This finger…
This ring…
Caroline seemed to realize something, looking at Gwen, who was smiling with pursed lips, her eyes widening, and then she instinctively covered her mouth with both hands.
"Hiss!"
"Yes, this is an engagement ring."
Gwen smiled, opening her palm to Caroline, displaying the six-carat purple diamond ring on her hand from every angle, 360 degrees without any blind spots.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
"Beautiful."
Caroline exclaimed in agreement, then looked at Gwen: "But, when did this happen? Mom and Grandpa never told me about it. Who is he? What's his name? What does he do?"
Gwen smiled slightly. Just as she was about to speak, her peripheral vision caught Hawk, who was now also walking out of the study on the second floor.
Caroline followed Gwen's gaze and looked up.
Their eyes met.
Caroline's pupils contracted rapidly.
Not because Hawk was handsome.
Nor because Hawk was well-built.
But because…
She hadn't noticed a second person in the study just now.
Although her time as a Vampire was still short, she was very smart and quickly mastered how to control her bloodlust and her suddenly enhanced strength, as well as her equally sharpened five senses.
But after she became a Vampire, her keen five senses actually failed to detect a second person in the study.
Of course.
If she had noticed, that would have been the strange thing.
Let's put it this way.
If she could have detected Hawk, then it wouldn't be that she had become stronger, but that Hawk had become weaker.
Hawk took in the changes in Caroline's pupils, but he didn't show it.
It was still the same saying.
He was here to accompany Gwen to visit her grandfather and take a vacation, not to play some game of feigning weakness to ambush the strong.
"Caroline, let me introduce you."
"Hawk Phoenix, my fiancé."
"Hawk, this is my cousin, Caroline Fox."
"Hello."
Hawk offered his right hand with a smile.
Caroline composed herself, looked at the outstretched right hand, and shook Hawk's hand: "Hello."
Hawk smiled slightly, choosing not to interrupt the two sisters' reunion. After retracting his right hand, he said to Gwen, who was beside him: "I'm going to walk around outside the Manor. You two chat."
Gwen hummed in acknowledgment, watching Hawk walk towards the door, and cautioned: "Be careful."
She remembered Hawk mentioning that there were Vampires in Waterfall Town.
Although there were also Vampires in New York City, New York City was large enough, and they were right under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s nose.
But Waterfall Town was very small.
Although in Hawk's eyes, let alone one Vampire, even an entire clan of Vampires standing together, Hawk would be fearless.
But Hawk not being afraid was a different matter from her reminding Hawk to be careful.
Hawk waved his hand without looking back and walked out of the Manor.
Caroline, however, watched Hawk's retreating figure, her delicate brows slightly furrowed.
Once again.
Her five senses, enhanced after becoming a Vampire, couldn't hear Hawk's heartbeat, couldn't smell Hawk's blood, and couldn't even sense Hawk's fear.
It seemed this person was fearless.
But this person was not a Vampire.
Caroline had just shaken hands with Hawk. At that moment, she could clearly perceive Hawk's pulse through his warm palm, and the blood surging like a tide, and the heart beating like the birth of the Universe.
But once he left, her five senses could no longer perceive Hawk.
This person…
Had a problem.
Caroline thought to herself.
Gwen, standing beside her, looked at her cousin, who was somewhat lost in thought staring at her fiancé's back, and waved her hand in front of Caroline's face.
"Hey."
"Sorry."
Caroline snapped back, looking at Gwen: "Gwen, your fiancé is very handsome. How did you two meet?"
Gwen glanced at Caroline and said with a smile: "I won't tell you."
Caroline understood. She tugged on Gwen's arm, shaking it, her voice becoming soft and sweet.
"Cousin~~~"
"Whoosh!"
After Hawk walked out of the Manor, the moment he turned right, his figure had already vanished from its original spot. When he reappeared, he was already in a mountain forest, looking at the male Vampire in front of him whose pupils were slowly widening in shock, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Hello!"
"…"
Damon Salvatore felt a chill run down his spine as Hawk appeared silently in front of him. His figure, like a ghost, tried to leave.
He succeeded.
The moment Hawk finished speaking, he transformed into an afterimage, swiftly darting into the forest behind him.
But…
After escaping, and no longer able to see Fox Manor, Damon had just stopped, preparing to ponder what that strange thing was, when Hawk's voice once again came from behind him.
"Too slow!"
"…Whoosh!"
Damon's hair stood on end, and his heart, which had long stopped beating for many years, even trembled slightly.
He didn't hesitate. Turning around, he raised his right hand with a ghostly swiftness, aiming directly for Hawk's heart.
The result!
"Boom, boom, boom—"
Damon, who instantly shot into the air, flew backward like a cannonball. The ancient trees behind him, which had grown for who knows how many years, were cracked one after another as Damon crashed through them, until he hit the fifth large tree. At that moment, Damon's pale face flushed, and then he spat out a mouthful of dark blood, slumping onto the somewhat damp muddy ground.
Hawk, hands in his pockets, reappeared in front of Damon, looking calmly at the Vampire who was spitting blood against the tree.
"Name!"
"…Who are you?"
Damon, whose inner self was shaken by the realization of the vast difference in strength between him and this person after just one blow, then remembered a remark his ex-girlfriend had made before she was trapped in the tomb by him and his brother not long ago. He looked up at Hawk, who stood before him, looking down: "Klaus?"
Hawk chuckled at the remark: "I'm not a Vampire!"
What class was he?
What class were Vampires? They dared to try to impersonate him.
Hawk scoffed internally, looking at the seemingly familiar Vampire. Just as he was about to speak, he looked up in the direction of Fox Manor.
Just then.
Damon Salvatore, whose aura was weak, didn't hesitate. He once again went full speed, and with a whoosh, he shot towards the town area down the mountain.
But his speed was still very slow.
At least, in Hawk's eyes, it was.
However…
Just as Hawk's eyes turned crimson, he suddenly had an idea, then seemed to remember something, chuckled, and withdrew his Phoenix Ray.
The reason he came to find this Vampire was simple.
Who told this Vampire to be lurking outside his house?
How did that saying go?
How could he allow others to snore beside his bed?
Under Hawk's six senses, he had discovered Caroline when she approached, and also discovered this Vampire who had followed Caroline here.
Anyone unaware would have thought he was some kind of stalker.
How could this be allowed?
However, Hawk suddenly remembered who this somewhat familiar Vampire was.
Wasn't this Damon, one of the famous Salvatore brothers?
This Damon and his brother Stefan were quite interesting characters.
Let's put it this way.
Both brothers had the same ex-girlfriend.
He had originally intended to teach this Vampire, who felt very much like a lookout or a scout, a lesson.
After all, he had just arrived, and a Vampire was already targeting him. If he didn't strike hard, it would easily make those hidden enemies think he was soft again.
But it was clear Damon wasn't like that.
He should have come with Gwen's cousin, Caroline.
As for what he was doing, that was no longer important, as long as he wasn't tracking him or his fiancée.
This was also why he gave up on killing Damon.
Hawk thought to himself, looking at Damon, who had run far away but was still within his attack range, then withdrew his gaze and vanished from his spot.
Gwen was currently standing in front of the car, looking for Hawk.
"Hawk!"
"Coming."
Hawk's figure appeared behind Gwen.
Gwen heard him, turned around, and looked at the returning Hawk. Just as she was about to speak, her nose wrinkled. She leaned closer to Hawk, sniffed, and then looked up at Hawk.
"Smell of blood?"
"Not mine."
"Whose then?"
"A Vampire's."
"Hiss!"
Gwen gasped, looking around: "Where? What was he doing here?"
Hawk looked at Gwen, who seemed to be trying to orient herself, and chuckled.
"He ran away."
"Ran?"
Gwen looked at Hawk with some disbelief: "You missed?"
Hawk was amused.
"If I wanted to kill him, he wouldn't be alive."
"Then…"
"I thought he was here to keep an eye on us, but then I realized it was a misunderstanding, so I let him go. Didn't you say we should be kind?"
Indeed.
Gwen had said that.
Gwen smiled, listening to Hawk's explanation.
Hawk then changed the subject: "Your cousin is still inside. Why did you come out? Are you done catching up?"
Gwen reacted, handing her phone to Hawk: "I almost forgot, Natasha just called. I came out to find you. She said she has something to tell you. You should call Natasha back quickly. I'm going to find my cousin first; we haven't finished chatting yet."
She had been telling her cousin a slightly embellished story of how she and Hawk met, got to know each other, and stayed together when Natasha called.
This was also why she had been chatting so well and then suddenly ran out to find Hawk.
Now.
Hawk was found, so Gwen waved to Hawk, then turned and walked back into the main building of the Manor, ready to continue chatting with her cousin.
Hawk, standing by the car, watched Gwen walk into the main building, then put the recently connected phone to his ear.
"Hello."
"Hawk, Mallick's physical examination results are out."
"How are they?"
"All data is completely consistent with the data from Mallick's previous arrests."
"From a scientific perspective, he is Mallick."
"The real Mallick!"
"…"
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