My Anti-hero Fairy System-Chapter 83. Type V

Cara drove for ten minutes, glancing at the rearview mirror every so often to check if Dr. Slater was still unconscious. Reaching for her phone, she dialed Joana. The line rang for a while before Joana finally picked up, her voice sharp with irritation.

"Whoever’s calling this number at this hour better have something important to say, or I’ll track you down and make you regret it."

"Shh! Calm down, lady, it’s me," Cara said.

Joana’s tone immediately shifted. "Oh, Kitten! What’s up? Why are you calling?"

"Well, I have a surprise package headed your way," Cara said, glancing at Dr. Slater’s unmoving form in the backseat.

Joana perked up. "What surprise do you have for me, Kitten?"

"I’m bringing you the scientist who created the virus," Cara said, a smirk tugging at her lips. "What do you say about that?"

Joana let out a pleased laugh. "Now you’ve just made my day, Kitten. Come on over."

"I’ll be pulling up in front of your place in about... five, four, three, two—" Cara braked to a smooth stop. "Here I am."

The black Prius idled in front of Joana’s sprawling castle. Within seconds, Joana emerged, dressed in an all-black ensemble that covered her from head to toe. Cara arched a brow, wondering why she had even bothered stepping outside in daylight. Vampires weren’t exactly built for sun exposure.

Joana met Cara’s gaze briefly, offering no explanation as she strode to the car and, without hesitation, opened the back door—like she already knew exactly where to find Dr. Slater.

With effortless strength, Joana lifted the unconscious scientist out of the car as if he weighed nothing more than a loaf of bread. Then, without another word, she carried him inside. Cara followed close behind.

Inside the castle, Joana led her to a secluded room where she swiftly bound Dr. Slater to a chair.

"You keep surprising me, Kitten," Joana purred, peeling off her black outerwear. "And I love it."

Cara leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "That outfit of yours—does it actually protect you from the sun?"

Joana smirked. "Yes, to some extent. But what really helped was the sip of fairy blood I had earlier." She gave Cara a knowing look.

Cara rolled her eyes. "Hopefully, you don’t run out and come begging me to donate again."

Joana chuckled before turning her attention to Dr. Slater, who was just beginning to regain consciousness. His eyes fluttered open, confusion quickly shifting into panic. Tied up and disoriented, he let out a startled scream.

"Hey! Shut up! No one’s coming to save you," Joana snapped.

"What do you want from me? I’m just a simple scientist," Dr. Slater stammered.

Cara and Jackie exchanged amused glances before bursting into laughter.

"You? A simple scientist?" Cara said, her tone cool and menacing. "If that were true, you wouldn’t be here."

Dr. Slater’s eyes flickered between her and Joana, his mind racing. "I’m guessing she’s the vampire and you’re the human?" he asked Cara.

"Yes, I’m human," Cara said evenly. "And I really don’t like your latest invention, Dr. Slater."

"Well," Slater sneered, his fear giving way to defiance, "with traitorous humans like you, who even needs more vampires? You’re siding with vicious beasts over your own kind. That makes you the worst of the worst. All they do is kill, suck, and destroy life."

"Not all vampires are like that. Don’t generalize," Cara shot back.

"There isn’t a vampire alive who hasn’t killed someone," Slater scoffed. "It’s the very source of their existence. And soon enough, she’s going to devour you too."

"You’re quite mouthy for a scientist," Joana mused, trailing a long, sharp fingernail over his lips. "I thought you guys were supposed to be the quiet type."

Cara sighed impatiently. "There’s no need to beat around the bush. I have places to be. So why don’t you just tell us everything about this virus? Like how many humans have it in their system and, more importantly, who funded the experiment? Because I highly doubt you or the government could afford it."

Dr. Slater let out a short, bitter laugh. "You’re wasting your time. I’ll never tell you anything."

Joana smirked. "For someone who must have done extensive research on vampires, you seem to have forgotten one crucial detail, I can make you say or do anything I want, including tell me the truth."

Dr. Slater’s defiance faltered, fear creeping into his expression. Before he could protest, Joana placed her hands on either side of his face. Her eyes darkened as she murmured, "Tell me everything about the virus."

His expression went slack as the words spilled from his lips. "The Type V virus was designed to kill as many vampires as possible. By infecting humans with it, we’ve achieved that goal. So far, one hundred humans have consented to carrying the virus."

Cara and Joana exchanged a glance.

"Who funded your experiment?" Joana asked, her voice sharp.

Dr. Slater’s gaze remained vacant. "Kyle Chesney and Mayor Rudy. They both have it in their systems."

Cara’s stomach clenched. She had suspected Rudy’s involvement, but hearing Kyle’s name yet again made her blood run cold.

"Ask him what their future plans for the virus are," Cara said.

Joana repeated the question, and Slater responded without hesitation. "I don’t know. Whatever Kyle and the mayor are planning, but it is big. They’ve been keeping me in the dark."

Joana removed her hands from his face, her eyes narrowing as she turned to Cara. "That Kyle Chesney character keeps popping up, and I don’t like it."

Cara sighed. "And the worst part? He’s practically untouchable."

Joana crossed her arms. "His wealth and influence make him hard to get to, but that won’t stop me from tearing him apart when the time comes."

"I’m meeting him for coffee tomorrow morning," Cara said.

Joana’s head snapped toward her. "Really? I thought you broke things off with him?" There was an unmistakable edge of jealousy in her tone.

"I did," Cara admitted. "But now I need to spy on him, and I can’t do that without getting close to him again."

Joana’s lips pressed into a thin line. "Be careful, kitten. Be very careful."

Cara gave her a small smirk. "I will be." Then she turned back to Dr. Slater. "Now, what do we do with him? Killing him is out of the question."

Joana’s lips curled into a wicked grin. "Oh, I know just what to do."

Dr. Slater must have sensed the shift in her tone because he suddenly struggled against his restraints, attempting to inch away even though he was completely bound.

"There’s no need to run, Doctor," Joana purred, closing the distance between them. She placed her hands on his face once more and murmured, "You will forget everything that happened here. Every memory of your research will be erased. You will get in your car and go home. Now."

Dr. Slater’s body relaxed as Joana released him. He rose from the floor in a daze, his movements slow and robotic as he shuffled toward the door. Joana guided him outside, watching as he climbed into his car, started the engine, and drove away like a man under a spell.

Cara exhaled, watching the taillights disappear into the night. "That was... disturbingly effective."

—---

—----

That noon in the boardroom of Wesley Incorporated, the shareholders’ meeting had just concluded, and Ashley was beaming with satisfaction. Her proposal for allocating the company’s profit surplus had been accepted by the majority of shareholders. She made her rounds, shaking hands with nearly everyone in the room. However, she wasn’t particularly eager to shake hands with Kyle Chesney. Still, professionalism came first.

When she finally extended her hand, Kyle grasped it firmly, holding on longer than necessary. His piercing gaze met hers as he said, "With every single decision you make for this company, it becomes clearer that you should be the one running it."

"Oh, thank you, Kyle," Ashley responded, keeping her tone polite. "But my father is still in charge, and he’s doing a wonderful job." She tried to pull her hand back, but Kyle held firm.

"Just tell me right now that you’re making a play for the top job, and I promise you’ll get it," Kyle whispered, his voice smooth yet insistent.

Ashley forced a smile. "I’m very flattered by your offer, but my father is doing a great job. I promise, when he isn’t, I’ll step in." This time, she firmly reclaimed her hand.

Kyle exhaled sharply. "It better be you that steps in. Because your brother? Was a disaster. His pitch today felt like he came up with it on the spot. We all couldn’t wait for him to shut the fuck up."

Ashley didn’t react, but their eyes locked for a brief moment before Kyle walked away.

Now, alone in the boardroom with her father, she gathered her documents, preparing to leave. Travis, on the other hand, had disappeared the moment the shareholders’ votes were announced.

Just as she reached for the door, her father’s voice stopped her.

"I’d like to have a word with you."

Ashley turned, meeting his stern expression. "Okay, Dad."

His frown deepened. "Why did you have to make your brother look bad in front of everyone?"

Ashley hesitated, confused. She had simply done her job. What exactly was he accusing her of?