot. I sold them every painting, every piece of jewelry, every gown, and had the money anonymously donated to the slums.

After they left, I took one last box to an incinerator outside the city.

One by one, I pulled out the items that held my past: the first sketch I ever drew of him, the love letters he wrote me, the souvenirs from our honeymoon… I threw them all into the fire.

The flames danced in the darkness, devouring every trace of Molly Thorne.

Molly Thorne died in that fire.

As dawn broke, I appeared at the arranged meeting point with the witch.

Just as I arrived, my phone rang. It was Clarence.

“My love! I’m on my way back!” His voice was excited. “Paris business wrapped up sooner than expected. I’ll be home soon. I can’t wait for that surprise gift of yours.”

A surprise.

It would certainly be a surprise.

“I’m waiting for you,” I said, my tone as sweet as it had always been.

“I love you, Molly. Wait for me.”

I hung up and handed the phone—Molly’s phone, and everything else that tied me to my old life—to the waiting witch.

She placed a withered hand on my forehead and began to chant in an ancient tongue.

“From now on, you are the human, Celeste.”