Chapter 116: One Second He's Ready to Fight, The Next He's Talking Business? This Doesn't Make Sense!
DING-DONG.
The doorbell rang like a death knell through the silent living room, shattering the last shreds of hope for every vampire present.
Fear—pure, primal fear—wrapped around everyone's hearts like thorny vines, making it hard to even breathe.
He had come.
He knew where they lived.
He was right outside the door.
These three thoughts were ten thousand times more terrifying than James's berserk charge.
The Cullen family stood frozen, their supernatural hearing picking up the maddeningly steady heartbeat outside the door, and the leisurely breathing, as if someone were just hanging out on their own porch.
No killing intent, no hostility—just a kind of... calm confidence that seemed to toy with everything.
That confidence was more terrifying than any overt threat.
Time crawled by, second by agonizing second. The doorbell didn't ring again, and the person outside made no further move. He just waited patiently, like an audience member anticipating a play whose ending was already written.
Finally, Carlisle broke the deathly silence.
As the head of the family, he took a deep breath, suppressed the primal fear surging through him, and took a heavy step forward.
"Carlisle, don't!" Esme grabbed him, her voice pleading.
Carlisle turned and gave her a reassuring look, though his own face was pale as paper. "We can't hide forever. If he rang the doorbell, it means... maybe there's still room to negotiate."
He convinced Esme. He convinced himself.
He straightened his collar and walked toward the door that seemed to separate life from death. Each step felt like walking a tightrope.
When his hand gripped the cold doorknob, the entire family's hearts jumped into their throats.
CLICK.
The door opened.
Edward Connor stood in the doorway, his black crossbow casually slung over his shoulder, an easygoing smile on his face. When he saw the door open, he politely nodded.
"Afternoon."
He stepped inside like an invited guest.
THUD!
A dull crash sounded as Emmett, nerves shot, instinctively backed into a decorative cabinet.
Edward Connor's gaze swept across the living room, taking in the Cullen family, who had collectively retreated several steps like cornered animals. He spread his hands, his smile widening.
"Relax, everybody. And hey, I didn't break the door."
His tone was light, almost joking, but no one could bring themselves to laugh.
The Cullen family looked at him like a pack of rabbits cornered by a wolf, barely daring to breathe.
Just then, a figure stepped in front of Edward Cullen and his family.
It was Bella.
The only ordinary human in the room now mustered every ounce of courage she had. She spread her arms, and though her body trembled uncontrollably, she looked Edward Connor straight in the eye.
"They... they haven't hurt anyone!" Bella's voice was sharp with tension. "They're 'vegetarians'—they only drink animal blood! Can you... please let them go?"
Edward Connor stopped, looking at the brave girl with interest, tilting his head.
"Oh? Really?" he asked. "They've lived for centuries. In all those long years, have they truly never hurt a single human? How do I know you're telling the truth?"
With a single sentence, Bella was stumped.
She was just an ordinary person who'd barely been introduced to this world—everything she knew came from Edward Cullen's word. She believed him, but she couldn't vouch for centuries of history.
Bella fell silent.
Seeing Bella speechless, Carlisle immediately stepped forward, shielding her. He knew it was time for him, as head of the family, to step up.
He could sense that while the young man before him was incredibly powerful, he didn't seem to be a bloodthirsty psychopath. Since he hadn't attacked immediately, it meant... there was still room to talk.
"Hello, Mr. Connor," Carlisle began in his gentlest, most diplomatic voice. "I'm Carlisle Cullen. First, thank you for dealing with those three problems just now. Although... your methods were a bit... extreme."
He carefully chose his words, trying not to provoke him.
"Second, regarding Bella's question—I can assure you that my family hasn't harmed any human in decades. We've always tried to integrate into human society, not become a threat to it."
Edward Connor shrugged noncommittally.
Seeing this, Carlisle continued. "I know you have questions, and we're equally... curious about you. Standing here in a standoff won't solve anything. If you're willing, would you like to discuss this further in my study? I think there's a lot we could talk about."
He gestured invitingly, his attitude sincere.
Edward Connor looked at him, then at the group of vampires behind him who were practically petrified with terror, and the corner of his mouth quirked up.
"Sure," he agreed readily. "I'd like to see what you guys are all about anyway."
With that, he casually handed the crossbow from his shoulder to Emmett, who was closest.
Emmett instinctively reached out to take it, but the moment his massive frame touched the crossbow, it suddenly dropped, and he nearly lost his grip! Shock flashed across his face—this seemingly modest crossbow was far heavier than he'd imagined!
Edward Connor ignored his surprise and followed Carlisle toward the study.
As the study door closed, the suffocating tension in the living room suddenly eased.
"Jesus..."
Emmett let out a long breath. He looked at the crossbow in his hands, feeling like he was holding a live bomb.
"My God..." Rosalie leaned against the wall, her voice weak. "What the hell is he?"
"Alice," Edward Cullen looked anxiously at his sister. "What now? Can your visions predict anything else? See what they're talking about in there?"
Alice gave a bitter smile and shook her head helplessly. "What do you think?"
Her ability, in front of that man, was like a broken TV—nothing but static.
The group in the living room fell into anxious, helpless waiting.
Every second felt like an eternity.
Who knows how long passed—maybe ten minutes, maybe a lifetime.
The study door opened with a click.
Everyone's gaze snapped toward it.
Carlisle and Edward Connor walked out, one after the other.
To the vampires' complete disbelief, both wore smiles.
Carlisle's smile showed relieved satisfaction, while Edward Connor's smile was one of... a businessman after closing a successful deal.
"Well then, pleasure doing business, Mr. Cullen," Edward Connor extended his hand.
"Likewise, Mr. Connor," Carlisle shook it.
This bizarrely harmonious scene made Emmett and the others' brains short-circuit.
"Alright, I won't interrupt your family time," Edward Connor took his crossbow back from Emmett, easily slinging it over his shoulder. "I'll head out."
He walked to the door, then, as if remembering something, turned back and pulled a business card from his pocket, handing it to Carlisle.
"Here's my number. If you ever run into any 'problems' you can't handle, feel free to call. Fair rates, honest work."
With that, he waved, turned, and left the villa, disappearing into the rain.
It wasn't until his presence had completely faded that the Cullen family seemed to reboot, instantly surrounding Carlisle.
"Carlisle! What the hell just happened?"
"What did you two talk about? Why did he just leave?"
"Business? What kind of business?"
"He didn't make any crazy demands, did he?"
Facing his family's barrage of questions, Carlisle simply raised his hand for silence. He looked at the expressions on his family's faces—relief mixed with deep confusion—and shook his head with a wry smile, then slowly said two words.
"Cold hard cash."
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