Too Late, Mr. Vampire Boss

Adrian was a four-hundred-year-old vampire, and also my boss.

He always thought time was the cheapest commodity he had.

So he had no qualms about keeping me hidden in the dark for five years, no qualms about destroying my promotion in the name of "protecting" me, and no qualms about favoring a young girl who looked just like me.

He thought that as long as the danger passed, as long as he was willing to hand out a little compensation, I would stay right where I was and wait for him forever.

That is, until I cleared out my apartment overnight, cut off all contact, and completely vanished from his world.

He panicked.

He spent two years clearing every obstacle, surrendering all his power and wealth, just begging for me to spare him a single glance.

Beneath the New Year's Eve fireworks, he pleaded humbly, "I can wait. Ten years, twenty years, as long as you need..."

I took a step back, putting distance between us. "I used to love you very much, but love is not an exemption from consequences."

At that moment, he finally understood: for an immortal like him, his long life had, for the very first time, become the cruelest punishment of all.

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Chapter 1

The air conditioning in the conference room was turned down low.

Sitting at the far end of the long table, Claire stared at the personnel appointment notice on the screen, her fingertips growing cold inch by inch.

The name under Brand Director was not hers.

"Congratulations, Lily!"

The applause started from the Client Relations department and quickly spread across the room. Lily Hart stood up, covering her mouth in surprise, her eyes shining like glass beads.

"Oh my god, I didn't expect this at all."

She had only been with the company for ten months, promoted from Client Relations Specialist to Manager. Although it wasn't the Brand Director position Claire had competed for, she was the only person announced for a promotion in this round. Everyone knew what this meant: it showed exactly who management was betting their budget and resources on.

Lily turned to Claire with a sweet smile.

"Claire, I still have so much to learn from you."

Claire closed her laptop. "Congratulations."

Only Claire knew that the brand upgrade proposal on the projector—the one that had the executives nodding in approval—was almost entirely the work of her team, from market research and visual positioning to the annual communication strategy.

She had prepared for this bid for four months.

After the meeting, colleagues surrounded Lily. Some offered flowers; others were already discussing where to celebrate that night. Claire walked against the crowd back to her cubicle and packed the printed proposal on her desk into a folder, page by page.

Her name was printed in the bottom right corner of the cover.

Six years ago, when Adrian first took over the company, the board of directors doubted him for being too young. They didn't believe an heir who habitually worked at night and rarely showed his face during the day could control the situation. It was Claire who turned down a high-paying offer in New York to stay, rebuild the company's brand for him, and help him survive the most chaotic two years.

Back then, he said that once the company found its footing, he would give her the position she deserved.

Now the company had found its footing, but her position was left empty.

Her phone buzzed.

It was a message from Adrian.

"I have plans tonight. I'll contact you later."

No comfort, no explanation.

Claire stared at the line of text and finally just replied, "Okay."

When she got off work, Chicago was still suffocating under a rare heatwave. The glass facades reflected the setting sun onto the streets, and heat radiated upward from the cracks in the pavement. As soon as Claire walked out of the building, her vision blurred for a second.

During her physical exam last month, the doctor had warned her about severe anemia and told her to avoid prolonged sun exposure. She originally planned to call a car, but the app showed a wait time of at least forty minutes.

Adrian was also heading back to the lakefront apartment tonight.

She hesitated for a moment, then dialed his number.

It rang five times before he picked up.

"What's wrong?"

There were voices in the background, and he kept his voice very low.

"I'm not feeling well," Claire said, holding onto a railing by the street. "Are you heading home? If it's on your way, could you pick me up?"

The other end was silent for two seconds.

"I can, but don't wait at the company entrance."

Claire closed her eyes. "Why?"

"The promotions were just announced, and the lobby is full of colleagues. If we're seen leaving together right now, it will cause unnecessary gossip."

They had been dating in secret for five years. Initially, it was because of Adrian's family; later, it was to avoid workplace controversy. Eventually, whenever she asked when they could stop hiding, he always found a new excuse.

Watching the colleagues pouring out of the revolving doors, Claire asked quietly, "Then where should I go?"

"Three blocks away, at the intersection of Madison and Franklin. I'll be there in ten minutes."

He hung up.

Clutching the folder to her chest, Claire walked along the scorching pavement. She was wearing the stilettos she had prepared for her promotion presentation, and every step felt like walking on a hot iron plate.

Ten minutes.

She repeated the number in her head, just like the countless times over the past five years she had believed Adrian when he said, "Just wait a little longer."

There was no shade at the street corner. She leaned against a brick wall, the sunlight piercing through the gap between the buildings and landing directly on her. Sweat slid down the back of her neck into her collar, and her heartbeat grew faster and faster.

Ten minutes passed. Adrian didn't show up.

Claire texted to ask where he was.

No reply.

Twenty minutes later, she called once. No one answered.

Forty minutes later, all the color had drained from her lips. Tiny black spots flickered at the edges of her vision. She had to crouch down, pressing her forehead against the cool surface of her folder.

A black sedan drove out of the company's underground garage in the distance.

Claire recognized the license plate.

She braced herself against the wall to stand up and was about to raise her hand when the car pulled over at the company's side entrance.

Lily, wearing a pale yellow dress, trotted down the steps. Adrian personally opened the passenger door for her and took out a light gray parasol from the car.

Claire's hand froze in mid-air.

She had picked out that umbrella for Adrian last year. His initials were engraved on the inside of the handle.

Now, Lily was holding it as she sat in the passenger seat.

And Adrian never once looked anywhere else.