Vampire Queen : Fated Love

Back in the main hall, the atmosphere had shifted. The laughter and conversations that once filled the air had turned into whispers and uneasy glances, all because of Josh's drunken outburst.

Adi and George, both visibly frustrated, managed to guide Josh toward the back of the mansion. His drunken state made it difficult for him to stand on his own, and every step was a struggle as they helped him stumble to his bedroom.

Max William, who had been busy managing the ceremony and making sure everything went smoothly, now stood at the center of the hall, his face tight with anger. His eyes flickered toward the direction where Josh had been moments ago. The embarrassment Josh had caused was undeniable, and Max knew this would only add fuel to the rumors surrounding his family.

But for the sake of appearances, Max swallowed his fury. He had to keep up the smiley face—especially for the sake of his daughter, Tara, and the rest of the guests. His eyes burned with the desire to reprimand Josh later, but that moment wasn't now. Instead, he took a deep breath, gathered his composure, and excused himself from the center of the room.

"Ruhr, Eithan, Tara," Max called out, trying to focus on the ongoing ceremony and regain control over the situation.

" Yes , Uncle" —Ruhr response!!

" Yeah , Dad " — Eithan response!!

Tara simply look back to see her father calling her !!

Ruhr, noticing the tension in the air, smiled awkwardly and nodded to Max. He'd always been good at keeping things light, but even he couldn't ignore the palpable discomfort Josh's actions had caused. Still, he tried to keep things moving forward.

Meanwhile, Eithan stood beside his sister Tara, engaging in polite conversation with Rocky. Eithan's usual cool demeanor remained, but even he couldn't ignore the awkwardness that now surrounded the ceremony. Tara, ever the composed figure, tried her best to smile and keep things light, but the events of the evening were clearly weighing on her as well.

---

Just then, the door to the hall opened slightly, and Albert, Ruhr's younger brother, stepped in. He was holding a glass of milk, looking almost carefree as he took a swig, the drink in his hand contrasting sharply with the tension in the room. As soon as he entered, his eyes landed on his sister, Tara, and with a mischievous grin, he made his way over to her.

Albert, at 20 years old, still had a boyish charm about him. His childish behavior often lightened the mood, and he knew how to make people laugh even in the most serious of situations. With his trademark grin, he grabbed his sister's hand as if nothing had happened and pulled her towards him.

---

"Tara! You look so serious today! Are you sure you're not going to enjoy the party?" —Albert said, his voice playful and teasing.

Tara rolled her eyes, but there was a faint smile tugging at her lips. —

"Albert, How sweet of you?" she replied, though she appreciated his effort to distract her from the awkwardness.

Albert didn't respond immediately. Instead, he took another sip from his milk and then, in his usual carefree manner, said, —

"We're all family here, right? Let's not let some drunken idiot ruin a perfectly good night." —His words were light-hearted, but there was an underlying sincerity in them that Tara could feel.

Ruhr, who had been watching the exchange between his siblings, chuckled softly.

"You're always the one to bring the fun back, aren't you, Albert?" —he remarked, trying to lighten the mood.

Albert's grin widened, and he gave Ruhr a playful shrug.— "Someone has to, right? You guys look like you need it."

As the laughter filled the air again, even just for a moment, the tension in the room seemed to ease. Josh's earlier antics were still fresh in everyone's minds, but the arrival of Albert had brought back a bit of normalcy to the gathering.

"Let's not let this night go to waste," Albert said, looking around the room.

"Come on, Tara, let's go dance and enjoy ourselves. Who knows? Maybe we'll find a way to make this party enjoyable."

Tara hesitated for a moment but, seeing the smile on her younger brother's face, she finally gave in. "Alright, fine. Let's go."

---

Albert confidently grabbed the mic from the singer mid-performance, interrupting the melody that had been playing. His carefree grin spread across his face as he faced the audience.

"Give me the mic! It's my turn now!" —he declared, much to the surprise of the guests. His voice carried an excited edge, and his childlike enthusiasm was contagious to some—though a few looked on in confusion.

Albert's siblings, Ruhr and Tara, exchanged amused glances, while Max let out a sigh, muttering under his breath,— "Here we go again."

The room grew silent, and all eyes were on Albert as he adjusted the microphone. The band paused, uncertain if they should follow his lead. Tara covered her mouth, trying to suppress a giggle, while Ruhr whispered to Eithan, —"This is going to be a disaster."

Albert stood tall, his chest puffed out, and began his performance.

"♪ Flowers and trees, dancing with bees,

A house so big, with parties so rigged! ♪

My milk is sweet, my feet don't cheat,

And this party is neat, so clap your feet! ♪"

His voice was off-key, and the lyrics were completely nonsensical. The guests stared in stunned silence, unsure whether to laugh or cringe. A few couldn't hold it in and burst into quiet chuckles.

"♪ Rocky's got a ring, but can he even sing?

Tara looks great, and I'm never late! ♪

Josh is drunk, like a silly old skunk,

But hey, let's have fun, this party's not done! ♪"

Albert sang with full energy, swaying to the beat he seemed to hear in his own head. By now, Ruhr and Tara were struggling to keep their composure, both laughing so hard that tears streamed down their faces.

"Albert! Stop embarrassing us!" Max finally called out, though his stern tone was undercut by the amused smirk on his face.

But Albert was in his zone. "♪ I'm the star tonight, under the light,

If you don't like my song, well, you're not right! ♪"

---

The crowd burst into laughter at this point. Even the strictest of the guests couldn't help but smile at Albert's sheer enthusiasm. His family, despite being mortified by his performance, was laughing along with everyone else. Alia had her hand on her forehead, shaking her head but grinning nonetheless.

When Albert finally finished, he took a dramatic bow. The room erupted in a mix of cheers, applause, and laughter. Some were clapping just to encourage him, while others couldn't stop giggling at the absurdity of the situation.

"Thank you! Thank you! I'll be here all night!"— Albert said, handing the mic back to the stunned singer he had interrupted. The singer gave him a hesitant pat on the shoulder, muttering, —"That was… something."

Albert returned to his family with a triumphant smile. "So? How was it?" —he asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"You're unbelievable," Tara said, still laughing. "That was the worst thing I've ever heard, but it might have saved this party."

"Well," —Ruhr added, smirking,

"at least you made people laugh. Josh couldn't even manage that."

Albert beamed with pride. Max sighed deeply, trying to maintain his composure. "You're lucky people find you charming,—" he muttered, shaking his head.

---

As the evening grew calmer, Sarah finally stepped into the main hall, her father Leo walking beside her. The air was lighter now, filled with laughter and conversation. Alia noticed Sarah's entrance almost immediately and felt a wave of relief.

"Sarah, you're here!" Alia said warmly, approaching with a smile. Her gaze flicked to Leo, and she added, "I'm glad you both could join us tonight."

Leo nodded politely, replying, "Thank you for supporting Sarah , Madam Alia."

Sarah maintained her composed demeanor, hiding the turmoil bubbling beneath the surface. She smiled sweetly and said,— "It's an honor to be part of such a joyous occasion but some people ruin it."

Before the conversation could continue, Eithan appeared, his vibrant energy filling the room. He moved towards Sarah with an almost carefree gait, a grin plastered on his face.

---

"Hey, uh, Sarah, right?" he said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

"Look, I just wanted to say sorry for my idiot brother earlier. Josh can be a real… handful." He chuckled, his tone light but genuine.

"He doesn't think before he acts. Like, at all."

Sarah's gaze flicked to Eithan, her smile unwavering but her thoughts sharp. So this is the infamous older brother. Annoying, loud… and yet strangely honest.

"It's fine," Sarah said softly, her voice measured.

"Things like that happen in the heat of the moment. No harm done."

Eithan grinned wider, completely oblivious to the faint edge in her tone. "Glad to hear it! You're pretty cool, Sarah. I can see why Josh likes you." He gave her a thumbs-up, as though that settled everything.

Sarah's smile didn't falter, though her mind was already calculating. So naive… he's nothing like his brother. But his simplicity might make him dangerous in other ways.

"Well, I'll leave you to enjoy the party," —Eithan said cheerfully.

"Ruhr, let's go check on Rocky!" —He grabbed his friend by the arm, and the two disappeared into the crowd.

---

As Sarah relaxed slightly, she felt a gentle tug on her hand. Looking down, she saw Albert, his innocent eyes wide with curiosity.

"Hi," —Albert said, holding her hand tightly as though she might disappear.

"You're really pretty. Will you play with me?"

Sarah blinked, momentarily caught off guard by his sincerity. She glanced at Leo, who gave her a slight nod. For the next few minutes, she knelt beside Albert, letting him chatter away about random things—his favorite toys, how much he loved milk, and how he thought the flowers in the garden looked like stars.

"You're funny, and also you have a nice voice" —Sarah said gently, ruffling his hair. "But I think your family is looking for you now."

Albert smiled brightly, releasing her hand. "Okay! Bye-bye, pretty lady!"— He ran off, his laughter echoing through the hall.

Sarah straightened, her expression calm but her mind racing. So this is the family I'll be infiltrating. Each of them is so different… but I'll use whatever it takes to destroy them.

As the ceremony wound down, the guests began to leave. The once-bustling hall grew quieter, the remnants of laughter and music fading into the night.

Leo and Sarah exchanged a look as they prepared to leave as well.

"Did you learn what you needed?" —Leo asked in a low voice.

Sarah nodded, her expression unreadable.— "More than I expected."

With that, they stepped out into the cool night air, their next move already forming in Sarah's mind. The game had just begun.