My Vampire Harem Will Dominate Everything

As expected, the blinds were still in place. The only source of light in the room was the glowing vampire eyes, peering into the darkness.

Standing beside his throne was Armand, who was admiring it with crossed arms. Ivo smiled at the sight. The throne stood like an emperor. With its dark metal and angular designs, it gave off an aura of dominance and cold authority.

He walked to stand beside Armand. His best friend and trusted ally had a thoughtful expression on his face as he examined the chair, his eyes tracing the edges of its armrests as if deep in contemplation.

Ivo smirked as he interrupted Armand\'s focus with a question. "You like it?" He gestured toward the throne.

Armand chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "It\'s a bit dramatic, don\'t you think? I mean, it screams \'Count with too much time on his hands,\' doesn\'t it?"

Ivo laughed softly. "I\'d say it screams power. But you didn\'t call me up here to talk about interior decoration, did you?"

Armand\'s smirk faded, and his expression became more serious. "No. I\'ve been thinking about the traps, you know? Asking myself, how do I take Yuri down once and for all?"

Ivo\'s interest piqued, his smile vanishing as well. "Go on."

Armand turned to face his friend, giving him his undivided attention. "Yuri\'s power will diminish over time, especially now that she\'s cut off from both her territory and any viable male vampire to supply her with vitality. She\'ll be desperate. Desperate enough to try and return here, to her old seat of power, thinking the throne still holds its strength. We can use that against her, can\'t we?"

Ivo crossed his arms, listening intently. "That\'s a good idea but forgive me for pointing out the obvious flaw in this plan. The throne\'s destroyed." He said. "There\'s nothing left to draw her here, is there?"

A devious grin spread across Armand\'s face. "But Yuri doesn\'t know that, does she? She never added a function to notify her of destruction in the tattoo she made for it. We can rebuild it, make it look like the original, but with one major difference. We\'ll rig it to explode the moment she tries to claim it. That will work, won\'t it?"

Ivo considered the idea, a slow smile forming on his lips. "A bomb... specifically designed to kill her?"

"Exactly." Armand replied, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "We create a replica so perfect, she won\'t know the difference. And when she gets close, thinking it holds the power she needs, we end this once and for all. It\'s exactly what we need, right?"

Ivo nodded approvingly. "It\'s risky... but brilliant. How long will it take?"

Armand\'s face grew more serious. "I\'ll need to get a new tattoo for this. One that can recreate the throne and charge it with the necessary power for the explosion. It won\'t be easy to power, but it\'ll be worth it, won\'t it?"

Ivo placed a hand on Armand\'s shoulder, grateful for his friend\'s dedication. Armand had always been willing to step up, to sacrifice, for their goal. He\'d stepped down, leaving Southside to him for Westside and now, he\'s sacrificing one of his tattoos to see Yuri gone. Not just that, he\'ll also be expending a lot of vitality to power the bomb in such short notice.

It could set back his eventual advancement to the sixth ring by years.

"Thank you for always having my back, Armand. We will end this together, won\'t we?"

Armand nodded in agreement.

Ivo clasped his friend on the shoulder in thanks and left the throne room, the sound of his footsteps echoing as he walked back to the elevator. This wasn\'t their only trap but it was one that had merit. Yuri was a brilliant fighter. Even if the bomb didn\'t kill her, it\'ll damage her enough for them to finish the job.

The ride down from the tower to the main building gave Ivo a moment to collect his thoughts. The coup had thrown everything into disarray, and Solomon\'s demands were growing harder to satisfy. Ezra had yet to be found, and without him, the blood oath they made with Solomon was on the verge of crumbling, along with their alliance.

The elevator doors opened, revealing the top floor of the main building, Ivo\'s personal quarters. As he stepped out, he immediately noticed Solomon sitting in the living room, arms crossed, impatience written across his face.

Behind him stood the three Flower Shop girls. Stephanie, the leader in her red scarf, Marissa in her blue scarf and Elle in her green scarf. They stood in perfect formation, ready for anything that could happen.

On the far side of the room, Amara stood, her eyes fixed on Solomon, every muscle in her body tense. She didn\'t trust Solomon and it showed in every line of her body.

"Well, well," Solomon said sarcastically as Ivo approached. "The new Count finally graces us with his presence. I must say, you\'re getting rather comfortable in your role, aren\'t you? First, you summon me like I\'m a lap dog and to add insult to injury, you keep me waiting."

Solomon stood, turning to face Ivo. "You must think we are equals of some sort." He laughed, the sound harsh. "Or have you forgotten just how precarious your position truly is?"

Ivo didn\'t flinch at Solomon\'s thinly veiled threat. Instead, he forced a smile, trying to diffuse the tension. "I apologize for the wait, Solomon. But as you know, we can\'t afford to leave the Old Museum unguarded. Not while Yuri still breathes."

Solomon narrowed his eyes but said nothing.

"We need to conduct business here." Ivo continued smoothly, steering the conversation toward what mattered. "Specifically, I want to conduct business with the ladies behind you but as you hold their current contract, I have to negotiate with you instead."

"Is that so?" Solomon raised a brow. "What exactly do you want from them?"

"I\'m requesting access to the Flower Shop girls\' toxins. You obviously know what we want to use it for."

Solomon\'s lips curled into a sly smile. "Ah, yes. The famed toxins. You know they don\'t come cheap, Ivo."

"I\'m aware." Ivo replied, his tone serious.

Solomon took a step forward, his hands resting behind his back as he studied Ivo. "I\'ll grant you access to the toxins... but you still owe me something, don\'t you?"

Ivo\'s jaw tightened as Solomon continued. "Ezra Matten. You\'ve yet to deliver him to me, and my patience is wearing thin."

Ivo clenched his fists, knowing this was coming. "We\'re searching for him. He\'s vanished, but we\'ll find him."

Solomon\'s smile faded, his expression darkening. "Time is running out, Ivo. If you fail to deliver, you know the consequences will be... unpleasant."

Ivo said nothing.

"How about this?" Solomon smoothened his suit. "I\'ll give you the toxins. In return, we\'ll amend the blood oath. We\'ll add a time limit to your retrieval of Ezra Matten. What do you say?"

Before Ivo could respond, the world turned blindingly white.