章節 23: Facility 53

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Vikki was on her knees inspecting what was left of the dust-covered fireplace when she heard the door slam. She ran to the front to say goodbye to Alex, but by the time she stepped into the yard, he was already gone!

"That jerk," she pouted as she pulled out her phone.

<Where's my kiss?!> She sent a quick message to him, not expecting a reply, before shifting to more important matters

She stepped outside and looked at the old home.

The young woman sent a few text messages to her personal assistant and returned inside where she could relax. She wouldn't be able to keep the calm demeanor today, so Vikki decided to enjoy it while it lasted.

Walking back to the master bedroom, she glanced at the sledgehammer one last time and sighed, 'Alex…'

She spent a short while cleaning, making sure nothing embarrassing was left in the open, knowing Trent may stop by, and decided to put her feet up while she waited. She eventually settled in the living room and sat on the dusty couch, she couldn't be happier.

The house may not be as extravagant as the home she grew up in, but it was Alex's! That connection was important to her.

It did hurt that he asked Trent to move in before her, but she set that aside for the moment. She assumed that their relationship was more organic than official. She would start with a drawer in the master bathroom, and some day they'll be kicking Trent out to make a nursery.

Less than an hour had passed while she browsed the internet on her phone, looking for new furniture ideas to show her man and Trent when she heard a knock on the door.

"Finally! What's the point in renting an apartment so close if you can't even get here quickly," She shouted as she hurried to the door and swung it open, only to see her assistant standing disheveled and agitated as if she hadn't slept all night.

"Cynthia, what's wrong?" Vikki asked.

"Nothing, ma'am, I'm sorry, I just… sorry." Cynthia refused to look the young lady in the eyes as she shifted in place.

"Cynthia!" She raised her voice and slapped the woman. "I am not my mother. If you cannot handle yourself, you will not work in public and you'll be sent back."

She gripped her chin and forced the pitiful employee to look into her eyes, "Is that what you want?"

"No, please… don't do that." She hunched away from the petite woman in fear of the threat.

"Good, now take this supplement. You'll be fine. You don't have to act like an animal. We're better than that. I want us to be better than that!" Vikki took a small red pill out of her pocket and handed it to the shifty assistant.

"T–t-hank you!" She immediately swallowed it like an addict and stopped in place, savoring the ecstasy.

A calm washed over her as her shifting stopped instantly. Her entire persona changed as she quickly fixed her appearance and straightened out her blouse. "My apologies, ma'am, it won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't." Vikki didn't dwell on the topic and stepped out of the home, toward the car.

Leaving her assistant at the house, she approached a luxurious SUV as an elderly man in a suit stepped out and opened the rear door. Bowing and greeting the young woman as she entered the vehicle, the man seemed extremely respectful, the complete opposite of her assistant.

"Take me to mother," she instructed her driver without acknowledging him.

Her fingers fiddled away at the device in her hands as rhythmic beats echoed through the vehicle with each tap. She was fascinated by a simple game that required her to press black tiles as she leaned back into the comfortable leather interior. The seat warmers lulled her into a relaxed state.

The vehicle slowed down slightly as the music was turned off. "Isn't that young Alexander jogging? Should we pick him up?"

"What are you doing? Let him jog in peace! I'm not that clingy! Don't let him see us, just keep going!" She quickly slid down in her seat, hiding under the windows, hoping her boyfriend didn't think she was spying on him.

…

Time passed as Vikki browsed the internet and played games on her cell phone, bored now that her lover was busy. Normally, she'd call and gossip with Layla, but she wasn't confident that they were still friends. Neither one of them had spoken to each other since that night, and it felt awkward.

She was embarrassed by what had occurred, but she also knew how the poor girl felt about Alex. Vikki wasn't sure that Layla could handle not being with him after such an intimate night, but as a close friend, she needed to reach out to her.

"The voicemail box of the person you are trying to call is currently…"

The call immediately went to voicemail, indicating that her cell phone was currently turned off.

'That lazy woman! She's not even checking her voicemail?' Vikki sighed and thought of driving to her house.

There was little she could do if she couldn't get a hold of her friend.

<We're still friends, right?>

Deciding that sending her a couple of text messages was the best she could do at the moment, the young vampire reached out and left it at that. It would be up to her friend to respond.

As she looked up from her phone, she felt the car slow down and realized she must have arrived at her destination. Glancing out the window, she wasn't surprised to see that she wasn't at the mansion but was at one of the many high-rise buildings that the family owned.

"We've arrived at Facility 53. Your mother is downstairs," the driver informed her as he opened the door.

After she exited the vehicle, he returned to his position behind the wheel. He left her standing outside the building—alone.

"Great, she knows I hate this place." Vikki stared at the tall 50-story monster with disdain.

It was a simple concrete and steel rectangle covered in windows, almost unrecognizable from any other high rises in town. Still, the sign reading "Copperland Research" made her snarl.

Stepping inside through the huge glass doors, Vikki was greeted with the familiar sight of a fountain with red-dyed water, making her stomach churn, 'Do they have to flaunt it so much?'

"May I help you, Miss Vikki?"