Upon reaching Vincent's study room, Alfie knocked on the door and informed, "Master Vincent, Ms. Barlow and Lady Rosetta have arrived with me."
"Step inside," Vincent ordered. The butler pushed the study room's door and stepped to the side to give way for the two young women to step inside. Once they entered the room, they noticed the pureblooded vampire leaning his back against the front of his desk. He instructed the butler, "Close the door while you leave," and the butler bowed and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Rosetta suddenly turned guarded and gulped when Vincent's shrewd eyes fell on her. Eve, who noticed it, asked,
"Is there something you wanted to tell us?"
Vincent's eyes softened when they fell on Eve, and he offered her a smile,
"I was missing you and needed to speak to this one," he jerked his head towards Rosetta. He then remarked to the vampiress, "It seems like you are too keen on marrying me, Lady Rosetta. It seems like you don't like your life as much as I thought you would. How would you like me to end it?" He pushed himself away from the desk.
Rosetta stuttered, "I—I do not want to marry you! It is my parents who forced me to come to stay in the mansion!" She didn't know how her friend could be fascinated with this silver-haired vampire, who was crazier than he looked. "Why did you even agree to marry me?!" She questioned him back.
"It is all thanks to you. Your parents framed me for your aunt's death and threatened that if I don't comply, my family and Eve's family will suffer," Vincent glared at Rosetta as if he wanted to kill her for the mistakes she had made and the trouble it had caused them. "Had you not written the letter to Eve which your family found, we wouldn't be in this situation."
Nervously, Rosetta tried to remember which letter he was talking about and then remembered. She wanted to be eloquent in her words, but the first few tries, she had trouble phrasing her words. This had led to one of the initial, barely written crumpled parchment to get stuck behind the dressing table.
"But it is fine. It isn't something that you cannot fix," Vincent remarked and his words caught both the women's attention.
"Why me?" Rosetta asked him with her eyebrows knitting together.
"You were the one who started it, so I am hoping you will be the one to end it. Refuse the marriage with me or run away from here now, and we can report you to be missing," Vincent deadpanned, as he didn't have any interest in marrying the vampiress. The only woman who had in his heart was Eve and he wasn't planning to give even an inch of space to another person.
Rosetta turned worried, and she asked him, "How long should I go missing?"
"As long as we are alive." Rosetta blinked before she scowled. She couldn't do that! And even Eve was aware of it. "I would have killed you if you didn't like your life, but the deal in the parchment says that if something bad happens to you, I will be the one to hold responsible for it."
Rosetta held a look of shock on her face. She knew it! This man just wanted to kill her!
"You cannot kill Rosetta," Eve stepped into their conversation and asked Vincent, "Is there no other way for it?"
"There's one last option," Vincent hummed and turned to look at Rosetta, "Marry someone else and the deal will turn void. There's nothing anyone can do after it."
Rosetta's eyes sparkled and excitedly said, "I already found my groom!" She was ready to get married right this instant, but the next second the sparkle in her eyes disappeared. She let him know, "There's a problem… Eugene doesn't want me as his wife."
Vincent walked to where Rosetta stood and raised his hand for the vampiress only to end up closing her eyes. But he only patted her back, "If you truly love him, then it's time to move mountains so that he notices you." He then turned to look at Eve and asked, "Does he hate vampires?"
Eve, who was still digesting the news she had heard Rosetta being in love with Eugene, replied, "Not that I am aware of. He's never shown discrimination between any kind."
"If Eugene doesn't like you back, I have a few potential men whom you may be interested in," Vincent offered. He knew the only way to nullify the deal was for this vampiress to marry someone who wasn't him.
Rosetta vigorously shook her head, "I am marrying no one, but Eugene!" She exclaimed in a firm voice, but at the same time she remembered his rejection and her eyes started to fill up with tears. "I didn't do anything to Eve or Lady Aubrey, but because my mother hurt Lady Aubrey, he doesn't want to do anything with me!"
Noticing the vampiress on the verge of tearing up, Eve quickly took out her handkerchief from her dress pocket and offered it to her friend. She gently ran her hand on Rosetta's back to console her.
"Don't I have my own good qualities?" Rosetta asked them in between her tearing up and blowing her nose. Vincent stared at the vampiress, while Eve continued to soothe her.
"Why don't you take a seat, Rose, while we figure out what to do," Eve pulled the chair and made Rosetta sit, who continued to drown in sadness for her inability to receive Eugene's attention the way she wanted.
Eve walked to where Vincent stood and slightly elbowed one side of his stomach, "You are scaring her!"
"What is this about Lady Aubrey and the Marchioness?" Vincent curiously asked Eve. Once she finished explaining what had transpired between Marchioness Hooke and her family, he said, "So Eugene hates the Hookes for what her mother did. I can only guess that he's worried about the consequences, which puts a mental block towards her."
Eve wasn't against Rosetta and Eugene being together, but she was aware that Lady Aurora Hooke was a vile person. Who knew what she would do? She didn't mind talking about it to Eugene, but feelings couldn't be forced.
Vincent asked Rosetta, "What did your mother say to you? Surely, she didn't send you here as a blind sheep to be butchered."
Rosetta blew her nose one more time, dabbing it with the other end of the handkerchief. She looked up at them, "She took away all my money and jewels from me so that I don't run away. She said it is necessary that I marry you because it is important for our financial condition to improve. Mother said that the family money has been nearly exhausted and by marrying you, it will be replenished."
"Well well well, isn't this wonderful news," Vincent remarked with the corner of his lips pulling up high. "At least we know why they were so persistent. Your aunt's death was only a leverage they used to frame me. Lady Rosetta, would you like to join hands with us?"
"Meaning?" Rosetta asked, dropping her hand that held the handkerchief on her lap.
"Eve will help you to reach your affections to Eugene, and in return, you will relay all the information your mother tells you. If in the end you aren't able to move the man, I will need to resort to my own methods, which I hope it doesn't come to," Vincent offered the vampiress a saint-like smile, but that sent shivers down her body.
Rosetta was stuck between her mother and Vincent.
But then she thought. She could indeed use this time with their help to gain Eugene's affections. She nodded to Vincent.
"Okay. Eugene and I will marry!"
For a person who was crying over rejection just a minute ago, her friend had bounced back and was too optimistic, Eve thought in her mind and smiled. She hoped things would end well and not in a disaster.
Rosetta excused herself from the study room and left the place, while leaving Eve behind with Vincent. Eve looked outside the window at the sky which had somewhat turned orange and pink as the evening was soon turning to night.
"Still worried?" Vincent inquired with Eve, who was staring out the window.
Eve's blue eyes quickly shifted to meet his dark red eyes. She shook her head and smiled, "No."
