Chapter 136 136

Chapter 136 136
Kimberly’s POV 

I felt as if the world had been pulled away from underneath my feet. His friend?! 

How?!

The man and I made eye contact, and there was this unreadable look in his eyes and a smirk on his lips. I felt so uncomfortable looking at him. Something occurred to me then. 

This might all be an elaborate plan by him. Because there is no way this is a coincidence. There was a round of pleasantries being exchanged in the room over and over, and I felt more sensitive to the sounds coming from them. 

It felt like it was crawling on my skin. But by the time he settled in, he was sitting adjacent to me beside London. 

“You should have called me again that you were coming. I would have prepared what you liked.” London’s dad said, and I did not miss the way London scoffed. The adults did not miss it either because they all turned their heads to look at him. 

But he did not care one bit and was not moved by their stares. Instead, he stared at his plate like something was interesting on it. 

“What’s going on here?” Julian’s dad later asked as if he was trying to dispel the bad mood that had permeated the air. I could tell from my parents too that they were uncomfortable. The mood from their end just changed. 

Why did this man carry an aura that was not really good? It made him ridiculously scary, and that was not even supposed to be a thing. He was just a man. A Ruthless one at that. 

“Nothing too serious. We’re just here to discuss the plans that we have for the engagement of the kids.” His father said dryly, and Julian's dad nodded like that was the most interesting thing in the world with a sly smile on his face. 

Something was not right there. 

“See, it would not have been so bad. Right, Tom?” He turned to my dad, and the way he mentioned my dad’s name. Did they know each other? 

My dad’s jaw clenched in anger. I could see the way he was working his jaw, and it was like he was holding himself from actually snapping. 

“I don’t have anything to say to you, Arnold. In fact, Mr Ashford, do you think that it will be possible for you to forward the details of the engagement and whatever you have in mind to my mail? We will leave now.” My dad said hurriedly, standing up and pulling my mother's hand and signaling for me to stand up all at the same time. 

What was going on? 

Mr Ashford was trying to say, sighing, but nothing was getting through to my dad. Then suddenly, Arnold spoke,

“Sit down, Tom.” His voice resonated through the whole room like it was meant to be like that. I froze myself in the chair that I was sitting in. And just like that, my parents sat back down without being told again and they started to eat their food like nothing had happened or they had not just insisted on leaving. 

How…

They looked completely glazed over. I looked at everyone else at the table as if I was the dumb one still standing up and waiting for my parents to leave with me. 

“Dad? We were leaving, right?” I called out, feeling uneasiness creep into me. London almost looked like there was this look of pity on his face, and then it was gone just as soon as it showed on his face. 

“If you know what is good for you, you will sit down too,” Arnold said, gesturing to the chair that I stood from in front of me. Like a puppet whose string was in his hands, I sat down, placed my hands on my thighs to avoid them seeing how badly it was shaking. 

“Why is she not receptive to it?” London’s dad asked Arnold, curious about what I don’t know, to be precise. 

He shrugged and pinned me with a glare. I should be scared of him and not even able to look at him, but here I am, staring him in the face like nothing else mattered and that I was not scared out of my jeans. 

“Maybe because Julian has done something to her. I’ve tried it on her a couple of times that we met before in the past and it does not seem to do anything to her, which makes me a little on edge. That’s very rare.” He was looking at me through the whole time he was talking. I tried to glance at my parents, but I could not since he held my gaze and I could not drop it. But something was telling me that my parents did not hear anything that was being said. It was as though they were under a spell. 

“What did you do to my parents?” I asked him coldly, and he smirked. 

“What do you think? I compelled them.” He said simply, shrugging like what he said makes no sense. 

“This is not the time to play mysterious Arnold. You better tell me what you did to them, or you won’t find it funny.” I wanted to know how I sounded making that threat because he butted into laughter. He and his friend. 

“This is why I love meeting you. It’s going to be fun having you around my friend, so I’ll have access to you. You like making very cute threats. And about what you said, what will you do? Run to Julian?” He asked, leaning forward, “Because last I checked, nothing was going on between the both of you anymore. So, you don’t have to act in front of me.” He said, and my eyes widened. 

How did he know that? I’m very sure that Julian did not tell him. The question Matt had showed on my face because he said,

“Don’t worry, I have my ways of knowing the things that I want to know.” 

“Are you following me again?” 

“Not really. Even though I have not gotten a report about you for a while. I know what’s going on. And yeah, tell Julian that it would be a very big mistake on his path if he kills Amelia. She’s of importance to me.” He said. 

Chills ran through my whole body, and I thought that I did not hear what he had just said very well. 

“What? How did you know A…Amelia?” I asked shakily, not ready for the answer. What happened that night flashed in front of my eyes again, and that made me shiver. Fear gripped me like a second cloth. The fact that she was a supposed vampire. The way she bared her teeth at me like she was trying to bite me, which she actually was trying to do. The crazed look of hatred that was in her eyes. 

“What? How will I not know my prodigy?… wait, don’t tell me that Julian has not told you yet?” He asked with a look of amusement swirling in his eyes. 

“Tell me what?” My voice came out like a whisper, and there was this sudden silence in the room. I suddenly felt like I had just met Julian all over again, and London was always saying that I did not know who he was. And all of those things. 

“Kimberly, we need to talk.” London rushed out and stood up from the chair and was already around the table to get to me when Arnold told him to leave. “That shit does not work on me, Arnold. Not anymore. You should know that by now.” Arnold curled his eyebrows and stared him down. 

“You’re fucking that girl again, are you not?” 

“She has a name, and it’s Sandy.” He snapped. 

Sandy? 

How is she entering this conversation?

“I don’t care what she bears. I don’t know why you’re back with her again. After all of my efforts to pull you apart.” His father said, and he froze behind me. 

“What did you do?” He asked in a low tone that was scary. 

“Nothing really. Just made you see what you saw when you were younger. And it was quite fun and fascinating how that single occurrence could cause the damage it caused then. What I can’t seem to get right now is why you're back with her. You know what she is. And you won’t stay the hell away from her.” His father rushed out. 

What was going on here? 

“Don’t worry, Dad. What you just told me will not get the same reaction you want it to get from me. I know you would stoop very low to get whatever it is you want. I’m not a child anymore, and I can do whatever I want to do without you imposing on me.” He said in a calculated voice, but I could feel that he was trying not to snap. 

“You’re about to be engaged to another woman, and you’re still stuck up on her.” 

“If you never saw it, we both never had any interest in this since we’re interested in other people. But since you’re too blind to see it or decide not to, we can work things out by ourselves.” He said and grabbed my wrist, pulled me up, and we were about to start walking away when he said.

“Julian is a Vampire.” 

“What’s going on here?”

“Shit.” 

“She doesn't know?” 

Everything sounded too loud. Everyone was talking at the same time, and it felt like I was wound up so tight that I would break into tiny pieces if I was not held together very well. 

Everyone spoke at the same time, but the only thing that I was able to hold on to from what was being said was the fact that his father said he was a vampire, and the rest drowned out. 

“That’s not possible,” I whispered to myself. And I heard him laugh like it was funny to be a witness to my dilemma.  

“You will need to convince yourself about that. What did you think? That you’re some kind of special person? Don’t worry, I’ll have you know that the only reason he’s with you is that you smell very good. You even tempt me. Against all odds, you’re riddled with medications. Which is very rare. But then, I would not stoop that low. And I would have you know that I have tried to make you get out of his life. I tried many means until I succeeded. He’s being hard-headed over you and confusing obsession with love. He should hate you now since you’re already going to belong to someone else.” He said, sounding really happy about the whole concept that he had just pulled up. 

“I don’t believe you. I…” 

Then suddenly, both sides of his teeth sharpened, and a very familiar traumatizing sight was graced to me. His eyes changed color right in front of me, and I screamed. I was the only one who had this reaction. My body was shaking in fear and in disbelief. 

“I’m his father. And he’s my son. And the gene was passed on. You believe me now?” He said, returning to normal. 

“Oh my goodness,” I muttered over and over again. Everyone here knows about this. This was what London wanted to tell me when we met then. That is why Sandy and Cole were always looking at me funny and…

“I made your parents' business go bad and brought the idea of marriage up with this friend of mine so that you will finally be out of his face and sight. Isn’t that genius?” He said, smiling at himself. 

“You’re sick…” I said shakily, and I was stepping back. 

London’s hand was still on my wrist. Then he pulled me and led me out. 

As soon as the gust of wind hit me, the reality of what I had just heard crashed into me again. 

“That was not real, right?”