MY SUGAR MUMMY IS A BEAUTIFUL VAMPIRE

As they trailed behind Gladys, the air crackled with tension, thick with unspoken words and lingering resentment. Damien's voice sliced through the silence like a dagger, his words laced with subtle disdain.

"Never knew you to be petty," he remarked, his tone dripping with derision.

Rose, her gaze fixed on the elegant figure of Gladys ahead, remained steadfastly silent. Though the barb stung, she refused to let it show, her mask of composure firmly in place.

Damien, sensing her silence, pressed on, his words cutting deeper with each passing moment. "You know, you are not exactly the favorite child to spawn from the Shelly household. If I were you, I'd keep it on the low."

Rose's jaw tightened imperceptibly, a flicker of emotion crossing her features before she schooled her expression once more. Though his words struck a nerve, she refused to rise to the bait, unwilling to engage in the petty squabbles that threatened to undermine their purpose.

Instead, she focused her attention on Gladys, studying her every move with a keen eye. There was something about the way she carried herself, a regal grace that spoke volumes of her power and authority.

As they continued their silent procession through the corridors of the castle Rose couldn't help but clench her fists.

Gladys, this woman, was her own mother, but somehow, with all that had happened in the past, the two acted like strangers. It wasn't like they were ever close to begin with, but Rose could tell that any delusion of reconciliation had come crashing down.

The animosity between them ran deep, fueled by the scars of past betrayals. Even the thought of calling Gladys her mother made Rose's stomach churn with revulsion. After all, she hadn't forgotten what Gladys had done to her, the wounds still fresh in her memory.

Thankfully, she didn't have to endure the toxic air of their strained relationship any longer as they approached a large door guarded by two imposing vampires. The guards bowed their heads respectfully as Gladys approached, acknowledging her authority with a deferential nod.

"Lord Damien requests an audience with Lord Marlowe," Gladys announced, her voice carrying the weight of her command. "Allow us entry if he isn't occupied, and if he is, inform him of our presence."

The vampire knights, sworn to serve the royal class, nodded in understanding, their expressions betraying no hint of emotion as they moved to open the door. Behind them lay the inner sanctum of power, where the fate of kingdoms was decided and alliances forged in blood.

Damien's demeanor exuded an aura of calculated mischief as he seized every opportunity to needle Rose. With a subtle smirk dancing upon his lips, he beckoned Gladys back with an alluring charm, his piercing gaze flickering momentarily toward Rose, who wore a mask of confusion and apprehension.

It was clear that Damien derived a perverse pleasure from stoking the flames of discord between mother and daughter, reveling in the turmoil he had incited.

As Gladys turned to face them once more, Damien's smile widened, his tone laced with subtle sarcasm as he addressed her. "My dear Gladys," he began, his voice dripping with honeyed deceit, "I fear Rose may find the proceedings rather dull in our esteemed company." His words were carefully chosen, intended to provoke a reaction from both Gladys and Rose alike.

Damien's grin only widened at her response, his gaze flickering mischievously between mother and daughter. "Ah, but surely a mother-daughter reunion is long overdue," he remarked with feigned innocence, his words dripping with sarcasm.

Gladys, her expression tinged with exasperation, glanced briefly at Rose before turning back to Damien. "I highly doubt Rose is interested in idle gossip and frivolous chatter," she retorted, her tone clipped and dismissive.

Undeterred by Gladys's response, Damien persisted with his manipulative agenda. "Nevertheless, I insist that both of you take some time off," he declared, his voice smooth yet insistent. "Our discussions are of utmost confidentiality, and I would hate to have any distractions."

He then turned his attention directly to Rose, his tone taking on a condescending edge. "Surely, Rose, you would love to catch up with your dear mother," he suggested, a hint of mockery in his voice. "After all, you're always yapping about Gladys."

This final jab was the last straw for Rose, her patience wearing thin. As she opened her mouth to speak, Damien cut her off with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Please, love, you need to rest now," he interjected, his words dripping with false concern. "Don't make me begin to explain to your sweet mother now why you desperately need some rest, mmh?" Damien said, flashing a devilishly handsome grin.

Rose could barely contain her rage at this point. Was this over-pampered vampire aristocrat threatening her with her most prized secret? Urgh!!! She just wanted to take his head off his body that moment!

It was a deliberate jab aimed squarely at Rose, a calculated attempt to exacerbate the tension between mother and daughter and further undermine their fragile relationship.

Gladys, though no stranger to Damien's manipulative tactics, found herself torn. While she shared Rose's reluctance to spend time together, she was wary of defying Damien, acutely aware of the consequences of provoking his ire. Despite her reservations, she acquiesced to his suggestion with a resigned nod, her expression betraying a mixture of weariness and reluctance.

Turning away from Damien, Gladys fixed Rose with a withering glare, her tone laced with thinly veiled disdain as she spoke. "Come with me," she said curtly, her words carrying an air of condescension and indignation. It was clear that Gladys regarded the prospect of accompanying Rose with disdain, viewing it as nothing more than an inconvenience.

Rose, for her part, bristled at her mother's haughty demeanor, her jaw set in a firm line as she fought to suppress her mounting frustration. As she followed Gladys in silence, her expression remained stoic, though the simmering resentment bubbling beneath the surface was palpable.

Damien's calculated maneuver had succeeded in deepening the rift between mother and daughter, leaving Rose seething with anger and resentment at the manipulation she had endured.

She turned one last time to look at Damien, who was heading into his meeting with Lord Marlowe, and saw him wink at her. The audacity of the gesture only fueled her fury further. He, for sure, thought he had won that round, didn't he?

Rose promised herself that when he was done with his meeting, he better keep a distance of a planet away from her, else he would have his third leg chopped off!