Sunlight poured down on the room, which looked like it had been hit by a fighter jet. Jay's eyelids twitched sensitively. He felt dizzy, as if there was something wrong, a puzzle that was lost in the network of his life.
When was the last time time passed?
Amid his confusion, Jay felt a weight on one of his hands, restricting his movement. As soon as he turned around, Jay was immediately startled. He half-pulled his hand away, but stopped short when he found the girl's blood all over her. Despite his dry throat, Jay was reluctant to swallow anything in this confusing situation.
"Eh? Hey… Miss Ruby? What…?"
Jay accidentally saw Ruby's cleavage. He lifted the blanket, picked up Ruby's body, and laid her on the bed. Jay pressed two fingers against Ruby's neck, feeling for her faint pulse. Jay brought his ear close to her nose to confirm it once more. A warm breeze brushed against her skin.
"Still alive. But, she needs help." He scanned Ruby from head to toe. The gaping wound from the shot gave Jay his answer.
"She was shot? In my house? Who did this?"
Jay took a good look around the room. The balcony glass was shattered. The vanity mirror was cracked. There were traces of battle everywhere. Jay stepped forward past the foot of the bed, revealing the bodies of the soldiers lying with their rifles.
These men clearly had a high level of security. Besides broken arms and legs, the outer layers of their uniforms were damaged, but not to the point of penetrating wounds. It appeared some of them also had severe internal injuries.
"Ah, that's not the important thing! These humans tried to attack me?" Jay growled. "Why don't I remember anything, after… after…"
Jay's memory wandered to the passionate moment when Ruby dominated him.
"Ah, never mind, this girl must have the answer. But, where's my phone?"
Jay's instincts told him to duck under the bed. His phone was dead. He turned on the screen, and immediately a flood of messages and missed calls flooded his notifications.
Ninety-nine of James' message bubbles await a reply.
"Jay, where are you?"
"Oh my gosh, reply to my message!"
"No, please calm down the investors first!"
"The most important thing is to delete your latest post, please."
"I give up."
"Please, do you really want to end your era?"
"If you'll change your identity, talk to me and start a new life! We've been friends for a long time."
"Jay, are you okay? Tell me you're still alive! Oh, I forgot, you're a corpse."
"Forget it. The IT team already deleted your post. Tell me where you are now! Otherwise, I'll bite everyone on the street!"
"Damn it! What is she talking about? What post?" Jay's jaw clenched as his glare landed on Ruby. "Argh, later! I have to call my personal doctor."
Jay's trusted vampire doctor, Amora Callista, said she would arrive in less than fifteen minutes. Then, it was Jay's turn to stop James' chain messages.
"Hello? JAY!"
"Yes."
"Oh my dragon!!"
Jay pulled the phone away before James's voice could deafen his eardrums. "Is it that serious?"
"How can you ask questions after you posted photos of Ms. Crystal being assaulted and bragged about your actions to the public? Vousme is on the verge of being banned from operating! Two police officers are now waiting at my desk. We can't control public reaction unless you make a statement."
Jay massaged his forehead, trying to shake off the hangover. Numerous problems were stuck in his mind, and he had trouble deciding where to pull them out.
"Hm… James, just so you know, I think I was attacked last night," he said.
"What?"
"Not just me, but my potential prey. She needs help. I can't leave her."
"So, you weren't the culprit? What are you waiting for? Take her to the hospital!"
"I've contacted Amora."
"That's right, you have her. Anyway, tell me where you are. I'll be there with the police. This case must be resolved as soon as possible."
"Okay. I'll send you the address."
***
Ambulances arrived to transport the bodies of the Riot Squad members. The sterilization process took until evening. Police tape stretched across the balcony in front of Jay's bedroom door.
"You need to come with us to the station for further questioning, Mr. Jayden," said Rick Zacherry, the local district police chief.
"I'm so sorry. My girlfriend is injured and I can't leave here," Jay refused. "I promise I'll come to the office once she's awake. Please understand."
Rick lifted his chin with a sharp gaze. "Why didn't you take Miss Crystal to the hospital?"
"I trust a private medical team more, especially after this attack. Don't worry, Dr. Amora is licensed and reputable," Jay replied evenly, tapping the toes of his shoes, hoping the old cop would leave quickly.
However, Rick's eyes narrowed. "Rumors are circulating about Miss Crystal being assaulted. I want you to explain this immediately."
"Don't you think the one who assaulted Ruby is also the one who assaulted me? If you don't believe me, wait until my girlfriend wakes up. You can ask her directly," Jay stated firmly, crossing his arms. "But remember, I also reported the assault I experienced."
Rick and his team then left and would continue the inspection the next day.
Ruby was receiving intensive care from Amora in the room across the street. An IV drip was running through Ruby's body. Her torn skin had been stitched up after being examined using a portable X-ray machine.
No bullets were lodged, and the bleeding was immediately controlled thanks to the preparation of the donor bag. Amora paid close attention to the patient's needs, whereas Jay only explained them through photographs.
"Jayden Gavian is dating a girl this strong is not included in the bingo list," Amora teased, throwing away her plastic gloves.
"I'm not dating, Mora." Jay leaned down and whispered in the woman's earlobe with the square glasses, "She is my prey."
"Ah, disgusting."
"And you don't?" Jay quipped, pouring bloodstock from a wine bottle.
They sat together on the sofa, shaking off the burdens binding them. The word tired was clearly not in the vampire vocabulary. However, burden occupies the first stage of vampire mental illness. Thirst is a burden. Adapting is a burden. Eternal life is sometimes a burden.
"I'm a vegetarian, kiddos. Working to save lives has made me appreciate the lives of all living things," Amora said.
"I don't understand your way of thinking."
"You just did it."
The words of the doctor made Jay delay drinking blood.
"You mean I saved her?" Jay's lyrics were aimed squarely at Ruby.
The girl looked refreshed after Amora's assistant wiped her face with a cloth.
"She's a key witness in this attack. I'll execute her once I have enough information. Besides, my wine bottles need refilling," Jay demurred, taking a long, refreshing swig of the thick blood.
Amora held the back of Jay's hand.
"It's not too late to stop, Jay. Stop underestimating humans. Their abilities are becoming increasingly unpredictable. Their technological advancements could put you in danger. I don't want to lose your immortality," Amora said anxiously.
Jay's smile was clearly irritated. "You want me and the others to become vegetarians like you?"
"Isn't that the best thing for our existence?"
Jay threw back Amora's grip. "Do you care about us or the survival of humanity?"
"Both of them."
"Amora, even though you've united your lives by marrying a human, our true nature is to be their predators. Humans can even kill each other. Their lives aren't worth that much. Why should we care? Why should I?" Jay tapped his index finger on his chest, "follow your advice exactly?"
Amora looked away. "Didn't last night's events give you enough answers? Someone behind this knows you're a human predator. You're practically caught red-handed, and I'm worried about you."
Jay's tense expression softened. "I'm fine."
"You were caught off guard. Look! You don't even know who saved you and who your enemy was last night? You don't think that girl can stand up to a bunch of men in special uniforms, do you? Plus those sophisticated and terrifying weapons."
"Hey, come on. I'm not that stupid."
Jay held Amora's shoulders.
"Now listen. I appreciate a foster sister's concern for her younger sibling. But, even though we're not blood relatives, I'm sure you know me well. We grew up together. I won't stop preying on them. You may have your reasons, but I… why?"
"NO!"
The way Ruby regained consciousness stunned Jayden and Amora, and even herself. How could she not? Ruby immediately screamed and sat up straight. Blood flowed into the IV drip, but Ruby didn't care. The wolf's immune system was recovering rapidly. Ruby felt as healthy as ever, but there was something more important than this.
Ruby's palms groped for her neck. Empty. Hollow. The disappearance of the red ruby necklace wasn't a dream, apparently. A frantic whisper drowned her until she didn't notice Amora and Jay approaching.
"Miss Crystal? May I check on you further?" Amora asked.
"Ah… yeah, sorry."
Ruby was led back to lie down. The villa's ceiling helped her avoid Jay's intimidating gaze, even though she was genuinely curious to meet his gaze. The man with his hands on his hips seemed different from the night before. Jay's sharp gaze probed, continuing to observe Ruby coldly.
"Miss Crystal, I have a few questions. Please answ—"
"Hish," Amora interrupted, removing the stethoscope from her ear. "This lady is my patient. Wait for my permission. For now, the answer is no."
"Alright, alright, my chatty sister." Jay walked lazily, flopping down on the sofa.
While the iron surface was cold, Ruby's gaze trailed down her chest, her eyes silently scanning Jay's movements. There was no sign of the CEO being stressed by Vousme's threat. Could it be that last night's attack was being used as an alibi for someone else's plan? If so, everything Ruby had done was in vain.
Ruby sighed heavily. The proverb "when you fall, you fall," Ruby had often heard, finally came true. It wasn't the end, Ruby reassured herself. This treatment was proof that Jay still considered her human. Given her condition as a victim, Jay couldn't assume Ruby was part of the attacker's gang.
If her wolf identity were revealed, Jay would definitely abandon Ruby immediately. The vampire clan views wolves as foul-smelling, blood-soaked animals because vampires prey neatly while wolves generally hunt haphazardly.
"Are you okay? Does it hurt to breathe?" Amora noticed something was wrong with Ruby's breathing.
"No."
Amora's eyebrows furrowed as she seriously checked the patient's heartbeat. She alternately focused her light on the patient's eyes.
"You must still be shocked by last night's events. Your heartbeat isn't steady yet. Take a deep breath, then exhale slowly. Everything is safe, Miss. We're taking care of you," Amora said.
"Thank you." Ruby smiled awkwardly.
"Do you need more rest?"
"Looks like Mr. Red over there has a lot of questions. No problem, you can leave me to him, Doc."
"Okay. I'll check on you in an hour." Amora patted Ruby on the shoulder, then left the room.