Author's Note: Alrighty, so this chapter is probably going to make a lot of people hate LaCroix more than they already do. As always I can't say much because I don't want to give away any details, but the man is just a flat out asshole here. To be honest it's not as bad as he could be, but there will only be a few more times in my story that he is as manipulative and cruel as he is here. In return we get to see Valeska behaving very impulsively, as by the end of the chapter she's decided on doing something rather foolish. A semi depressing chapter overall, but hopefully it will still be enjoyable!

Special Thanks: Thank you very much to Haruhana, Lucius's Mistress, Naruto Loves FemKyuubi, myobsidianbutterfly, and trace-selenium for their reviews of the last chapter!

Responses: To Haruhana: Unless I am placed in a position in which I am no longer capable of writing, you should have no fear of me stopping this story. I'm in this for good! =)

To Lucius's Mistress: Well I do love my cliffhangers! xD LaCroix is a douche, there is no other way to look at it, and this chapter just shows this side of his personality even more. In regards to his mood swings, I definitely agree that this should be a thing people refer to because it does sound like it fits. I do feel much better now, though now I am more concerned about your mom! I won't ask what happened to her since that's personal, but I do hope she gets well soon! =(

To Naruto Loves FemKyuubi: Hello again Sasha! I am feeling much better so no worries. I would agree that LaCroix did show a legitimate concern towards Valeska at first, but it quickly vanished when he realized what he was doing. I'm not entirely sure if Grout's actions violate the Masquerade though, since he's pretty careful with what he does. Val and LaCroix will argue in this chapter, but you might be surprised with how it ends.

To myobsidianbutterfly: I am doing much better now, thank you! As for LaCroix, he is quite terrifying isn't he? When he's good he's great, but when he's bad, holy shit is he an unpredictable person that you don't want to be around lol. I like making my readers think about the character's actions, because in this way they can formulate their own opinions on my story and where it's headed. This next chapter will make you feel even worse for Valeska unfortunately, but I hope you enjoy it nevertheless! *hugs*

To trace-selenium: You're very welcome for the review I dropped! I'm slowly but surely trying to be more active in the writing community, so don't be surprised if I share more feedback. You're right in that LaCroix is probably too impatient to be so wordy, but at the same time he seemed to talk a lot in the game. It made me think that this might have been because he was so self-centered and liked the sound of his voice. I'll try to cut back on how talkative he is, but it might be a little difficult since I've fallen into the habit of portraying him a certain way. Thank you for this constructive criticism though, I love hearing on how I can improve my writing! I also wanted to thank you for your compliments on my profile and the concern for my health; I am feeling a lot better now so no worries. ^_^ Ming Xiao will show up quite a few times, but I'm still pounding out the details for how she will fit into the story and what her past will be.


Chapter 28 Bad, Bad Blackmail

"Well? I'm waiting, Miss Latimer," the pale Prince stated impatiently, causing Valeska to fidget slightly. The sooner she got this over with, the sooner she could go home to get some much needed sleep. Such an idea seemed so far out of reach though, especially when she knew the night might end with the Prince having her killed. Taking a deep breath, she did her best to look her boss straight in the eyes as she began to speak.

"I deeply appreciate every opportunity that you've offered me in the past few weeks, but I believe that I can no longer continue working for you, sir," Valeska hurriedly babbled out. "This job has altered my life to the point where I wholeheartedly believe that I will be dead in a year if I don't resign now." In her mind she had planned to sound a bit calmer as to appear as though she were in control of the situation, but who was she kidding? Standing in front of someone as intimidating as the Prince of LA made it damn near impossible for her to sound like anything more than a chattering chimpanzee, especially when he was studying her every move.

"So rather than bring these concerns to my attention, you have decided to violate the terms of our agreement instead?" LaCroix requested calmly, taking her by surprise. She had honestly expected him to explode in a fit of rage before ultimately throwing her across the room and breaking her neck in the process. Once again, it seemed that right when she thought she had her soon to be ex-boss pegged, he would turn around and do something completely unanticipated. Then again, it was highly probable that he had a card up his sleeve that he had yet to play. There was no need for him to get violent when he could simply manipulate her with words, as such was the Ventrue way. Knowing that the night probably wouldn't end with more blood should have comforted her, but currently she was too nervous about what he might do next.

"Well sorry, sir, but frankly you scare the living shit out of me," the ghoul revealed as her boss raised an eyebrow, "What I mean is, that you're not the most approachable person in the world. You're just…very intimidating."

"A statement I've heard more than once, Miss Latimer," the Ventrue vampire confirmed with a subtle smile. It was almost as if he was pleased in hearing that he could instill fear in others, which wasn't too shocking considering that he had been besides himself when speaking with the terrified Grout. "So, which is it then that has set you on your current path of resignation? Fear for your physical health or the fact that I intimidate you?" Honestly it was a bit of both, but her main reason for wanting to leave was the blood bond he had tricked her into. For her sake though, it might have been a bit wiser to remain silent about this.

"I've had intimidating managers before so that's not my reason for quitting, sir. Granted, none of them were vampires…but the point remains that I can usually work well enough with domineering personalities," she responded, "My main reason for quitting is the concern I have for my own life, though the irony behind this decision does not escape me. As was agreed upon when first I entered this job, my life is now forfeit. Should you actually choose to kill me…well that would really suck, but a deal is a deal." Hoping that her boss wasn't the blood thirsty monster she assumed he was, Valeska was surprised to hear her boss laugh softly.

"You are no use to me dead, Miss Latimer, but neither can I allow you to simply walk free when you've already proven yourself to be so capable," LaCroix concluded, staring her down like the predator he was. Valeska's fists clenched for the second time that evening, because once again her boss was lying straight to her face. He still thought she was oblivious to knowing about their blood bond, and there were so many things she wanted to say to let him know that this simply wasn't true. Logically she knew that revealing her new found knowledge would serve no other purpose than to prove that she wasn't a fool. At the same time though, not staying silent was just as foolish. Either way she was tired, irritated, and wanting to leave Venture Tower forever, so her train of thought wasn't exactly rational in any sense of the word.

"Being capable has nothing to do with it! We both know it's the flavor of my blood that saved my life that night, and you're so desperate to keep me here that you've forced me into a blood bond!" Valeska angrily declared as her boss's eyes widened slightly. "That's right, I know all about your little scheme to keep me under your influence. I saw more than enough in Grout's journal to confirm my suspicions, so if you want to know the real reason for my quitting it's because I'm sure as hell not going to remain your mindless slave." She wasn't sure where her confidence was coming from, but it felt good and it was allowing her to finally stand up to the Prince. It wasn't the smartest move she could have made though, but at least it would give her closure to some degree.

"And yet again, the Malkavian Primogen continues to serve as a thorn in my side," the Ventrue vampire sighed as he steadily rose from his desk, placed his arms behind his back, and went to stare out of his windows. "I had hoped you might come to comprehend this trial of mine without the outside help of Grout's secrets, but at any rate you were bound to figure it out eventually."

"Wait, are you really trying to tell me that this was all a test?" Valeska sassed, her voice full of disbelief as her boss turned to face her.

"Why is that so difficult for you to believe, Miss Latimer? I require employees who can follow commands, but who are at the same time able to think for themselves. Unquestioning minions are fine to use as pawns on the battlefield, but they are completely incapable of uncovering details in an insidious plot or even knowing how to behave in a situation that calls for creative improvisation," he rationalized, "Clearly you are no pawn, since time and time again you have succeeded where countless others have failed. However, if I had informed you that I was putting you through a series of tests, the results would have been inclined to lean towards a more heavily influenced picture. Surely you can understand my reasoning." Valeska was flat out appalled at the amount of bullshit that she was being forced to listen to. There was no doubt that LaCroix was a highly skilled manipulator, but this was just insulting to her intelligence. In a way it reminded her of when she would occasionally correct some of her college instructors, only to be told that they were just testing their class to see who was paying attention. Just like then it pissed her off, but now she had an opportunity to do more than just grit her teeth in silent anger.

"Even if I did buy into what you're saying, which I don't by the way," the ghoul defiantly began with crossed arms, "You still lied to me."

"Whether you believe me or not is irrelevant, but I did just explain the justification behind my actions," her boss pointed out, "Besides, a leader cannot at all times be truthful, otherwise he risks the very foundation upon which he was brought to power." As he spoke, the Prince lifted one of his hands in a dramatic fashion which only served to make Valeska roll her eyes with irritation.

"A good leader is always honest to those that follow him. In his community, he has the duty and responsibility of serving as a role model, but what kind of example does he set by lying straight to their faces?" Valeska questioned. Her words were a bit insincere seeing as how she herself lied quite often, but she wasn't the Prince of an entire city like he was. Whether she would be as two-faced and deceitful as he was if she were in his position was debatable, though such a thought didn't really concern her when she was too busy defending herself against her boss's nonsense.

"Are you certain that this belief of yours holds true in every possible situation that one may encounter?" the Prince requested coolly. It was amazing to think that he had yet to raise his voice at her in regards to her blatant insults, but he hadn't, and was instead still standing calmly in front of her with his arms behind his back. She wasn't sure which aspect of his personality was more intimidating, but at least when he was angry she more or less knew what to expect. When LaCroix was calm, he was unpredictable, dangerous, and highly observant as she had come to learn. It was like being around a lion that was just waiting for his chance to pounce at the first sign of weakness, or a mentally unstable individual who was always two steps away from a breakdown. Naturally this would place anyone on edge while at the same time causing them to question their principles for the sake of continued existence. His current statement in particular was a perfect example of how this slow acting and manipulative process worked.

"Well there are always exceptions to-" the ghoul started, a little unsure of whether or not she should be admitting this.

"Exactly, Miss Latimer. These same exceptions unfortunately motivate me to be more than a little dishonest from time to time, but I can guarantee you that they are for the benefit of those that serve under me," the Ventrue vampire reassured as his ghoul shot him an expression of skepticism. "Other times it's because I am given little choice in the matter. Take for instance the task you were set to complete this evening. Would you still have gone if I divulged all the known dangers you might have had the possibility of stumbling upon?"

"Yes!" Valeska exclaimed as her boss looked slightly taken back by her answer, "Because you're my superior and I would trust that you had enough faith in me to be able to handle those dangers. If not, you wouldn't be endangering my life by sending me into Grout's mansion without giving me the information I needed to prepare for them. Likewise, I trusted you when you said no ill effects would come from drinking your blood, but that turned out to be another goddamn lie! Now I can't think of a single reason to justify what you've done."

"I find it satirical that you choose to judge me on morals that you're more than lacking in yourself, Miss Latimer. All of our dealings thus far have demonstrated to me that you're frequently deceitful for no other purpose than because you can be," LaCroix retorted as he glared down his nose at her with crossed arms. Valeska shifted awkwardly, because she couldn't really deny this fact about her personality. She had always had a problem lying in her past, but that was just because it came so naturally to her. It didn't really excuse her actions though, so she wasn't really sure what to say in response to her boss's statement.

"Alright so we're both liars, but at least I can say I never said or did anything to directly hurt you," she reminded him.

"Enough," her boss ordered, "There is nothing to be gained by trying my patience, so I suggest you cease your petty name calling and aggressive insults."

"Fine!" Valeska snapped, "And I'll be just as happy to leave once you make a decision regarding my resignation." She agreed that the two of them were getting nowhere by arguing, but he was just as guilty as she was with throwing aggressive insults if not more so. Hell, barely an hour ago he had thrown a tantrum that rivaled the most spoiled of children.

"Hm. Well you seem reasonably determined to leave my service and though I could spend countless hours trying to convince you to stay, I believe it would be a waste of my time," the Prince speculated, "Therefore, allow me to cut to the chase by requesting if there is anything I can do to change your mind." Valeska blinked a few times as she contemplated how far he was actually willing to go in order to keep her by his side. It made her want to test him because it would be amusing to see a powerful Prince acting so desperate, but in the end it didn't really serve any useful purpose. She was here to quit her job, and that was exactly what she was going to do.

"No," the ghoul answered flatly.

"So be it then. I wish you well on whichever path that you choose to lead in your life, and I appreciate your honesty by informing me of your true reason for resigning," the Ventrue vampire acknowledged with a nod.

"Well I uhm… I just thought you should know the truth…" Valeska said slowly as she lowered her crossed arms in partial confusion. It was highly unusual that he was taking her resignation so well, and all she could continue to think was that there was something he had yet to reveal. Perhaps he was hoping on her blood addiction luring her back to his service, but she would sooner check herself into a rehabilitation center rather than come crawling back like an animal.

"Good evening, Miss Latimer," he said calmly, his face completely blank of any kind of emotion. Valeska opened her mouth to speak, but found herself incapable of doing so. In her mind saying goodbye has always been nothing more than a simple phrase of words, but currently this bittersweet moment was almost too much for her to bear. On one side she was finally going to be free from a man who clearly cared very little for her, and whose only desire was to make her a vitae bound ghoul. However on the other side she couldn't deny her illogical feelings for the Prince, and the possibility of never seeing him again pulled harshly at her heart strings. It was unbelievably frustrating to deal with, and the only thing she could think to do was to rush her farewell.

"Goodbye, sir," the ghoul hurriedly rushed before turning around to leave his office. As stupid as it sounded, part of her had hoped that her boss would have fought a bit harder to keep her in his employ. The fact that he didn't caused a large assortment of emotions to stir within her like disappointment and relief, but especially anxiety. Just like when she had turned down the Prince's blood in his car, there were probably unforeseen consequences yet to come. Would LaCroix signal a sniper squad to take her out the moment she stepped outside of Venture Tower? Or would he instead collaborate with the Sabbat to finish her off once and for all? More than likely he would make her life a living hell by blackmailing her to the best of his ability, but whatever it was that he planned to do, she knew it wouldn't be pretty.

"Oh, Miss Latimer?" her ex-boss requested. Turning around a little faster than she had planned, she saw the Prince still standing in the exact spot he was in before. "I feel rather foolish for not inquiring about this earlier, but I find myself curious…what is your proposed course of action for handling your grandmother's illness?" Valeska's heart literally felt like it had dropped into her stomach, while her breathing ceased entirely for what seemed like a lifetime.

"W-what…?" she stammered softly, not entirely sure if what she had heard was correct.

"Your grandmother, she suffers from a terminal illness does she not?" he asked again. Valeska stared blankly at LaCroix for a moment, incredibly disturbed by the fact that he somehow had knowledge of her life that she had not shared with anyone, not even Mercurio.

"How…how do you know about my grandmother?" she quietly enquired.

"I would be less concerned about how I hold information about your grandmother, and more concerned about what might happen to her should you choose to walk out those doors," the pale Prince urged as he pointed at the doors behind her. In his cold eyes was a hint of delight, and with the combination of his words she immediately understood what that hidden card was that she had been anxious he might play: he was going to use her grandmother against her. This was the exact reason why she had remained silent about her in the first place, because she knew he would do this.

"You son of a bitch…!" Valeska screamed, anger coursing through her every vein. "I swear to god that if you lay even a single finger on her I'll -"

"You'll do what?" the Ventrue vampire taunted with a smirk, "There is nothing you can do, Miss Latimer, because you're completely powerless against me. If you haven't realized that by now, then perhaps you truly are more foolish than I was previously led to believe." As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. If he so chose, he could snap her like a twig or get his Sheriff to do it if he didn't want to bloody his hands. She had no desire to die, but it was better than being his slave which is exactly why she had taken the risk with quitting her job. Now though, it seemed like she might have no choice but to remain in his employ because there was no one else in the world that she cared for more than her grandmother. The events of tonight were literally going to play out the same way they had only weeks ago, but with only a minor twist if anything.

"So you're going to kill my grandma if I don't keep working for you?" the ghoul demanded furiously. "What the hell kind of monster does that?!"

"The kind of monster who knows how to get what he wants, exactly when he wants it," he replied before walking closer to her. This move put him within striking distance, and despite the fact that she knew attacking him would be pointless, she still couldn't stop herself from raising her fist in blind anger. As expected she didn't even come relatively close to making contact with any part of his body, for he immediately and easily blocked her swing before putting the same hand in a wrist lock. Valeska was already in enough pain as is from her previous attack, and though she was grateful she had only been placed in a lock, it still hurt nevertheless. She knew it would only hurt more if she struggled, but her adrenaline levels were through the roof and all she wanted to do was rend arrogant LaCroix's head from his shoulders. Apparently she wasn't seen as much of a threat though, because the Sheriff hadn't even bothered to take a single step forward to defend his master.

"Let me go!" she cried angrily, not caring if she broke her hand in her feeble attempt to free herself.

"I shall release you when you've settled down from…whatever it is you think you're accomplishing by attacking a centuries old vampire who has a formidable bodyguard and task force standing by at all times," LaCroix insulted, his tone sounded much like he was speaking to a child. All this did was make Valeska fight even harder, as the Prince sighed irritably and spoke again. "Now if you would permit me to finish my statement, Miss Latimer, I was just about to assure you that your grandmother's life is in no danger so long as you remain loyal in my service. In fact, to prove my good faith in terms of our revised contract, I plan to relocate her to the best nationally ranked hospital in Houston, Texas at the Anderson Cancer Center." Immediately the ghoul stopped struggling against his icy hold in order to look up into his light blue eyes with a great deal of confusion.

"Why…why would you do that?" she hesitatingly questioned. Just threatening her grandma's life would have been enough to keep her loyal, and surely LaCroix was skilled enough in manipulation tactics to know that. What then would be his motivation in doing something so seemingly considerate?

"To show my sincerity towards your only living family member, and to prove to you just how important I consider the role you play in the Camarilla to be," the pale Prince responded before releasing his ghoul. Valeska was still furious, but yet at the same time she was extremely appreciative of what actions her boss planned to take. After all, the primary reason for why she had even taken this job in the first place was to acquire additional funds to support her grandmother. That, plus her life was being threatened and self-preservation was key in being able to continue supporting her terminally ill guardian.

"Honestly I'm not even sure what to say or do right now," Valeska admitted, before taking a couple of steps backwards. She had no desire to be standing anywhere near LaCroix, let alone a mere few feet away from him. "No one has ever manipulated me so maliciously like you have before and yet at the same time no one has ever wanted to help me with my grandma either. The only reason you're probably doing this is to manipulate me further, but you know what? I don't care anymore; I completely and utterly give up on trying to fight against you because anytime I think I have the upper hand it turns out I'm wrong."

"A shame it took you so long to realize that, but I'm pleased to hear it nevertheless," the Ventrue vampire revealed, his face full of smug satisfaction that made Valeska want to lunge at him again. "Now I have many other matters to attend to, so do we have an arrangement or do we not?" Valeska was silent for a moment, but in the end, she knew she only had one choice she could make. The Prince had her backed into a corner yet again and though it was a depressing thing to admit, she should have known that she couldn't compete with someone like him. For now she would just agree to his demands and keep her head down while she formulated an escape plan.

"Keep my grandmother in the care of that hospital and I'll do whatever you ask of me," the ghoul decided quietly as she let her eyes fall to the ground in shame. "I just have one additional request."

"And what might that be?" he inquired before walking back towards his desk to sit back down.

"I don't want to have to drink your blood anymore," she replied, looking back up to see her boss wearing a blank expressionless mask.

"I apologize, Miss Latimer, but to ensure your loyalty as my ghoul, it is still necessitated that you partake of my vitae. However, seeing as how I've already attained what I wanted, I can limit this to say…once a month," her boss offered, "Does this sound reasonable?"

"Well I guess I don't really have a choice now do I?" Valeska asked.

"No, I suppose you really don't," LaCroix agreed as he reached into his desk and pulled out a small stapled set of papers. "Now, if we've finished with the negotiations process, I need you to sign this so that I may retire for the day." Cautiously the ghoul approached her boss's desk and glanced down at what appeared to be a neatly typed contract complete with specific terms of agreement.

"You had this typed up in advance?" she questioned in disbelief. If the terms had been vague it would have been more believable that her boss had predicted what she would do, but they weren't, and even went as far as to be specific in the amount of blood she would receive each month.

"Human behavior is often quite predictable, so yes, I did have it typed up in preparation of the events I anticipated would unfold tonight," the Prince affirmed with a bored expression as his ghoul shot him a dirty look. Even when LaCroix had viciously beaten his opponent, he was not above kicking them when they were down. After quickly yet carefully reading through the contract to be sure of no hidden details, Valeska picked up the accompanying pen, furiously scribbled her name on the dotted line, and then slammed the writing utensil down.

"Are we done here?" the ghoul demanded, feeling disgusted with herself for giving up so easily. There was nothing she could have done different, but she could have at least done a better job at disguising her anger and frustration when she spoke.

"I would ascertain that we are, Miss Latimer. Report back to me in two days' time or at the very moment that your wounds have healed," the Ventrue vampire commanded.

"I don't think I'm going to heal that quickly, sir," Valeska insisted, "I mean I heal fast, but I'm no Wolverine."

"You have vampire vitae coursing through your veins, Miss Latimer," he reminded his ghoul with a hint of irritation, "Or had you forgotten this little detail about being a ghoul?"

"Oh, right…" the ghoul murmured sheepishly, feeling even more stupid than she already did.

"Now I must ask that you leave my office. Katrina will show you the way back downstairs, where my chauffeur will be waiting to return you to your haven," her boss informed as he returned their written agreement back to its rightful place. It made Valeska wonder how many other contracts he had filed away within his desk, or if she was the only one he had bothered to establish such a deal with.

"Don't bother, I'll walk," the ghoul decided before turning on her heel and slamming the door behind her. She was just able to make out the usual pompous good evening from her boss, but she ignored this just as she ignored Katrina's request if she was alright or not. Her foul mood wasn't the secretary's fault, and in fact the poor Toreador probably had to put up with a lot more than the ghoul did. Still, this did little in preventing Valeska from forcefully pushing past the seemingly fashion obsessed vampire in order to enter the main elevator. Surprisingly enough, her anger was so intense that she not only felt no pain from her injuries, but her phobia of elevators affected her only mildly.

When she reached the lobby floor, the last she wanted to do was to run into the innocent and considerate security officer, Chunk, who was probably eating donuts at the front desk. He definitely didn't deserve to be snapped at, and as her boss had previously ordered, she was supposed to be concealing herself from any outside eyes. However, part of her desperately wanted to proudly walk out the front doors just so she could spite the conceited Ventrue upstairs. Seeing as how they had just agreed upon a very specific contract that had severe consequences if it were broken though, sacrificing her grandmother's life for something so petty was decidedly out of the question. Spotting a door off to her left, the ghoul quietly slipped into what seemed like a meeting room, only to eventually find an exit that led to the outside world.

Still unbelievably furious, Valeska took a few moments of deep breathing to calm herself down with what had just happened. The air sadly smelled of garbage and urine though, so it didn't really help her in the slightest. Glancing up at the sky she could see that in between a few of the buildings, there was a bit of brightness poking up from the horizon due to the soon to be rising sun. This signaled that it was probably around six am, and despite the obvious smog that polluted the atmosphere above her, this detail calmed her substantially. This was mostly because she knew that no vampire in their right mind would be patrolling the streets, which ultimately made her feel safer in traveling through some of the dark alleys the city had to offer. Sure she might get attacked by a bum desperate to make a quick buck in order to acquire some booze, but she could handle that easily even in her current state of dishevel. Besides, she was supposed to be hiding herself from the public anyway, not only because the Prince had ordered it, but because she didn't want anyone concerning themselves over her. Not that anyone really would in a city like LA anyway.

Feeling a bit better, the ghoul began on her journey back to her apartment. It was a bit difficult seeing as how she was still so tired, but luckily her jumbled thoughts were enough to keep her awake. One worry that never ceased in wanting to return to her already strained mind was that it was only a matter of time until her two-faced superior would turn his back on their deal. Right now it was her mysterious blood that kept her from being disposed of, but there was no way of knowing how long it would be until LaCroix grew bored of her. When he did, both her and her grandmother's lives would be at risk, and this possibility upset her more than she already was.

Around the time the ghoul hit the halfway mark on her trip home, she realized that her intense feelings of anger were only present to hide an even more annoying set of emotion: depression and hopelessness. Just like anyone, Valeska was prone to bouts of sadness every once in a while. Sometimes it was immediate due to some unfortunate event or memory, while other times it was a subtle thing that crept up and left her feeling worthless. Now however, it was because her identity had literally been reduced to nothing more than that of being the property of a vampire. It was an awful and horrible thing to comprehend, so it was unsurprising when she felt tears burning at the corners of her eyes. Wiping them away furiously, she found this did little in preventing herself from sobbing uncontrollably. Luckily there was no one around to see what she considered to be a moment of further weakness, but she still felt miserable.

Entering an area that was a bit more open, she spotted The Last Round from the corner of her eye. Seeing as how Valeska only drank alcohol on holidays or in the rare event she went out with friends, she knew very little about actual bars. This one was no different, in that she had no knowledge of the place other than she often saw young punks inhabiting the area because she lived so close to the place. Despite this intimidating aspect, the building practically looked like heaven on Earth to her, for she would have killed to have a drink at that point. Turning to booze when one was sad was never a wise decision though, and fortunately for her she knew the place was closed during the day for some reason. It would be ironic if this was because the place harbored vampires, but she doubted, or at least hoped that this wasn't the case. Either way, after she got some rest and spoke with her grandma, she would probably find herself in that hellhole by the end of the night.


Author's Note: So like I said, we got to see a side to Valeska that might not have been anticipated. She's falling on hard times emotionally, and some of her decisions might not be the best for her to be making. The next chapter will either be through LaCroix's POV that will lead into the beginning of the plot of VTMB or Valeska's POV as she encounters some of the vampires at the Last Round. For now though, drop any ideas, compliments, criticisms, or anything else you wish to share and I shall respond to the best of my abilities. Until next time!