Sweet Revenge With My Billionaire Vampire

The next day.

Across the street, a car pulled into a small parking lot. Adrian Langston cut the engine and sat in silence, gripping the steering wheel tightly. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

He had spent the entire night debating whether or not he should do this. Every time he thought he had made up his mind, doubt crept in again. But finally, after much internal struggle, he had come to a decision. He had to invite his father to his wedding.

Even if the man refused to come or turned him away without a second thought, at least he would know he had tried and wouldn’t live with the regret of never having given him a chance to be there.

Sighing, he grabbed the car keys, pushed the door open, and stepped out, inhaling the cool morning air.

After crossing the road, he stopped not far away from his father’s shop, staring at the familiar building. It was smaller than he remembered, though maybe that was just nostalgia making it seem bigger in his mind.

The exterior was the same, a bit worn down but still standing strong. The blank wooden sign above the door was slightly worn, and the windows were fogged up.

"You’ve got this," he murmured, clenching his fists. Taking one final breath, he proceeded forward.

He had barely taken a few steps toward the shop when he noticed two figures approaching from the opposite direction, also heading towards the shop. Adeline and Enzo.

His shoulders relaxed slightly. This was perfect. The nerves that had been creeping in would be easier to handle with some company. He wasn’t exactly looking forward to facing his father alone, so their presence was a bit of a relief. He picked up his pace, waving as he neared them.

Adeline, who had been in a conversation with Enzo, spotted the man walking toward them. She halted in her tracks, lifting a hand to stop Enzo beside her. "Someone’s... waving at us?" She arched a brow, unsure if it was them that Adrian was waving at.

Enzo turned his head, watching as Adrian finally stopped a few feet away, nodding politely and offering them a warm smile. "Hi, I’m Adrian Langston. You two must be here to see my father."

Enzo raised an eyebrow. "The herbalist is your father?" He asked, gesturing toward the shop behind them.

Adrian nodded. "Yeah. I was just about to see him."

Adeline glanced between the two men before shrugging. "Very well, then. Let’s go."

They walked the rest of the way together, but as they neared the door, something about the silence around it unsettled Adeline. The shop looked like it hadn’t even been opened for the day.

"Does it always look closed like this?" she asked.

Adrian chuckled, nodding. "He keeps the place looking shut half the time, but he’s always inside."

Raising his fist, he knocked on the door. They waited, but there was no response.

Adrian knocked again, this time a little harder, but there was still no answer.

Enzo, already out of patience, stepped forward and reached for the door handle, pushing it down. The door swung open, and what they saw inside stopped their hearts. (Except Enzo’s, since it doesn’t beat)

Their eyes widened at the same time, horror striking them all like a physical force.

Vincenzo Langston lay sprawled on the floor, his lifeless eyes staring at the ceiling. Blood pooled beneath his head, dark and glistening in the light.

Adeline stumbled back, her hands flying up to cover her mouth. Her stomach lurched, and her heart pounded so violently she thought it might burst from her chest.

Enzo could only stare, speechless, while Adrian stood frozen, his face draining of color. His mind refused to accept what his eyes were seeing.

It wasn’t long before the police arrived. Vincenzo’s body was taken away, and yellow police tape was wrapped around the shop, sealing off the scene. The once quiet street was now a crime scene, filled with uniformed officers and the flashing lights of patrol cars.

Adeline sat on a nearby bench, staring blankly into space, lost in her own thoughts.

Enzo walked over, lowering himself beside her and resting his forearms on his knees. "He was murdered with a gun, obviously. From what I overheard, it happened not too long ago—early this morning, probably not long before we got here."

Adeline slowly pulled her legs onto the bench, hugging her knees to her chest. She sighed, pressing her forehead against her knees, her voice muffled as she spoke. "We came all that way, just for nothing... Could this be my uncle’s doing?"

"It could be. But it could also not be them, since there’s no way they would’ve known that we even came to Vegas. The only people aware of this are Andrei and Evelyn. It’s impossible that Andrei told them. He would never betray me. I don’t know about Evelyn, but I doubt she would do such a thing."

He shifted closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his side. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. "We’ll figure something out. Don’t worry."

Adeline closed her eyes, taking in the warmth of his body.

Just then, his expression shifted, a hint of guilt creeping into his features. He vented a heavy sigh, his thumb absentmindedly tracing slow circles on her arm. "I’m sorry for yesterday."

Adeline’s head snapped up, her brows knitting together in mild confusion. "What are you sorry for?"

Enzo rubbed the back of his neck, sighing. "This... is kind of my fault. If I hadn’t suggested we check out Vegas first and we had just come here directly, we would’ve met the herbalist in time."

Adeline’s elbow jabbed into his ribs—not hard enough to hurt, but enough to startle him. He winced slightly, placing a hand over the spot.

"Don’t blame yourself, idiot. You couldn’t have known this would happen. It’s not like you can see the future or anything."

Before Enzo could respond, a quiet voice came from beside Adeline.

"Can I sit?"

They both turned to see Adrian standing there.

"Of course," Adeline said quickly, shifting closer to Enzo and patting the empty space beside her.