MY SUGAR MUMMY IS A BEAUTIFUL VAMPIRE
Chapter 442 - 442: Let the world burn...

The knock came like thunder despite its restraint, echoing through the walls with that unnatural authority the enforcers carried with them like a badge of fear. Blake and Rose stood in the living room now, Celena between them. The girl clutched her mother's hand, watching the hallway as if sensing a monster behind the door.

"I'll get it," Reggie muttered, already moving.

"No," Rose said quietly.

Her tone made Blake glance at her. She was calm—too calm. Eyes like still ponds before a storm. She stepped forward, smoothing a few strands of Celena's hair down before placing a kiss on her forehead. Then she turned to Blake.

"Take her to Nana. Now."

Blake hesitated. "Rose—"

"Now," she said more sharply, eyes never leaving the door.

Blake took Celena's hand reluctantly and guided her back toward the kitchen. Reggie stood frozen in the hall, watching Rose as though trying to gauge her intent.

"You're not thinking of—"

"They're weak-minded," Rose said. "Lower ranks always are."

Reggie swallowed. "You don't know what Salvador's embedded in their blood. His new batch of enforcers—some are resistant."

Rose gave him a look. "Then we'll find out."

The knock came again. This time more insistent.

Rose opened the door.

Two enforcers stood there—one male, one female, both wearing matte-black uniforms with the Salvadorian crest on their shoulders: a twisted crown entwined with fangs. Their visors hid their expressions, but the tension in their postures betrayed their suspicion.

"Household 317," the male said. "We're here to confirm the presence of two new registrants. Blood scan required."

Rose tilted her head. "Of course."

Her voice was like silk laced with something older than time. As she stepped fully into the doorway, moonlight catching her profile, she seemed to radiate something elemental. Her eyes were now glowing faintly red—met the enforcer's gaze.

"Invite us in," he said, reaching for the scanner.

"No need," Rose murmured. "We're already in your system. No errors. No cause for delay."

The words weren't just spoken—they were woven into the air, slick and heavy like perfume. The male enforcer faltered mid-motion. His partner blinked slowly, as though waking from a dream.

"No... cause..." he echoed, lowering the scanner slightly.

"You'll find everything in order," Rose continued, stepping closer. Her presence was a command, her smile a threat wearing makeup. "We arrived from Europe this morning. No violations. No quarantine breach. Register us here. Now. It will make things easier for you."

There was a long pause. The woman nodded mechanically, withdrawing a portable tablet and tapping through its interface.

"Names?" she asked, voice dull.

"Rose Laurent. Blake Laurent," Rose answered. "Both vampire. No incidents. No infractions."

Blake returned to the hall just in time to hear this. His jaw tightened, but he said nothing.

"Confirmation received," the enforcer muttered, tapping one last input before looking up. "You'll still need to present for blood scan tomorrow."

Rose's eyes narrowed slightly. "You've already seen enough. You've verified."

A pause. Another breath of manipulated silence.

The woman blinked, then straightened. "We've verified."

The male enforcer nodded slowly. "Enjoy your stay. No curfew violations."

They turned in eerie unison and walked back toward the patrol vehicle. Rose closed the door behind them, her hand lingering on the knob for a moment.

Blake was staring at her. "What did you just do?"

She shrugged, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. "Used what I had to. We're not getting detained, not today. Not while Celena sleeps in the next room."

"That was influence," he snapped, keeping his voice low. "You didn't just bend them—you rewrote the moment."

"It worked," she said coolly, brushing past him. "They'll forget us before their car's out of sight."

He caught her wrist gently but firmly. "That's not how we used to do things, Rose."

She looked at his hand. "Then maybe the way we used to do things got us trapped in the spirit world."

The silence between them was heavy.

"I'm taking Celena to bed," she added, voice softer now. "She wants to show me her sketches. You should talk to Reggie. He has things to say."

She didn't wait for his reply, slipping into the kitchen and returning moments later with Celena curled in her arms, the girl already half-asleep. Rose mouthed later to Blake as she carried their daughter upstairs, footsteps silent as breath.

Blake remained in the hall until Reggie emerged from the shadows near the door.

"You going to yell at her?" Reggie asked.

"No," Blake said, rubbing a hand through his hair. "What's the point?"

They moved to the living room, each dropping into an aging armchair that creaked beneath the weight of memory more than body. Blake stared into the darkness outside the window.

"She's changed," he said finally.

"We all have," Reggie replied. "Except maybe Celena. She's still got hope. Still sees good and evil in simple lines."

Blake exhaled, leaning back. "What about Randal? I thought he'd be here."

Reggie's face tightened. "He's... not the same. Hasn't been since Salvador killed Gunther. That broke something in him."

"For me, Nana keeps me in check."

"That is good. I'm happy for you, Reggie" Blake said.

"But he on the other hand has got nobody. He's gone nomadic. Won't stay in one place long. Doesn't call. Doesn't answer. Just leaves messages on open lines every few weeks. Half of them aren't even coherent."

Blake frowned. "That's not like him."

"No," Reggie agreed. "But none of this is like anything. When you and Rose vanished, he tried to lead. Then the council cracked. With Gunther dead, Randal's been burning from the inside ever since."

"He's chasing something?"

"Maybe. Or running from what's left."

Blake looked up toward the stairs. "He cared about Celena."

"He still does," Reggie said. "But caring and coping aren't always on speaking terms. You'll see what I mean when you find him."

Blake didn't answer. He sat in silence, listening to the soft creak of floorboards above—Rose moving through Celena's room, humming low under her breath.

The world had changed.

But not all of it.

Not the things worth fighting for.

Not the people worth burning down kingdoms for.