Chapter 9
After hugging, Alice regained her normal state – Anxious. Like a child after Halloween, candy only belonged to Halloween, and the temporary sweetness did not mean that the princess’ dress could still be worn tomorrow. The death-heralding banshee, who owned a home, was still a banshee.
“There is a lady at the reception, she came over before you came back.” Alice held the document that Zach gave her in her hand and moved her hand nervously behind her back, “she said that her name is Louise, and she is here for you.”
Zach nodded, “Mhm, I see, you can go to rest first.”
Alice lowered her head, turned around, and exited the office through the back door. As soon as she got out of the office, she couldn’t wait to open the file. She wanted to make sure that Zach did not lie to her.
Zach took off the extra accessories and hung them, then slowly opened the office door. Louise’s face was pale, and it seemed that she hasn’t put on makeup again since last night, and her eyes looked dull, almost vacuous.
“Louise,” Zach called, and Louise, sitting on the sofa in the reception room, was startled and looked at Zach, her eyes started to focus.
“You! It’s you!” Please don’t kill me!”
Louise didn’t know why she would come here. It seemed that when the sun appeared from the sea level, she woke up in the hotel, got on the first bus to the Southern District, and came to the address printed on the business card. She only felt that she was going to answer a question, but now, seeing that face again, the memories of last night reappeared in her mind!
Zach’s lips twitched helplessly, “why do I always hear this sentence today? Do I look like a murderer?”
Believe me, Zach was not laughing at himself. He was asking this question seriously. After living three hundred or four hundred years, Zach has long forgotten his original appearance!
The smart Louise, like Jim, began to reassess the situation after realizing that she had indeed failed to escape last night. That’s right, the man in front of her wouldn’t kill her. In retrospect, when she woke up today, she was even in pajamas.
Zach saw the change in Louise’s eyes. He waved, “Let’s talk inside. I am just an ordinary businessman, but our conversation needs to stay as a secret.”
Louise dropped her guard. Regarding this ‘single woman’, in addition to being smart, bravery was also an important quality of her. Quoting the reports that the vampire saw in the newspaper lat night: “Among the twelve missing women, the remains of the third body were found today (with the photo that would make everyone lose their appetite next to it), As of today, the Barton Police still have found any clue.”. In this kind of time and this kind of place, Louise still, as Coulson said, “shook the ‘money tree’ on the roadside.” This represented courage, or, she really was really in urgent need of money.
Louise looked at the empty reception, and decided not to comment on Zach’s “business”, and walked to the office with feeble footsteps. This was a symptom of anemia.
Zach was still like a gentleman. He waited for Louise to enter, closed the door behind her, then walked to the chair opposite the desk, pulled the chair away, and then asked Louise to sit down. Louise looked at Zach with a complex expression, “Thank you.”
“I want to maintain a good impression in your mind.” Zach waited for Louise to sit down and walked to the long table on the side where the coffee maker and a large plate of ready-made sandwiches were placed. While Alice was waiting in the office, she clearly prepared those. Zach took a plate, picked a sandwich, and passed it to Louise along with a cup of steaming coffee, “it seems like you need a cup of coffee.”
Louise apparently also remembered that she was not wearing makeup. She subconsciously touched her cheek. After realizing that Zach was still carrying food, she lowered her head and took the plate and coffee. But if she could, she wanted to see if she had dark circles. Only when her spirits drooped, would she be reminded that she ‘needed a cup of coffee’. If she indeed had them, she hoped that she could find a place, where no one could see, to put her makeup on. The woman’s thinking was really strange.
Zach sat behind his desk, looked at Louise, who was clearly feeling a little uncomfortable and said with a smile, “It seems that I have said something wrong. You look fine, apart from being a little pale, you don’t need makeup.”
The previous sentence was Zach’s ability to “read” people’s minds after “reading” countless people, the latter sentence was just him being mischievous, and wanting to tease this woman.
Louise frowned, glanced at Zach across the desk, relaxed, and began to enjoy the free breakfast.
Zach was very patient and took a thick document to read while Louise was eating. This was the material, personnel, funds, and customer registration book that originally belonged to the West Cemetery of [Grande Funeral Home]. A week ago, Zach received a notification that the cemetery was taken back. In the following days, he was forced to travel between the west and south to arrange the necessary matters.
Fortunately, the city did not act too harshly. They issued generous compensation funds. Zach kept a small portion, and most of them were treated as severance payments. You need to know that the vampire’s profession was actually just a disguise, and the people who actually completed the funeral affairs were actually the people in the Western District, the real human employees.
Zach also made some efforts, hoping to retain some people to work in the cemetery in the Southern District, but they all rejected the offer. “The traditional funeral business is dying! Sir, we have worked with you and your father for this Grande Home for many years, it’s time to make a change…”
Of course, the “Zach’s father” they referred to was Mr. Grande. In the last few years of his life, the old man strangely had two sons and a daughter (one wolf, one vampire, and one banshee), and he also didn’t experience the current cremation trend, which has hit the traditional funeral business very hard, so it could also be considered that he rested in peace.
Zach did not force these people. He also knew that 90% of the property of the Grande Family depended on the cemetery in the Western District because it was closer to the bustling Northern District and the environment was much better. The Southern District was a remote suburb for the people of Barton City. No one wanted to bury their loved ones here.
Plus these people felt Zach’s aversion toward cremation, they all believed that there was no future for Grande Funeral Home.
“Have you eaten breakfast already?” Louise looked at Zach, who was reading something and asked.
Zach looked up, “You don’t mind?”
“I don’t mind.” As soon as Louise spoke, she regretted it. About last night’s memory, there were some things she did not understand. But now, she felt that she would soon understand it. She had a hunch that it wasn’t a good thing.
Sure enough, Zach stood up and walked to the wine cabinet on the side. Near the corner, Zach pulled out a bottle of red wine, pulled out the cork, and poured himself a full glass.
Louise shuddered. It was early spring, but the room was not cold. In a warm environment, a hint of metallic and slightly sweet smell was spreading around the wine glass in Zach’s hands.
Zach took a sip, then licked on his lips with his bright red tongue, “Mhm. Compared with last night’s supper, this is much worse.”
Louise’s whole body instantly became stiff, because, at this time, she was sure that the “Supper” was her!
“Don’t look at me like that.” Zach returned to his desk, and the glass of bright red liquid was placed next to his hand. “This is a compliment to you.”
“You, what exactly are you?” Louise felt that her teeth were chattering repeatedly.
Wait, this is not fear, but… how to put it? Imagine a scene where you feel something on your neck. Then you take a picture and discover that it was a downy spider. Then you realize that the tiny tickle on your neck was the spider crawling on your neck. Now, do you get the idea? It was that kind of feeling.
Louise almost used all her strength to restrain herself from touching the neck that was pressed by Zach last night, but her shoulder betrayed her. Her clavicles were highlighted by the tension of her shoulders, and her neck turned slightly instinctively, an indescribable sickness was spreading from her neck to other places all over her body.
“You should have heard the stories about vampires, right?” Zach was impressed by the woman. Just like Jim, after confirming that the other party would not hurt her, her attention was immediately placed elsewhere. For Jim, perhaps it was to find the attacker after being attacked, and for Louise, it was the women’s instinctive physical response.
Zach crossed his hands on his chest and made a gesture to introduce himself, “I am a vampire.”
Louise took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and exhaled slowly. After the initial sickness, Louise began to accept that wonderful feeling when she was “attacked” by a vampire.
“I will admit, you are at least a gentle vampire.” Louise opened her eyes.
“Uh-uh, I am a gentle man.” Zach corrected Louise’s ‘error’.
Louise couldn’t hold it, her lips cursed into a smile, but she quickly stopped it.
“It’s time to answer your question.” Louise’s eyes became serious, “Why would I want to run away?”
Zach put the materials on the table together and pushed it aside, temporarily preventing Louise from continuing to speak, and looked at the door leading to the back of the office.
Benjamin pushed open the door and entered with Jim, who had changed his clothes.
Zach stood up, “Louise, this is Benjamin, Jim. Benjamin, Jim, this is Louise.”
After Benjamin and Jim sat down at the table where the food was and began to eat the breakfast that was prepared by Banshee Alice, Zach sat down again, “okay, Miss Louise, you may continue.”
The vampire’s eyes blinked at Louise, and then said, “However, some areas can be omitted.”
The corner of Louise’s lips cursed up again. She had no choice but to bite her lower lip to stop herself from smiling. She looked at Zach helplessly and adjusted her emotions.
“Body temperature…”