Chapter 83 She's a Vampire.
After panicking in my room, I came to the conclusion that I was going to talk to Ashely. There's no harm in that, right? I have to know everything about her and why she acts so strangely, because if I don't, I'll never have peace in my own house.
I left my room and went to the living room, and as expected, Ashely was already seated on the couch, fidgeting nervously with her fingers.
My heart pounded as I studied her nervous state. If she has nothing to hide, why is she so nervous?
She stared up at me with those gorgeous, innocent blue eyes of hers, but I shook my head to prevent those eyes from getting to me. There's no way she's just some beautiful, innocent girl. Today I'm going to find out the truth, and that's that.
I cleared my throat, pushing down my own nerves. I promise that if I'm wrong, I'll apologize a million times. But if I'm right…
I left the thought unfinished.
"Ashely, can we talk?"
She nodded as if she had been expecting this moment and was ready for it. I sat beside her on the couch, leaving a reasonable distance between us, just in case a situation arose where I had to run. But I prayed it wouldn't.
There was silence as I ran over my questions in my head. I had no idea where to start questioning Ashely, but we couldn't sit like this for hours, looking at each other all day.
"So… what I want to talk about is that…" I paused and cleared my throat. "Well, there are some things I've noticed about you since you moved in, and I can no longer hold them in. They are disturbing, and they raise questions I desperately need answers to."
I met her eyes to decipher her reaction. She didn't look shocked or angry. Instead, she still looked nervous, and that expression of hers made me nervous as well.
"You can ask your questions, sir. I'll do my best to answer every one," she replied in a genuine tone.
"I… I want the truth, Ashely."
I tried to keep my tone strict, but it still came out shaky. Ashely lowered her head and nodded. I ignored her strange behaviour and continued.
"My first question is this: Are you really Ashely Adams?"
There was a moment of hesitation, but then she shook her head, meaning she really wasn't Ashely Adams.
In that moment, an alarm rang in my ears. If she really isn't Ashely Adams, then there's a possibility that everything I thought about her was true. She could be a murderer, a mafia member, a criminal. She could have done something horrendous to the real Ashely. If not, how would she be able to be here instead of Ashely, and how does she have Ashely's phone?
Who the hell is this woman?
I decided not to ask that question yet because, honestly, I was scared of what her answer would be. Instead, I asked, "What happened to the real Ashely Adams?"
She looked me dead in the eyes and replied, "She's dead."
My heart exploded, and I could feel beads of perspiration running down the side of my head. I reached into my pocket to make sure my phone was there, just in case I needed to call the police.
I gulped. "How… how did she die?"
Ashely—or rather, this woman—shrugged.
"I have no idea how she died. I only found her body on the street, and I felt sorry for her, so I buried her and took her phone."
Her words sounded made up. It was very hard to believe that she had no idea what caused Ashely's death. How can you just find a body on the street, bury it, and take the person's phone only to come and take their place at work? It sounded far-fetched, and I didn't buy her story, not even for a second.
I decided to ask the final question that would determine whether calling the police was the right thing to do or throwing her out of my house. Because as long as she isn't Ashely Adams and the real Ashely Adams died an unknown death, she's definitely getting fired, no matter the outcome of this conversation.
"So, if you're not Ashely Adams and the real Ashely Adams is dead, then who are you? Are you part of a mafia group or a criminal organization or something like that? Because I can tell that you're obviously not an ordinary person."
She licked her lips nervously, and I watched her every move with caution. I had to be prepared, just in case she attacked me.
"You're right. I'm not an ordinary person. In fact, I am not human."
I frowned in confusion.
"That doesn't make sense. What do you mean you're not human? You look very human."
She sighed.
"I know you're going to find it hard to believe, but the truth…" She paused and eyed me warily. "I'm a vampire, Josh."
Silence followed her remark, and then a chuckle escaped my lips.
"This is not the time to be joking, Ashely."
She grimaced, as if she had expected me not to believe her.
"That's the truth, Josh. My name is Camille Darkshadow, and I'm a vampire. That's why I don't eat human food, and why I could fight off those men."
My eyes widened as a memory came back to me. Ashely—no, Camille—had come home at midnight with blood on her hands.
Could it be…?
No way. There's absolutely no way she's a vampire. She's just messing with me.
"Don't be silly, Ashely—or Camille, or whatever your name is. There's no way you're a vampire. Vampires have fangs and red eyes, and they drink blood. There's no way you're a vampire. You've been in the sun, and nothing happened to you."
"Actually, my true form is hidden, and I can bring it out whenever I want. I can assure you that I don't drink human blood. It took years of training, but I've learned to survive only on animal blood. And sunlight doesn't affect royal vampires."
I wanted to laugh in her face and tell her how ridiculous everything that came out of her mouth sounded. But I held back. Her words meant nothing without evidence.
"If what you're saying is true, then prove it. Show me your true form."
Her eyes widened when she blinked at me.
"Are you sure? You might regret it."
She seemed concerned, still thinking I believed she was only being ridiculous.
"Show me. I'll be fine."
She gulped and nodded. She closed her eyes, and I waited for her to laugh and say it was a prank.
But her eyes remained closed.
When she opened them slowly again, I gasped at the sight of her extraordinary red eyes. Her mouth opened, revealing long, sharp fangs, and her nails had grown longer. She snarled, and I flew off the couch and hurried away from her. My eyes were wide with terror and disbelief.
"Holy fuck!" I exclaimed, my whole body shaking in fear.
She—she had fangs and red eyes. She's really a vampire.
The world suddenly turned black, and I felt myself falling as I completely lost consciousness.