Chapter 4
1414words
Without sparing the troublemakers a glance, he gazed at Luna with unmistakable tenderness, those extraordinary eyes filled with absolute confidence.
He smoothed the crumpled receipt, took the calculator, and addressed the crowd with a flawless smile:
"Since there seems to be some confusion about the total, perhaps I should verify the calculations for everyone?"
He didn't argue or show anger—instead, with aristocratic poise, he methodically explained each discount rule and demonstrated every calculation step.
His fingers moved across the calculator with fluid precision, his voice clear and authoritative, each step irrefutable.
In under a minute, the final figure appeared—matching Luna's calculation to the penny.
The checkout area fell deathly silent.
Asher set down the calculator and finally turned to the now-pale ringleader. His smile remained intact, but had transformed into something colder than midwinter frost.
"It appears there's been a misunderstanding," he said with deadly gentleness. "In the future, miss, I suggest you check your facts more carefully. You nearly caused my girlfriend unnecessary distress."
With that, he extracted a black card from his wallet and handed it to the still-stunned Luna.
"Everything these ladies and everyone behind them are purchasing today will be charged to my account," he announced, his voice carrying effortlessly to everyone in line. "Consider it my apology for the time wasted during this... confusion."
The tormentors' faces cycled from white to green to purple, yet they remained speechless.
Asher paid them no further attention, instead remaining quietly at Luna's side until she'd processed every customer and completed her shift.
Then he took her hand and, under countless conflicted stares, led her away from the scene of her former humiliation.
The days with Asher unfolded like a dream submerged in honey.
He took her to do all the typical couple activities, but with his own distinctive flair, transforming even mundane moments into extraordinary memories.
They went to movies.
Asher rented entire theaters so she could experience films in perfect, undisturbed solitude.
He introduced her to cuisines she'd never dreamed existed.
He treated her like royalty—pulling out chairs, cutting her food, remembering every preference she'd ever casually mentioned.
He even revealed occasional glimpses of playfulness.
One evening while strolling through campus, he asked her to wait on a bench while he fetched water.
Minutes later, a shadowy figure leapt from the bushes behind her with a menacing growl.
Luna screamed in terror, only to find Asher doubled over with laughter.
Half-furious, half-amused, she chased him, pummeling him with ineffectual fists while he laughed, eventually catching her in an embrace and planting an apologetic kiss on her forehead.
These tender moments caused Luna to fall hopelessly, completely in love.
She believed herself the luckiest girl alive, blessed with the most perfect partner imaginable.
Yet simultaneously, she began noticing Asher's intense possessiveness.
One afternoon, Luna was struggling with a stack of heavy textbooks alongside several classmates.
A well-meaning male classmate, noticing her difficulty, stepped forward to take half her burden.
At the corner of the academic building, they encountered Asher.
His smile froze momentarily at the sight. He approached with his usual grace, took the books from the young man's hands, and said simply: "I'll take these."
He nodded politely in thanks, but his eyes had turned to frozen gemstones.
Walking back, Asher remarked casually: "You should avoid that particular classmate. I've heard his personal conduct is questionable—apparently he pursues multiple women simultaneously."
Luna found this odd—the classmate had always maintained an impeccable reputation. But noting Asher's furrowed brow, she attributed it to simple jealousy, which secretly thrilled her. She nodded agreeably, dismissing the matter.
But things began to feel... wrong.
Under Asher's protection, Luna realized her world was steadily shrinking.
Her former poverty had left her friendless, and now Asher's presence made new friendships impossible. No one dared approach the president's chosen companion.
Until a transfer student named Susan arrived.
Vivacious and uninhibited, completely oblivious to campus politics and hierarchies, she quickly befriended Luna.
During PE, they were paired for sit-ups. Susan held Luna's feet, counting enthusiastically between encouraging shouts, sweat glistening on her face, the interaction warm and genuine.
Luna hadn't experienced such uncomplicated female friendship in years.
However, as she completed her final repetition and Susan pulled her upright with a grin, Luna spotted Asher watching from nearby.
His expression was disturbing—not his usual charming smile, but a dark, cold look she'd never seen before.
"Asher?" Luna approached hesitantly, suddenly anxious.
Asher completely ignored Susan, focusing solely on Luna with barely contained fury: "Who is she?"
"My friend, Susan," Luna explained. "We were just—"
"Friend?" Asher cut her off. "You have me. Why do you need anyone else?"
Luna stared in disbelief: "Susan's a girl. We're just—"
"I'm asking why you need anyone else," he pressed, those beautiful eyes swirling with an obsessive intensity she couldn't comprehend. "Am I not enough? Just me?"
Luna was utterly bewildered. Why would he be jealous of another woman? She just wanted a normal friendship—nothing more.
That day marked their first serious argument. Luna fled in tears.
That evening, Asher found her, wearing that vulnerable expression she could never withstand.
He held her, apologizing repeatedly: "I'm sorry, Luna. I just... I'm terrified of losing you. When I see you close to someone else, I lose my mind. Please forgive me."
Seeing his seemingly fragile state, Luna's resolve crumbled instantly. Her anger evaporated, replaced by overwhelming sympathy. She embraced him, comforted him, and ultimately forgave him.
They reconciled. She believed that with enough love, she could gradually help him develop security and trust.
She couldn't know that in Asher's mind, every smile she gave others, every moment spent with friends, was theft—stealing attention that rightfully belonged to him alone.
For their three-month anniversary, Asher planned an elaborate surprise.
"This weekend, will you come to my estate?" His voice overflowed with tender affection. "A weekend just for us."
Luna agreed with eager anticipation.
Asher's estate perched on a remote mountainside—a Gothic mansion surrounded by dense forest, isolated from civilization.
A roaring fire illuminated the great room, the dining table set for an elegant candlelit dinner, classical music drifting through the air.
Everything felt romantically surreal, almost too perfect to be genuine.
After dinner, Asher took her hand and led her deeper into the mansion.
"I have another gift to show you," he smiled enigmatically.
He pushed open a massive oak door, revealing a chamber worthy of medieval royalty. Velvet draperies, an ornate vanity, plush carpets, but... no windows.
While Luna was still absorbing the opulence, the door behind her clicked shut as Asher locked it from outside.
Her heart plummeted.
"Asher?" She turned anxiously. "What are you—"
Asher leaned against the door, his perfect smile vanishing completely.
His eyes had darkened to bottomless pits, fixed on her throat with none of their usual warmth or charm.
"Asher, you're frightening me." Luna's voice quavered.
He didn't respond. Like an animal breaking free of restraints, he lunged at her with savage intensity.
Gone was his elegant, measured movement—replaced by something frenzied, desperate, and awkward, yet carrying unstoppable force.
"Ah!" Luna slammed against the wall, pain shooting through her back.
The creature before her didn't kiss—it devoured, teeth scraping and tearing rather than lips caressing.
His mouth was ice-cold, his movements brutal, utterly devoid of his customary tenderness.
Beneath his familiar cedar scent, Luna detected something primal and predatory that chilled her to the marrow.
His face was expressionless, those once-beautiful eyes now burning with desolate madness.
He pinned her brutally against the wall, savagely mauling her mouth with animalistic ferocity.
This wasn't passion. It was predation.
"Why did you disobey?" He growled against her ear like a feral creature. "Why do you always try to escape me? Why?"
Terror and pain froze Luna's body.
She struggled frantically, then felt something sharp pierce her lip. In the dim light, she saw... at the corners of Asher's mouth, two razor-sharp fangs extending—like something from a horror film!
"No..."
"No... please don't..." Luna fought in panic, but his arm held her like a steel vise.
The next instant, searing pain tore through her neck.
Pain and sudden blood loss darkened her vision. Through the haze, she saw Asher's shoulders convulsing violently as he gulped greedily. This man who normally spoke in gentle murmurs now fed like a feral beast, draining her very life force.
In the depths of primal terror, Luna blacked out.
