"What's up, baby? You're back earlier than expected. Wow… you look good in this outfit."
Larissa tilted her head playfully.
"Did you change your taste overnight?"
Kassandra sighed as she dropped her bag.
"Long story."
"I've got time. Tell me everything."
Kassandra sat down and explained everything that had happened at work to her curious friend.
"What?!" Larissa's eyes widened. "How dare they! Who do they think they are?"
"Calm down, Lari."
Larissa crossed her arms, still fuming.
"But I have to admit… your boss is nice. And he has good taste."
She glanced at Kassandra's outfit.
"Look at this. It looks like it was made especially for you."
Kassandra raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't choose it myself."
Before the tension could continue, Larissa suddenly smiled.
"I made dinner for us."
Kassandra blinked, then smiled softly.
"Wow… this is exactly why I don't want to leave you."
"All of this praise… because of food?" Larissa laughed.
"You are something else."
Both of them burst into laughter.
After dinner, Kassandra returned to her room to rest.
She removed her glasses and looked at her reflection in the mirror.
Her sea-blue eyes shimmered, brighter than morning stars.
Then, suddenly, her eyes changed.
Red.
Like burning flames.
Kassandra exhaled sharply.
"Phoenix… you need to calm down. It will not be good if you lose control in the human world."
A soft glow appeared around her neck.
The necklace on her skin flickered to life.
"Princess… why did you allow them to bully you like that?" a small voice echoed from it.
"Because that is how humans behave," Kassandra replied quietly. "I need to understand them."
"But you are the almighty Phoenix Princess. Everyone worships you. No one would dare speak to you like that in the Vampire Realm."
Kassandra lowered her gaze.
"Little Flame… I came to this world to understand them. I need to stay calm."
A pause.
"You know what will happen if I lose control."
The voice softened.
"…Yes, Master."
The next morning, Kassandra woke up and prepared for work.
"I'm sorry, Miss, but the boss is currently in a meeting."
The receptionist maintained a professional smile.
"Could you please take a seat and wait for him?"
Jessica's expression darkened.
"How dare you ask me to wait? Do you even know who I am?"
"I'm sorry, Miss, but since you don't have an appointment, you'll have to wait until the boss is available."
Before Jessica could respond, another voice interrupted.
"What's going on here?"
Kassandra walked over.
"Miss Kassandra," the employee said with relief, "this lady doesn't have an appointment with the boss, but she insists on waiting in his office."
Kassandra nodded.
"You may go. I'll handle it."
The employee practically fled.
"Who allowed her to leave?" Jessica demanded. "Did I give her permission?"
Kassandra resisted the urge to sigh.
If she remembered correctly, this was Jessica Dickson, Ryan's fiancée.
The only daughter of one of the wealthiest families in the country.
Beautiful.
Powerful.
And incredibly arrogant.
"Miss Dickson," Kassandra said politely, "how may I help you?"
Jessica looked her up and down.
"So you're Kassandra."
There was obvious disgust in her eyes.
"I've heard a lot about you."
Kassandra already had a bad feeling about where this conversation was going.
"You really are ugly."
Here we go again.
Kassandra forced a smile.
"I'll ask again, Miss. Do you have an appointment with the boss?"
Jessica ignored the question.
"Out of all the women in this company, I never expected it to be you."
Kassandra blinked.
"Expected what?"
Jessica stepped closer.
"I heard you're getting very close to my fiancé."
Ah.
So that was the problem.
"I suggest you stay away from him," Jessica continued. "Otherwise, you'll see a side of me you won't like."
Kassandra stared at her silently.
Completely uninterested.
Unfortunately, Jessica interpreted her silence as guilt.
"I know your type," she said coldly. "Nobody knows what you're capable of."
Calm down, Kass.
It isn't worth it.
"Miss Dickson," Kassandra said evenly, "please mind the way you speak to me."
Jessica laughed.
"Mind my words?"
Her eyes filled with contempt.
"You're nothing more than a poor nobody without direction. Do you really think you're worthy of standing beside Ryan?"
For a brief moment, Kassandra's sea-blue eyes flashed beneath her glasses.
Just for a second.
Then the glow vanished.
She smiled.
A calm smile.
The kind of smile that made people nervous without knowing why.
In her heart, she came to one conclusion.
Jessica Dickson was a spoiled brat.
"Miss Dickson, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover."
Kassandra gave her a small smile before turning around and walking toward her desk.
Since the spoiled princess refused to explain why she was here, Kassandra saw no reason to continue the conversation.
She had work to do.
"How dare you walk away while I'm still talking!"
Jessica's voice echoed through the office.
Kassandra didn't even turn around.
"Not everyone is as jobless as you are."
Jessica's face darkened.
Kassandra sat down and opened a file.
"I have a lot of work on my desk," she added calmly. "I don't have time to listen to your barking."
Silence.
The surrounding employees froze.
Did she really just say that?
Jessica's expression twisted with anger.
"What did you just call me?"
Kassandra looked up.
"A barking—"
Slap!
The sound echoed throughout the office.
Kassandra's head turned to the side from the force.
For a moment, everything became silent.
Her glasses fell to the floor.
Jessica froze.
The employees froze.
Everyone froze.
Kassandra slowly raised her head.
Without the glasses, her sea-blue eyes were fully visible.
Beautiful.
Almost unreal.
Jessica found herself staring.
Then something changed.
The blue began to fade.
Red slowly spread across her irises.
Like flames burning beneath the surface.
A terrifying heat filled the air.
The office lights flickered.
Outside the building, dark clouds suddenly gathered.
Thunder rumbled across the sky.
The temperature in the room began to rise.
Jessica unconsciously took a step back.
For the first time since arriving, fear crept into her heart.
Kassandra remained seated.
Her expression was calm.
Too calm.
But behind those burning red eyes, something ancient was awakening.
Something that had no place in the Human Realm.