The Blood Contract-Chapter 13: Sorry in advance

The door creaked softly as it was pushed open, and a man stepped inside the room, his polished shoes clicking against the wooden floor. He was followed closely by a woman carrying a silver tray, its contents hidden beneath a polished dome lid.

Serena's attention was immediately drawn to the rich aroma that filled the air the moment the woman entered. Her stomach growled faintly, and she suspected the tray held food.

The man, however, seemed more preoccupied with her presence. Shock flickered across his face the moment his eyes landed on her, but he quickly masked it, his expression smoothing into one of polite professionalism.

"Ohh... Good morning, ma'am," he began, his tone calm and measured. "I'm sorry, I thought you were still out. That was why I came in."

Serena's brow furrowed as she studied him, her arms folding tightly across her chest. "Who are you?" she demanded, her voice sharp with suspicion.

The man offered a small, reassuring smile. "My name is Darrell Kingston. I am Lucian's personal assistant. I thought that since you were unwell, it would be better to eat in your room and regain your energy instead of expending the little you have by going down to the dining room."

Serena's gaze shifted to the tray, her lips pressing into a thin line. "What is this?" she asked, her tone icy. "Another poison?"

"Poison?" Darrell repeated, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. He turned to glance at the maid behind him, his voice tinged with concern. "Did someone bring poison here? Has anyone brought food to this room?"

The maid shook her head vigorously, her hands tightening around the edges of the tray. "No, sir," she replied, her voice trembling slightly. "No one has come upstairs today. I made sure to instruct them not to disturb the madam. I believe no one approached this floor, even for cleaning."

Serena's confusion deepened. The poison she was referring to was the one she had been given the night before at the council building. She hadn't expected the conversation to take this turn, and now she felt slightly off-balance. Darrell, noticing her expression, let out a soft chuckle.

"The food is not poisoned, ma'am," he assured her, his tone lightening. "But I assure you, even if it is, it would be the tastiest poison you'll ever eat."

Serena hesitated for a moment, then sighed and sat back down on the edge of the bed. She gestured for the maid to bring the tray closer. The aroma was irresistible, and her stomach responded with a low, eager rumble. As the maid set the tray down on the bedside table, Serena couldn't help but feel a pang of hunger.

"I need to go to my house in Viera," she said abruptly, picking up a fork and poking at the food. "I need to get some of my belongings since I'll be living here for now. Can you take me there?"

Darrell's expression shifted slightly, and he cleared his throat. "Viera? You can only get there from here by flying. Boss said I could take you shopping to get anything you need if you are strong enough to go. I would have gone by myself, but I fear I will not be able to match your taste. I am a man, after all."

Serena's eyes narrowed, and she set her fork down with a clink. "So he put me in this mess and is now designating another person to take care of my needs? Why can't he take me shopping himself? Isn't he supposed to be my husband?"

Darrell shifted uncomfortably, his gaze darting around the room as if searching for an escape. "Umm... Boss is a very busy man, ma'am. I don't think he will have time to do that. Please understand."

Serena's lips curled into a bitter smile. "I used to be a very busy woman too, until they barged into my life and halted it. So why should he be comfortable when I am not? Go back and tell your boss to either take me shopping himself or get me a ticket to Viera."

Before Darrell could respond, the door swung open, and Lucian strode into the room. His sharp eyes immediately landed on Serena, taking in the sight of her sitting on the bed, her hair now loose and cascading over her shoulders. He had clearly overheard her last remark, but he chose not to address it directly.

"Boss," Darrell and the maid greeted in unison, their voices tinged with relief.

"Is everyone in this house in the habit of entering other people's rooms without knocking?" Serena asked dryly, her attention fixed on her food as she took another bite.

"Leave. Both of you," Lucian said, his voice firm but calm. Darrell and the maid exchanged a quick glance before bowing slightly and exiting the room, closing the door softly behind them.

At that moment, Lucian's phone rang, the sharp tone cutting through the silence. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered without checking the caller ID. "Yes," he said curtly. "Show him in." He ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket, his gaze returning to Serena.

"How are you feeling now?" he asked, his tone neutral.

Serena looked up at him, her eyes narrowing. "Why are you asking like you care?"

Lucian's expression didn't change. "Don't mistake my intention. I actually do not care. I only asked because I wanted to be sure you will be fit for the journey ahead."

Serena's glare could have melted steel, but before she could retort, a knock echoed through the room. Lucian turned and opened the door, revealing a young man dressed in a pair of eccentric jeans and an oversized t-shirt. His appearance was casual, almost careless, but his demeanor was professional.

"Good morning, Mr. Draven. Good morning, madam," the man greeted, his voice cheerful.

"Morning, Connor," Lucian replied, already unbuttoning the sleeve of his shirt. He rolled it up to reveal a sleek, metallic bracelet around his wrist. Without a word, he extended his arm toward Connor.

"This is a—" Connor began, but Lucian cut him off.

"I know what it is. Get to business."

"Right," Connor said, nodding quickly. He pulled a small, handheld device from his pocket and turned it on. The device emitted a faint hum as he hovered it over Lucian's bracelet, scanning it meticulously. After a moment, he turned it off and looked up. "It's clean. No tracker detected."

"Check hers," Lucian ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Connor nodded and moved toward the bed, stopping just in front of Serena. "I need you to stretch out your arm, madam," he requested politely.

Serena's eyes narrowed. "What for?" she asked, her voice laced with suspicion. She might have had a clue if Connor had been allowed to explain earlier, but the "bossy bastard" in the room had shut him down before he could.

"I need to scan your bracelets," Connor explained patiently.

Serena's frown deepened. "Scan it for what?"

"To check if a tracker is embedded inside," Connor repeated, his tone calm.

"What's the use of the bracelet?" Serena pressed, deciding to cut straight to the point.

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Connor became dumbfounded and confused. He turned his head to look at Lucian before looking back at Serena.

"Umm... Mr. Lucian said—"

"I am not Lucian. My name is Serena, and I'm the one asking," Serena cut him off, and Connor turned once again to look at Lucian.

"Why are you looking at me? Answer her question," Lucian said to him.

"It is a marriage contract band that ensures you have sex whenever you are ovulating," Connor explained.

Serena's eyebrows shot up, and her lips parted in disbelief. "How is a bracelet supposed to do that?" she demanded.

Connor shifted uncomfortably but continued. "It is a smart bracelet that detects when you are ovulating. Once detected, it will release libido enhancers into your bloodstream. It contains one of the strongest enhancers. You will notice it tighten around your wrist when that happens. After that, the rest is up to you."

Serena stared at him, her mind reeling. "Great," she said sarcastically. "They are also trying to force me to get pregnant, like birth control doesn't exist."

Connor hesitated again, then added, "They will know if you use birth control. The bracelet is connected to their system, and once it detects birth control, it will trigger an alarm."

Serena's jaw tightened, but she extended her arm toward him, her expression stormy. Connor quickly scanned the bracelet, the device humming softly as it worked. After a moment, he turned it off and nodded. "This one is also clean. No tracker detected."

"Thank you," Lucian said, his tone dismissive. "You can wait for me downstairs."

Connor gave a quick nod and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Lucian turned back to Serena, his expression unreadable. "We will be attending a council function in three days. I hope you would have recovered by then."

Serena leaned back against the pillows, her arms crossed. "I most definitely will be sick on that day, so I won't be able to attend the function with you. Sorry in advance."

Lucian's lips twitched, but he didn't smile. "Whenever you're ready before that day, you should go with Darrell to pick up a suitable dress for the occasion."

Serena's frown deepened. "Didn't you hear what I said? I am not attending the function."

"I heard you," Lucian replied, his voice calm but firm. "And what you say doesn't matter. We are going together, whether you like it or not."

Without waiting for her response, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving Serena glaring at his back.