The Clan Healer told me that without the vial of Progenitor's Blood, the Blood Blight afflicting me meant I had only seventy-two hours to live.

But my husband, Miles, the new Duke of our world, gave the only vial of the precious cure to my adopted sister, Vivienne, the woman I had turned three years ago.

"She's in agony from the rejection, Isolde. It's a pain you can't possibly understand." His tone was self-righteous, devoid of any concern for the patch of skin on my collarbone already turning to stone.

I nodded, watching as the life-saving, dark red liquid slid down another woman's throat.

I accomplished a great deal in the time I had left.

As I signed the documents, the lawyer's hand trembled. "Are you certain you want to transfer everything, Your Grace? The territorial rights of a thousand-year-old clan..."

I didn't hesitate. "Yes. To Vivienne."

My adopted daughter, Lily, the girl I had risked everything to save, who was now forever frozen at the age of eight, cowered in Vivienne's arms, pointing at me and screaming,

"Aunt Vivienne is my real mommy! You're the witch who turned us into monsters!"

I offered no defense. "Yes, that's right. Be a good girl and listen to your new mother now."

The Progenitor's Ring, the symbol of the clan's supreme authority, now rested on Vivienne's hand.

"Oh, sister, you're too kind," she sobbed, her sobs a practiced performance. "I'll be sure to protect the family in your stead."

I nodded. "You'll run things better than I ever did."

I even signed away my control over the Elder Council, a council sustained by my own blood.

For the first time in a century, a shadow of complex emotion crossed Miles's face.

He stared at me,"Isolde, stop fighting. It's better this way. You need to rest."

Yes. On my deathbed, I had finally become the perfect, submissive Isolde they always wanted. An Isolde who was about to turn to dust.

The seventy-two-hour countdown had begun.

I wondered, when I finally turned to ash,

My husband, the new Duke of our world, called me tyrannical. My adopted daughter hated me for robbing her of the right to grow up. So, I decided to spend my last seventy-two hours indulging the father and daughter who so craved "freedom." I would play the part of the perfect woman.

The Clan Healer's diagnosis echoed in my mind. "The Blood Blight has reached your heart, Isolde. If you don't ingest the Progenitor's Blood immediately, in three days, you will crumble to dust like a statue."

I stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, pulling the collar of my black velvet nightgown higher to cover the gray, petrifying patch on my collarbone.

As Miles's wife, I had carefully nurtured our marriage for a century, until a fledgling vampire entered our lives.

"Still angry?" The heavy wooden door to the bedroom swung open, and Miles strode in.

He undid the top button of his collar, his gaze darted toward me, scanning me quickly before looking away.

"I'm fine." I turned, my voice soft.

He frowned. "The Healer did say you were due for the Progenitor's Blood, but..."

"But Vivienne was turned more recently, and her rejection symptoms have worsened. She needs it more. That's it, isn't it?" I finished his sentence for him, a bitter smile touching my lips.

I remembered three years ago, when Vivienne and Lily were still humans, dying from a plague.

I couldn't bear to watch them suffer, so I broke the clan's most sacred law and granted them eternal life.

I never could have imagined that they would now claim I had destroyed their human dignity, painting me as a tyrant who had stolen their right to die.

"Isolde, you have to understand," Miles's tone softened slightly. "Vivienne's rejection symptoms are more severe. You, on the other hand, appear to be handling it well."

"I understand." I walked to the liquor cabinet and pulled out a thick stack of documents. "She certainly needs more care than I do."

Miles froze, seemingly unprepared for my compliance.

"What's this?"

"A transfer of power." I tossed the file onto the black walnut table.

"Since I'm so cold-hearted, the clan's blood banks, territories, and all my other assets will be under her management from now on."

Miles picked up the documents, his expression wary.

Instead of joy, a deep furrow appeared between his brows. "Isolde, why are you doing this? You never give up power. What are you planning?"

"Vivienne is just a fragile fledgling. She needs to feel secure."

Fragile?

The woman who rehearsed her tearful, pitiable act in the mirror at night, yet secretly slashed my portraits with a silver knife out of jealousy. Yes, she was very "fragile."

She didn't hate being a vampire; she hated that I was the one at the top.

No one knew that just to maintain a veneer of composure, I swallowed a poison potent enough to kill a werewolf each day, just to have the strength to stand before him.

"Take it and have her sign. Consider it my apology to her." I dug my nails into my palm, fighting back tears.

Miles hesitated for a moment, looking at me as if searching for a crack in my mask, but he took the documents anyway. "Good. Rest, Isolde, You are not allowed to break."

That evening, I forced myself down the stairs, enduring the excruciating pain of petrification.

In the living room, Miles was holding Lily, who would forever look like an eight-year-old.

"Daddy! That mean woman is coming down." The moment Lily saw me, she buried her face in Miles's chest, her voice sharp and piercing.

"Lily." I tried to muster a motherly smile, though the muscles in my face were already stiffening.

"Don't call me that!" The little girl looked up, her blood-red eyes filled with venom. "If it weren't for you, I'd be in middle school by now, not trapped in this monster's body that never grows up! I hate you!"

Vivienne, wearing one of my silk gowns, sat in the master's chair that had once been mine, swirling a glass in her hand.

"Lily, don't be like that. Your sister was only trying to save us back then," Vivienne feigned, then turned to me. "Sister, you don't look well. Are you feeling ill?"

She was always doing that, creating a subtle "us versus her" narrative, as if she and Lily were the only true allies.

I didn't answer, simply walked over to her. "Vivienne, I have something for you."

From my ring, I produced an ancient bone key, the only key to the family's underground vault.

"You've always wanted this. Take it."

Vivienne's hand trembled, and a few drops of blood spilled from her glass. "Sister, what are you doing? This is what you value most..."

"It suits you more than me," I said softly, my eyes sweeping over Miles's complicated expression. "Consider it an early wedding gift."

Vivienne's expression flickered, but she quickly returned to her innocent facade. "Sister, what are you talking about?"

I moved closer to her, whispering, "I know everything. It's all right. You have my blessing."

Just then, Miles walked in, his expression tense when he saw us together. "What are you two talking about?"

"I'm tired," I cut him off. "Miles, take care of them. Lily, listen to your aunt."

"Fine!" Lily answered coldly before turning to coo at Vivienne.

Watching her so happy, a sharp pain shot through my heart.

But I truly couldn't stand any longer.

Back in my bedroom, I locked the door and slid to the floor.

My legs had gone completely numb. The Blood Blight was devouring my life force at a terrifying rate.

I crawled toward the walk-in closet and began to organize the crowns, scepters, and every piece of jewelry Miles had ever given me.

They would all belong to Vivienne soon.

"Seventy-two hours left," I said to my pale reflection in the mirror. "Isolde, for these last three days, you will play your part."

I knew the truth would eventually come out.

I had already made arrangements for what would follow my death. The most damning evidence would expose Vivienne's true nature, and I knew that in the end, they would all be filled with regret.

The moment my body finally crumbled would mark the true beginning of this feast of vengeance.

Until then, I would let them laugh a little longer in this beautiful, fabricated dream.

Dusk was falling when I awoke in agony.

The petrification from the Blood Blight felt like a million ants gnawing at my bones.

I had to swallow the last three high-concentration doses of poison, the only thing masking the fact that I was a dead woman walking.

I forced myself out of bed. There was a grand performance to put on tonight.

Lily's bright laughter echoed from the living room. I pushed myself to descend the spiral staircase and saw her nestled in Vivienne's arms, chattering away.

"Aunt Vivienne, this curse is so cool! I want to learn it!" Lily pointed excitedly at a page in the book, which illustrated a ritual for making a living person bleed in agony.

"Of course, my clever little Lily," Vivienne said, gently stroking her eternally youthful golden curls. Her eyes, however, held a trace of disgust for the "monster child," a look Lily was oblivious to.

The moment Lily saw me, the smile vanished from her face. She deliberately shrank deeper into Vivienne's embrace.

I tried to approach, wanting to see what she was reading.

"You smell... off," Lily wrinkled her small nose, pressing herself tighter against Vivienne. "Don't come any closer."

It was the stench of death. My body was decaying, but they thought it was just a side effect of medication.

"One moment, darling," Vivienne said, feigning concern as she looked at me. "Isolde probably has important matters to discuss."

"I don't want to hear it," Lily made a face at me. "You're boring."

I faltered.

To protect her, I had to constantly force her to control her bloodlust.

Vivienne, on the other hand, only encouraged her indulgence, teaching her cruel ways to amuse herself.

A child can't distinguish between indulgence and genuine affection; she only sees it as "love."

"It's all right. You two carry on," I managed a smile.

In the dining room, Miles was enjoying a glass of warm stag's blood, holding a holographic map of the clan's territories.

He barely glanced up as I entered.

"You look dreadful," he frowned, his tone holding no concern, only distaste. "Don't forget the Elder Council meets tonight."

"I need to talk to you." I sat down across from him.

"What is it now? More of your family rules?" He finally looked up, his impatience clear.

"It's about the Blood Covenant," I said, producing a parchment scroll. "I want to amend our prenuptial agreement."

Miles took the scroll, his red eyes widening. "Isolde, you're relinquishing control of all your territories?"

"Including the Progenitor's Ring." I removed the ancient, power-infused ring from my finger and placed it gently on the table.

"What?" He shot to his feet.

I watched him calmly. "I'm also transferring my entire art collection to Vivienne. Even the classical oil paintings passed down through the family."

"Even the fourteenth-century manuscript of The Kindred Origins?" Miles's voice trembled. "It's priceless!"

"She has a better appreciation for art than I do," I answered coolly. "Think of it as my early wedding gift to her."

The air went still, the only sound the crackling of the fire in the hearth.

Miles slowly sank back into his chair, his eyes a storm of conflicting emotions. "Isolde, what the hell are you playing at?"

"I'm not playing at anything," I said calmly. "I'm just ready to let go."

"You know, don't you?" He fell silent for a long moment, his expression turning wary.

"Miles, a vampire's sense of smell is very keen."

I pointed to his collar. "Your shirt smells of Midnight Orchid. The perfume I custom-blended for Vivienne two hundred years ago. It's one of a kind."

He was silent, a flash of embarrassment crossing his face at being caught.

"I don't blame you," I continued. "I've lived for hundreds of years. I'm too old-fashioned, I don't know how to enjoy the pleasures of modern life. Vivienne is passionate and uninhibited. She can give you a fire I can't."

"Isolde!" He slammed his hand on the table, cutting me off. "Stop talking like you're… done. Like you're leaving."

"I'm calling a clan meeting tomorrow," I said, rising to my feet. "I will officially transfer my shares in the tech empire to Vivienne. She will become the new chairwoman of the board."

"Tell Vivienne to prepare herself. Even as a newly turned fledgling, after tonight, she will be an incredibly wealthy woman."

"You're insane!" Miles leaped up, an inexplicable panic rising in his voice as he yelled, "You are Isolde Vance! You don't just hand over your empire! Fight me, dammit! Scream at me!"

"I'm not insane." I looked out the window. In the garden, Vivienne was doing donuts in the limited-edition sports car Miles had given her, with Lily shrieking in delight.

"I just want all of you to be happy."

The next day at midnight, at the clan headquarters.

The news spread like a plague. Isolde Vance had appeared at the Vampire Court with her adopted sister and announced a transfer of power on the spot.

"Isolde, what is this farce?" Grand Elder Marcus pressed his withered hand on the documents. "You're handing the flock over to a fox."

"I've never been more serious." I signed my name in blood-red ink on the transfer deed. "From this day forward, Vivienne will hold the Progenitor's Shares, which carry the ultimate power of veto."

Vivienne's body trembled with excitement, but she did her best to feign humility, tears clinging to her eyelashes. "Sister, I... how could I possibly be worthy? This honor should be yours."

"Save your tears," I said, pushing the heavy documents toward her. "Don't disappoint the clan."

In the limousine on the way back to the castle, the partition rose.

In the confines of the car, Vivienne finally dropped her mask of innocence.

"Isolde, why are you doing all this?" She swirled the Bloody Mary in her hand, her eyes full of mockery. "A guilty conscience? Or is there some other reason?"

"Because it's what you've always dreamed of, isn't it?" I leaned against the car window. "My husband, my power, my wealth... Vivienne, you've won."

"Hmph." She sneered. "Don't think this will make me grateful. You're the one who ruined my human life."

"I only ask one thing of you."

I cut her off. "In front of Lily, you will continue to play the doting mother. She is forever eight years old. She needs a perfect fairy tale, even if it's a lie."

Vivienne stared for a second, then shrugged dismissively. "As long as she doesn't bite me, I couldn't care less."

Late that night, I was alone in the study, clearing away the past.

Silas, the butler, walked in to find me tossing black crystals, one by one, into the spectral flames of the fireplace.

The memory crystals held evidence of the clan elders' corruption.

"My lady! What are you doing?" Silas cried out in horror, trying to smother the flames. "These are your leverage over the Elder Council! This is evidence of clan corruption you've spent years collecting!"

"Let it burn."

I blocked Silas, watching as the crystals cracked and turned to ash in the flames.

"If the clan falls, Lily loses her protection. I am preserving its stability for her, but that does not mean I am letting that bitch off the hook."

I coughed up a mouthful of black blood, my hand tightly clutching another, deeper red crystal.

It contained everything on Vivienne, all the proof of her secret dealings with dark sorcerers, her torture and murder of human servants, every act of treason against the clan.

Besides burning the secrets that could endanger the clan, I also signed a secret trust.

I placed all my personal jewelry and hidden overseas assets into an irrevocable fund, with Lily as the sole beneficiary.

Even if the worst came to pass, the money would be enough for her to live anonymously in the human world until the end of days.

On the eve of my final night, I could barely stand.

The Blood Blight had spread to my neck. With every breath, my lungs felt like they were being scraped by shards of glass.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Pale as paper, gaunt and haggard, with deeply sunken eyes.

"Twenty-four hours left," I whispered to myself.

Tonight was to be Miles and Vivienne's coronation. That's right. They couldn't even wait.

I put on a black, high-collared lace gown to hide the petrified marks covering my body and forced myself downstairs.

The grand hall had been redecorated. Vivienne, dressed in a champagne-colored evening gown, was directing servants to arrange blood-red roses.

I turned and saw the clan nobles arriving.

"Isolde, very well done. You've finally seen the light!" Grand Elder Marcus nodded slowly, though his eyes held a glint of suspicion. "Vivienne may be young, but she is gentle and obedient. Unlike you, who has always been so cold and arrogant. It seems you've finally learned to act like a proper elder sister."

I stared at their joyful expressions, my heart feeling like it was being torn apart.

From the moment I was turned, no matter how exceptional I was, in their eyes, I could never compare to the "obedient" Vivienne.

I turned and walked away, unable to bear another word.

The ceremony began at nine o'clock.

The ballroom was filled with guests, all prominent figures of the nocturnal world. Many were shocked to see me.

After all, attending the coronation of one's husband and his new partner required a certain kind of "magnanimity."

"Isolde, you actually came." Miles approached me.

He reached out as if to touch my arm, stopped mid-air, and clenched his hand into a fist.

"I said I would," I raised a glass of bloodwine. "Congratulations to you both."

"Isolde..." His voice was rough. "You're wearing the dress I gave you for our first anniversary. It… looks loose on you."

But Vivienne came over, linking her arm with his.

"Sister, thank you for being here," she simpered, the diamond ring on her left hand flashing brilliantly. It was the heirloom of the clan's mistresses, and it had once been mine.

"Distinguished guests," Miles raised his glass. "Thank you all for attending Vivienne's coronation. I especially want to thank my wife, Isolde, for her grace and her blessing."

"I am confident Vivienne will bring wonderful changes to our clan."

Thunderous applause erupted from the crowd. The same vampires who once bowed to me were now smiling fawningly at Vivienne.

Vivienne stood in the spotlight, her eyes glistening with tears. "I also want to thank my sister."

"She gave me everything. Family, care, and now, love. I am the luckiest person in the world."

Miles, Vivienne, and Lily embraced, a perfect family with no space left for me.

A night breeze swept past, and the numbness in my fingers intensified.

I stood in the shadows of the terrace, watching the three of them. It was all right. This was all about to end.