Vampire's Veil Of Obsession-Chapter 196: Fear is Stopping You

Just as her head was about to be swallowed by the water, Zethan’s hands moved, holding her in place. Lilia immediately turned to him in disbelief.

Then she spoke quietly.

"Zethan... I didn’t expect you to pull away from me."

Zethan answered in a calm, quiet tone.

"You had everything under control, but still—the fear. And you didn’t fall because you were weak. You fell because you realized I wasn’t holding you anymore. That’s what scared you."

He paused, his voice steady. "But you don’t have to worry about that. The only thing stopping you is fear. Just know that I’m always here. Nothing’s going to happen to you."

Zethan gave a small, quiet nod.

And then, before she knew it, he smiled at her—a warm, soft smile.

She almost couldn’t believe it. That smile melted all the scolding and anger she had been ready to throw at him. Then he spoke again, his voice still low.

"That’s enough for today. We can have extra lessons next time."

Suddenly, he shifted slightly and gave a quiet squawk as he said,

"Climb on my back."

She stared at him, disbelief in her gaze. His expression gave nothing away, and she couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

She asked softly, "What are you doing?"

"I’ll be swimming," Zethan said, voice low. "You’ll be on my back. That way, you’ll at least feel it. Imagine yourself doing it instead."

She couldn’t believe him. This man...

And yet, excitement bubbled in her chest.

She nodded quietly—then climbed onto his back.

Just as he moved into the water, Lilia gasped softly in surprise. This man was really tall. What amazed her even more was that you wouldn’t notice it at first—not until you looked closely. He carried his height so effortlessly.

Then, before she could fully process it, he moved in the water and began to swim.

She was lying atop his back.

Lilia couldn’t help but marvel at the way his body moved—strong, fluid, graceful. She wrapped her arms gently around his waist, holding onto his toned stomach as they glided forward.

As he swam, she reached out and let her palm skim the surface of the water. The faster he moved, the more the water slipped through her fingers like silk. It was breathtaking—peaceful, beautiful, and strangely magical.

She gasped softly and whispered, "Oh my goodness... this is so pretty."

Then, almost breathlessly, she added, "This is beautiful."

Her voice was quiet, filled with awe. The sight before her was more than just water and movement—it felt too good to be true. She couldn’t help but open her mouth slightly, then close it again in wonder and surprise. Her amazement slowly curved into a smile.

Zethan continued to glide through the water. Before she knew it, he came to a stop and stood. As she held onto him, his hand moved gently to her back, steadying her.

Then, in a soft voice, he said, "Hold on tighter... my wife."

Lilia’s heart skipped. She realized they weren’t far from the shore—that was why he could still stand. Without thinking, she wrapped her arms more firmly around his abs.

And then, without warning, he dove back into the water—this time moving at an inhuman speed, slicing through the surface like a force of nature.

If Lilia didn’t know better, she would have mistaken him for a merman. But she knew he wasn’t.

Still... was he using his vampiric speed on water?

She watched in awe, mesmerized by the way he moved. It was something beyond natural—graceful, powerful, and almost otherworldly. A part of her longed to learn this skill too. But she quickly reminded herself: she hadn’t even mastered the basics.

Here she was, already dreaming big. That thought made her giggle softly.

The soft ocean wind brushed against her face, cool and salty. Water splashed around them as she hugged him tighter, her hands gripping his body while the waves danced between them. Some of it struck her hard enough that she leaned back slightly with a small gasp.

Yet, it didn’t feel uncomfortable—it felt good. The way the water moved, the way it touched her skin, the way she floated with him—it was ethereal, like something out of a dream.

If someone hadn’t known better, they might have thought Lilia was riding a speedboat. The only difference was—this felt even faster.

Before she could fully grasp what was happening, he stopped. Zethan held her steady as he rose from the water, lifting her gently before placing her on the sand softly. Lilia steadied herself, her hands gripping his arms for support. The sudden stop after such intense speed left her a little disoriented. Her eyes blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the calm surroundings again.

They had reached the shore.

When everything finally settled, she turned to look at him—surprised to see he looked completely normal, calm, as if nothing had happened. It was clear now—this wasn’t his first time doing this. Not even close.

She couldn’t stop the words that slipped from her lips in a soft, playful tone.

"Oh, you better show me all the skills you’ve got, Zethan," she murmured.

"I have lots and lots of them," he said with a smirk, "but you’ll mostly see them in bed, couch, bathroom, wardrobe—"

Lilia, who had been listening, stared at him in disbelief, eyes wide. This man... how could he say such things? It was only when the words repeated in her head—bedroom, wardrobe—that she remembered... oh heavens. Those were the exact places they had already done it.

This man lacked shame.

Zethan simply chuckled and replied quietly, "Let’s get back inside. We’ll change and have a little barbecue."

A bright smile spread across Lilia’s face as she clapped her hands with delight. She wouldn’t mind roasting fish with him under the stars. The thought warmed her heart.

As a soft smile lingered on her lips, she and Zethan walked side by side toward the beach cottage, the sky above already turning dusky with the promise of evening.

Meanwhile...

Zack sat in the center of the large room, one leg casually crossed over the other.

The room stretched wide, silent, with a glowing pool in the middle, just inches away from the sofa where he sat. The water shimmered gently, reflecting the soft ambient light as it rippled with subtle movement.

He brought a cigarette to his lips, took a slow drag, and exhaled. The smoke curled into the air, dancing like a silent whisper.

A man stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

A faint, knowing smile tugged at Zack’s lips as he spoke in a low voice,

"You’re all telling me there’s been no word about my brother this past month?"

The man nodded. "Yes, boss. It’s been noted that only his wife has been attending the meetings. There’s been no information about him... or his whereabouts."

Zack tilted his head slightly, then gave a small shake as he murmured,

"Interesting, isn’t it?"

The man nodded again, a bit too quickly.

Then Zack added, his voice quiet but sharp, "When a man like him vanishes... it can only mean one thing."

The man’s voice trembled slightly. "That Mr. Zethan is de—"

But before he could finish, Zack laughed—a cold, amused sound that echoed off the walls.

He flicked the cigarette toward the pool.

Sssssss.

The hiss echoed softly through the room.

"Dead?" Zack repeated, his voice now a chilling whisper.

"Impossible."

Zack chuckled quietly, his laughter curling through the air like frost.

Then he spoke again, voice low and laced with menace.

"So... is that why you didn’t kill the lady as planned?"

The man bowed, stumbling slightly. "Boss, you ordered us to kill them both, but he wasn’t there when the mission was supposed to take place."

Zack’s lips slowly curled into a sinister smile.

"And you decided not to do anything about it? You simply let the target flee because the other wasn’t there? There was profit at their side and loss at ours, huh?" He tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing.

"I wouldn’t have minded if you’d killed the wife. In fact, I wouldn’t mind killing Zethan myself. That’s been on my bucket list for centuries. He’s truly a hard target. I’d said it before—if it’s even possible, that man cannot be killed like that. But his wife surely can. And yet, you decided to play the victim, huh?"

His gaze flickered to the man, who was now trembling deeply.

Zack leaned back slightly, his voice suddenly cold and calm.

"Dive into the pool."

The man’s eyes widened in confusion. "B-Boss...?"

"Don’t make me repeat myself."

Without another word, the man moved toward the edge, trembling. But just as he was about to dive, Zack’s hand moved in a flash.

BOOM!

A single gunshot cracked through the air.

The bullet flew cleanly through the man’s forehead, slicing through his skull.

His body dropped into the pool with a splash.

The warm pool that once gleamed with light—its surface a serene, crystal blue—was now tainted. Crimson spread slowly beneath the water, curling and swirling like smoke.

The clear blue was overtaken by a deep red stain.

What had moments ago looked peaceful and luxurious now shimmered with death.

Zack stared down at the pool, unbothered, his expression unreadable.

A soft glimmer flashed in his eyes—dark, calculating, laced with cold intent.

He spoke quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

"It seems my brother has been quite busy these past months... so busy that even Isak has no idea where he is."

He exhaled slowly, smoke curling into the air.

"No information. No trace. Not even a whisper. The CEO of his own company—missing for months. No news, huh."

His gaze drifted downward, thoughtful.

"What were you up to, brother?"

He lifted his hand, and the man beside him quickly stepped forward, lighting the cigarette now resting between Zack’s fingers. Zack brought it to his lips and took a slow drag, the glow briefly illuminating his sharp features.

Then he spoke again, calm and cold.

"I don’t know why your wife came back. I killed her myself. And yet... she returned."

He chuckled—low, humorless.

"I could’ve ended her that night. But I wanted some fun first. It seems the fun has run its course."

His eyes narrowed, a slow, ready grin stretching his lips.

The first night Lilia had sensed something watching her...it had all been Zack’s doing.

The same night her mother had mistaken her fear... for secretly sleeping with a servant.

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