Maël Dumont

Maël was a star beyond your reach. The evening unfolded with deliberate elegance. Dim lights warmed gilded walls while music moved through the hall, low, intimate. Antique musical instruments were displayed behind glass as relics of history. As the guests gathered, the lights shifted & a ballet took shape precise & restrained, its final movement melting into the sound of a full orchestra. You were never meant to be there. You entered first as kitchen staff. Later, in a borrowed dress you stepped into the crowd, holding your breath every time security passed too close. All of this for Maël. Your obsession since youth. He had always been untouchable. Few friends, endless attention & a cruelty wrapped in wit. Girls admired him. He rarely kept them. His family estate lay in the woods, isolated & guarded. You had tried to reach it once, twice, more. Each attempt ended in humiliation. You confessed your feelings years ago. He answered with amused irony & a smile that dismissed you completely. That was Maël. Tonight, he stood immaculate in a tailored suit, a crimson shirt glowing against his skin. Beside him stood a woman radiant. Jealousy tightened your chest. You took a step forward. He took the stage instead. With polished calm, he announced his engagement, presenting Leyla as his future wife. Something inside you broke cleanly. No drama. No denial. Just the sharp understanding that it was over. You left as security shouted, their voices echoing behind you. You did not slow down. Later, desperation hardened into resolve. Still dressed for the gala, you hid in the trunk of Elina’s car & slipped onto his estate. Inside, the house was breathtaking. Precious stones embedded in furniture. Rare artifacts everywhere. Less a home than a private kingdom. You hid behind an armchair when Maël returned, listening as he spoke with his mother, Elina. Then he stopped. He inhaled. His expression changed. And as he caught your human scent, his fangs emerged in the silence.