Intervention:

Eleni:

This month's special event has been cancelled. Supposedly the hotel would offer two nights of casino, in which the guests could place their bets on roulette, blackjack or any other game of chance, but Mr. Tepes decided to do without it.
The hotel's senior employees are stunned. In its five hundred years of existence, this is the first time that a special event at the hotel has been cancelled.
I'm punching a card to go out after a busy day at work. Although we won't be overloaded with VIP guests this month, the city will host several major concerts on the tour of famed Kazakh singer Dimash Kudaibergen.
I blush, yes. That boy is the performee the song “Olímpic”.

— Apologize.

Olenka sputters behind me.
—Excuse me?-I turn to look at her. The vamp crosses her arms over her voluptuous chest and frowns at me.

— This little cold war between you and Vlad has to end. Now. Before there are any wounded or dead. Go up to his office and apologize.

I just can’t believe it!
— Olenka, I appreciate you and you know it. But you're interfering in matters that are none of your business.- I protest. – Nothing happens between Mr. Tepes and me.

The Russian releases a snort and smiles mischievously.

— Tell those lies to someone else, the whole hotel knows that you were up to something. Since Vlad walked through that door in April he hasn't been in a good mood for a single day, he is behaving like a raging bull, if he continues like this the hotel will be left without staff and I am convinced that you are at the heart of all this.

I roll my eyes, turning my back on her, but she materializes next to me.

— Listen.- she murmurs.- nobody knows that man better than me, if his behaving like a cranky teenager it’s because he is really angry with you. – The Russian scans me with her eyes.
—I must admit that I am perplexed. I've never seen him so... uncontrolled about a woman, may I ask what your secret is? How did you manage to drive him crazy with passion so quickly?

What?!

The Russian moves a little closer, the tone of her voice dropping to a soft whisper.
— Think about it. You must have done something to make him this angry. I'm not asking you to beg on your knees, just go and apologize. Think about your colleagues, if this situation continues, many more will lose their jobs.

Saying this, Olenka turned on her towering heels and left.

Vlad:
— Talk to her.- Olenka advises me. I shake my head, the Russian has been exasperating me for days with her constant, unnecessary and annoying advices.
—No.
— Vlad, this situation is getting out of hand. If you are not satisfied with her performance as Hotel Manager, fire her and let her go.

I look at my second-in-command with a frown and gritted teeth.

—I said no.-I spit through my teeth.
—Well, if you don't do it, I will.I won’t allow more honest and hard-working people to lose their jobs because of your bitter adventure.- She threatens.

Bitter adventure…oh no dear, this is more, much more than that.

— I don't want you going a meter close from her, Olenka. Do you hear me? I'm the owner of this hotel, not you.- I stand up, piercing her with my eyes.- If you bother me with this issue again, I'll send you to Cockatoo for a walk, for insubordination. Is that clear?
She purses her lips and balls her hands into fists, scowling at me.
— As you command, my Lord.


Eleni:
—I alway knew that affair of yours would end in tragedy.- Jerry laments, during lunch.

— Hey! No one has died.- I protest.

Jerry sighs and looks away from my face, his eyes brimming with tears.

—Honey, what… what happened, why are you crying?- I ask worriedly stroking his forearm.
—Olenka cut me off.- he confesses.
—Why?- I ask surprised, until a few days ago their relationship was going well.

Jerry presses his lips together and wipes his damp cheeks with the back of his hand.
—She didn't give me any explanations, she simply informed me that our relationship was coming to an end, period.-he whispers. -For days our vampiric coworkers have been behaving strangely. It's like Vlad's bad mood affects everyone, I don't know if you understand me.

Jerry was right, between the mass layoffs and the general panic the hotel has been a mess for weeks. And it all started to rot the night of L' Masquerade. Perhaps Olenka is right and Vlad's anger is because he misread the scene in the garden. But the man is no saint, that night he slept with Miss Sziláy, even though he had been preparing me for days to be his submissive.

Jerry sighs and blows his nose loudly, his eyes are bloodshot and there are dark circles under his eyes, he even looks pale. Damn! I didn't want to have to do this. Why do I have to apologize when I haven't done anything wrong?
***
I've gone up to the hotel penthouse. I ring the bell and wait…nothing. I know he's here, the sound of classical music sneaks from under the door. I knock and knock and knock until it finally opens.
He wears a scarlet bathrobe, open and underneath it a tight black boxer shorts that leave nothing to the imagination. He holds a glass in his hand in which I appreciate a red liquid. I feel like gagging, it must be blood. His face shows a grimace of annoyance, rolling his eyes and frowning at me, his hair is completely disheveled, I've never seen it like this, the black strands fall down his forehead in such a self-confident way that it seems artistic and intentional, it just gives me an uncontrollable urge to tangle my fingers in his silky hair.

—To what do I owe this honor, Miss Amíntoros?-he asks dryly.

He turns, giving his back to me, walking away inside the penthouse. What he does is an obvious invitation for me to follow him. I walk in, close the door, take a deep breath, and stand in the hall. A shiver runs through me, I have the feeling that I just fell like a helpless damsel, in the clutches of the fearsome dragon.

— You were saying, Miss Amíntoros?
Vlad sits on the arm of a black sofa. He watches me disinterestedly while drinking from his glass, slowly.
—I was saying that I have come to correct the misunderstanding between us.

I see him smile and sway slightly. He's drunk. It isn’t an impossible state for a vampire, by drinking more blood than they need to, to feed, it tends to make them drunk.
—Misunderstanding?-He raises his eyebrows and releases a hiccup. – There are no misunderstandings between us Elennah, everything is more than clear.
— Excuse me if I disagree with you, Mr. Tepes, but perhaps you misunderstood my presence and that of Mr. Corvin in the garden a few weeks ago, I…

I hear him laugh sarcastically, he shakes his head a few times and wiggles the blood inside his glass in circles.
— Surely, because I'm stupid, isn’t so, Elennah?.- he spits.
He pierces me with his eyes, he has said the namcursehe would say a curse and he looks at me with an obvious homicidal gleam in his green eyes.

—Did I misunderstand Corvin sleeping so peacefully on your lap, as much as I misunderstood you and him having a most romantic date a week ago?

I take a step back, my head hurts, I feel like I've been slapped. How does he know about that, about my chance encounter with Mathew in the Mall?
I open my mouth to explain but he continues:

— Surely you will say… that in the garden, Mr. Corvin was drunk and had no control over his actions, but… what justification do you have for your meeting in the shopping center? Hmm? Are you going to say it was a coincidence, that Corvin was passing by and you just ran into each other?

I can feel the blood rush to my face. No matter what I say, he won't believe me. He places his glass on a nearby table and looks at me.

—I don't want to hear your excuses, Elennah. Everything that comes out of your mouth is pure lies and poison. What I want from you is a commitment. I want you to agree to be entirely mine and to stay away from Corvin.- He demands through clenched teeth.

So Jerry and Olenka were right, Vlad's moodiness stems from his jealousy. I can't help it, the evil part of me is absolutely, absurdly happy. For a vampire as powerful and ancient as him to feel such a level of possessiveness towards me, he must like me…too much.

—What do you say, cobra?- He asks and comes to me, taking my face between his huge and manly hands. -Are you agreeable to my terms?

Cobra? I frown. Why does her call me that?

—What's in it for me, Mr. Tepes?- I whisper, feigning a bravery that I don't feel.
—Make your demands and I'll fulfill them.- he promises.
I bite the inside of my cheek. This is an opportunity that I cannot miss.
—I demand that the mass dismissals cease.- I whisper.
— Done.
His instant acceptance gives me courage to continue.
— I demand a salary increase for the hotel workers.

He smile widely.
—Done.
I ponder for a few minutes the next thing I could demand, and it comes to me as if by divine inspiration.
—You must repeal the rule that prohibits relations between the staff, you would be too hypocritical to break it by scr*wing with your manager.- I look at him, putting on my best poker face and raising an eyebrow.

He puts on the face of an inveterate cynic and replies:

— It's my hotel and I can do whatever I want in it. If I throw an orgy and f*ck all the staff, I would do it and everyone would love to be in it this fast.- He snaps his fingers, pointing out how quickly the staff would accept his indecent proposal.
—But...- he gives of a hungry wolf’s look- ...I don't want any of them, I want you, so I'll fulfill your demands.

He looks me in the eyes with such intensity that I suspect he is going to kiss me, I close my eyes and offer him my lips but he suddenly lets go, takin my hand and pulling me.

—Now, I require facts to close this deal, Elennah. Show me that I can trust you.
— How, sir?
He looks at me sideways and smiles with the most evil expression I've ever seen on someone's face.
—Just pass the third test.- he tells me, leading me to his bedroom.