My Husband Is a Million Years Old Vampire-Chapter 33

"If you’re so determined to give it away, then name your damn price! I’ll buy it outright. You think Valentina deserves this?" She scoffed, shaking her head in disgust.

"She doesn’t even qualify to be a VIP member here, let alone be given something this valuable!"

She folded her arms, chin raised arrogantly. "So go ahead, Manager. Tell me. How much?"

The manager straightened his posture, his expression tightening as he turned toward Victoria.

"Miss Victoria," he said firmly, "I will not stand here and allow you to insult me or accuse me falsely. This is company protocol, and I am simply following the rules set by the true owners of this establishment."

Victoria clenched her jaw, her hands curling into fists, but before she could lash out again, Valentina spoke.

"I’m not accepting this for free," Valentina said, her tone sharp with finality. She turned to the manager. "I understand your position, and I appreciate the sentiment, but I refuse to take something this expensive without giving anything in return."

The manager blinked in surprise. He had expected Valentina to accept the gift without hesitation, just as anyone else would have.

"If I am to take this," Valentina continued, lifting her chin slightly, "then I will pay the exact amount Victoria paid for those other items. Since you won’t accept full payment, at least accept that."

The room went silent.

The manager exhaled slowly, his gaze flicking to the emerald ring on Valentina’s finger. He still didn’t know exactly who she was, but he knew better than to question the direct orders passed down by the true owners of the company.

After a moment of careful consideration, he nodded.

"Very well, Miss Valentina. We will accept that arrangement."

Immediately Victoria’s face twisted with rage.

"Are you serious?!"

At that moment, all the staff stood frozen, their eyes darting between the manager and Valentina. Their whispers filled the air like a low hum, uncertainty etched across their faces. They couldn’t believe what they had just witnessed—their manager, a man who rarely bent the rules, had not only bowed to Valentina but had also handed her the most expensive item in the store for free.

And the most shocking part? Valentina had insisted on paying.

Then a young female attendant leaned toward her colleague, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Who... exactly is she?"

Her colleague shook his head, just as lost as she was.

"I have no idea. But did you see the way the manager reacted? He looked terrified. As if refusing her wasn’t even an option."

Another worker, gripping a clipboard, muttered under his breath, "She must be someone huge. There’s no way a random woman would get this kind of treatment, even with money."

The murmurs swirled through the staff, curiosity thick in the air, but no one had an answer.

Meanwhile, Victoria’s heels clicked sharply against the marble floor as she stormed toward Valentina, her expression twisted in disgust. She barely stopped a foot away, her glare seething. "You don’t deserve this," she spat. "Do you hear me, Valentina? You don’t deserve any of this."

Valentina didn’t even blink, her expression calm yet unreadable. "And you think you do?" she asked, her voice smooth but laced with quiet authority.

At that moment Victoria let out a dry laugh, filled with pure venom. "Oh, please," she sneered.

"What have you ever done to deserve it? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. You just happened to be born into a family you had no business being in, and they even kicked you out.

What else have you contributed? What legacy have you built? None. You were just a stain—an accident your mother forced into existence."

The air turned heavy.

Some of the staff gasped at Victoria’s audacity, while others exchanged uneasy glances, sensing the brewing storm.

Victoria’s lips curled as she continued, her voice dripping with mockery.

"Do you even know what my grandfather did at your age? Hm? At twenty-two, he built an empire from scratch—with his own blood and sweat. He created a company that’s now worth billions. That’s power. That’s legacy."

Then She stepped closer, her voice lowering into something dangerously smug.

"But what did your mother do? Oh, right. She got pregnant out of wedlock and forced your father into marrying her. That’s all she ever contributed. That’s your bloodline, Valentina. And you think you’re worthy of standing here, being treated like some royal? You are nothing."

At that moment the room fell into more silence, the weight of her words thick in the air.

Valentina’s fingers curled slightly, her nails pressing into her palm, but her expression remained unreadable.

She lifted her chin slightly, exhaling slowly as if Victoria’s words held no power over her.

Then, with a measured calmness, she finally spoke.

"Are you finished?"

Immediately Victoria’s lips curled into a smirk, but it wasn’t one of amusement—it was one of pure condescension. The fact that Valentina wasn’t even reacting to her words made her blood boil.

She wanted a reaction. She wanted to see Valentina break. But instead, she stood there—unshaken.

Victoria’s fingers tightened into fists before she exhaled sharply. "You know what?" she scoffed, tilting her head.

"Let’s be practical here. We both know your mother did nothing worth remembering. She was a mistake—just like you."

Immediately Gasps rippled through the room. Even the staff who had remained silent up until now looked uneasy. The weight of Victoria’s words had turned the air frigid.

But Valentina remained still, her eyes locked onto Victoria’s, unwavering.

Victoria’s smirk widened, mistaking her silence for powerlessness.

"That’s why you don’t deserve this," she continued, her tone dripping with superiority.

"This item? It’s too much for someone like her. Do you even hear yourself? A luxury remembrance piece for a woman who contributed nothing to this world? That’s laughable."

She let out a mock laugh, shaking her head.

"You know who truly deserves this? My grandfather. A man who built an empire. A man who left a legacy. Not some irrelevant woman who just—" she flicked her wrist dismissively— "existed."

Victoria’s gaze sharpened even more as she took a step closer, lowering her voice just enough to sound dangerously persuasive.

"But because I’m feeling generous today, I’ll make you an offer." She crossed her arms, her red-painted nails tapping against her elbow. "I’ll buy it from you. One million dollars."

Upon hearing what Victoria just said.

Gasps filled the room once more.

A million dollars.

Even the staff, who had spent years dealing with wealthy clients, froze.

A million dollars for a remembrance item?

Victoria grinned, sensing the shift in the air. "It’s a good deal, don’t you think? You can take some of that money and buy yourself a cheaper remembrance item. Something that fits your mother... standard."

Then, she leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper laced with mock pity. "And you can keep the rest to start a life with your poor husband." She laughed lightly, shaking her head. "We both know you’ll need it. After all, a nobody like him won’t be able to provide for you forever, and you also will need it to start something useful your life, and stop sleeping around with an ordinary manager."