The sisters were enjoying the food when Esmeralda exited her room and addressed Ivy. "Child, I would like to talk to you after you finished eating," she informed her.

Ivy nodded her head. "Okay, Granny," she replied.

"I\'ll wait for you outside under the shade of the tree," Esmeralda added.

Kate shifted her gaze between Granny and her sister. "How about me, Granny? You don\'t want to talk to me?" she asked.

Esmeralda shook her head. "I just want to talk with your elder sister. We have a serious matter to discuss. Just stay here inside the house," she said.

Kate pouted. "Alright..."

Esmeralda exited the door while the sisters continue eating the food sent by Maxwell.

A half an hour later.

Ivy exited the house going to the direction of the tree.

"Take a seat beside me, Ivy," Esmeralda said.

Ivy obeyed and lowered herself in the wooden bench facing the old woman. "What is it, Granny?"

Esmeralda looked at the younger woman in the eyes. "You should go back to the vampires\' territory on the 9th day, I will personally escort you there. I don\'t want Kate to see you suffering here in my place since we both know that I can\'t help you, I don\'t have the antidote and only Maxwell can cure the poison in your body."

Ivy was silent for a minute or two. "Granny, I\'m going to take my sister with me. It\'s only right since we are family. Since I am the eldest I have all the right and responsibility to take care of Kate. I hope you understand," she explained politely.

Esmeralda released a deep sigh. "As far as I know, she doesn\'t want to go with you. You shouldn\'t insist on it," she reminded her.

"Granny, please, help me convince my sister to come with me to the vampires\' place! Please, I begged you!" Ivy pleaded. Tears shone in her eyes.

Esmeralda breathed deeply. "Child, why are you so stubborn? Kate doesn\'t want to go back to those bloodsuckers! Why are you still insisting on taking her there? Don\'t you love your sister?" she said with mock astonishment vibrating in her voice.

Ivy sighed heavily. "Granny...you don\'t understand...please listen to me..."

Esmeralda was vigorously shaking her head in a frustrated manner. "It\'s you who don\'t understand me. I feel insulted that you chose to go back to the vampires when I already offered my place to you so that you and your sister can live in peace under my protection. What did Maxwell offered to you? Why can\'t you leave him?" she asked irritably.

Ivy\'s eyes watered. "Granny...please don\'t make it hard for me. I\'m already in a hard place," she begged for understanding.

Esmeralda squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. "Hmph! You\'d rather allow those vampires to suck on your blood and that of your sister daily? While here in my place you are safe and no one will harm you. I can\'t understand your reasoning at all!" she snorted.

Ivy was deeply conflicted. "It\'s not that I don\'t want to live here with my sister. Just that...that..."

"What-?"

Ivy bit her lower lip.

"Go on, child. Tell me what Maxwell can offer you and your sister that I can\'t offer?" Esmeralda asked curiously.

Ivy breathed deeply in a miserable state. "Maxwell offered me and my sister freedom from this castle one day." She finally revealed the reason why she needs to go back to the vampires\' territory.

Esmeralda\'s eyes widened in surprise, her brows knitted together. "Huh? Are you kidding me? Are you sure that they have the ways and means on how to get out of this castle alive?" she interrogated her further.

"Yes..."

Esmeralda\'s curiosity shoot to the roof. "Really-? How are they going to do it? Do you know how? Did Maxwell told you?"

Ivy was tongue-tied for a moment. There\'s something in her memory that is missing. She shook her head regretfully. "I\'m sorry, Granny, I can\'t recollect well if Maxwell told me about it. The only thing I can remember is that he told me that if I can convince my sister to go back with me, then he can guarantee our escape from this castle. That\'s the only thing I can recall in my head..."

Esmeralda laughed a little. "You are such a silly child! Maxwell was just bluffing. He was just trying to deceive you and your sister. Those vampire brothers love your blood so they will do anything to get you and your sister under their control."

"I want you to know that no one can leave this castle. We are a prisoner here for life. So don\'t fantasize about something impossible," she added.

Ivy\'s face was devastated. She refused to believe the old woman\'s claimed. When she listened to Maxwell\'s promise, she was sure he was telling the truth. There was a sparkle in his eyes every time he mentioned getting out of the castle one day.

"All I wanted is for my sister and me to go back to our village, see my Aunt Margie and my younger sister Ella once again. That\'s my simple wish. Granny, I just wanted to get out of this castle alive!" she began sobbing hard.

Ivy broke down in front of Esmeralda.

There was a pause between the women, while the only sounds that can be heard in the atmosphere were Ivy\'s pitiful crying.

Esmeralda crossed her arms over her chest trying not to be swayed by Ivy\'s distraught crying. She allowed the younger woman to cry her heart out, hoping that her mood will lighten a bit after getting her emotion laid bare in the open.

Her gaze landed on Kate who happened to be looking at them in the window.

Kate exited the door quickly and went hurriedly to her sister\'s side. She plopped down beside her crying sister. "Sis, why are you crying?" she inquired while looking at the old woman throwing her a questioning glance.

Ivy did not reply to her sister\'s question.

Sighing, Kate looked at the two women, looking for an answer to her question.

Esmeralda lifted her shoulders in a shrug while staring at Kate. "Your sister is here, Ivy. Why don\'t you tell her about your secret, about the poison in your body?" she said.

Kate\'s eyes widened in shock. "Huh? What poison-?"

Ivy looked at the old woman. "Granny, please don\'t tell my sister! It was supposed to be a secret between us!" she protested.

Esmeralda gave Ivy a hard look. "She deserved to know your condition. If you can convince your sister to go with you, then, you are free to take her back with you," she relented with a tired voice.

Kate glanced at her sister. "Sis, please tell me about the poison!"

Still, Ivy refused to reveal the truth to her sister and remained secretive.

Kate was annoyed with her sister\'s silence. She switched her attention to the old woman. "Granny common, please tell me about the poison. Hurry up please!" she demanded as the feeling of dread assailed her senses.

The expression on Esmeralda\'s face softened up. "Listen up, child. It goes like this. Maxwell, made your sister swallow a poison that will get activated on the 10th day. We don\'t know for sure, when will that happen. But one thing is sure, Maxwell has the antidote and wants Ivy and you to return to their territory after ten days. If Ivy refused to go back, the poison will get activated in her body killing her in the process. So...your elder sister needs to go back to them on the 9th day just to make sure she won\'t die," she gave a long explanation.

Kate\'s hands tightened into fists. Her jaw clenched as tears shimmered in her eyes. "Those damn bastard! They want to blackmail my sister!?" she asked angrily.

Esmeralda stuck her nose in the air. "Yes, and they\'re using your sister to get you back!" she stated the obvious.

Ivy continues her crying.

Kate looked at her sister sadly. "In short, they won\'t save my sister if I refused to go back to them?"

Esmeralda nodded her head. "Yes. That was their plan..."

Kate looked at Esmeralda. "Granny, can you please dispel the poison in my sister\'s body? Please, I\'m begging you!"

Esmeralda massaged the back of her neck, then addressed Ivy sadly. "I\'m so sorry, child. As much as I wanted to help your sister, I cannot eliminate the poison in her body. It\'s beyond my capability," she said with a gloomy sigh.

Kate\'s expression turned sad and distraught. After hearing Granny\'s inability to banish the poison in her sister\'s body, fat tears of desperation emerged in her eyes. "What\'s gonna happen now? I don\'t want to go back to those bloodsuckers! I despise them with every fiber of my being!" she declared blatantly.

Silence engulfed the women.

Ivy was done crying, she wiped the tears with the back of her hand, sporting a forlorn expression on her face.

Kate was fuming in anger. The more she hated those bloodsuckers, unfortunately, she\'s powerless to stop them. She\'s just an ordinary human without supernatural power to use against those bastards!

Esmeralda rose to her feet and looked at the sisters. "I\'m going inside the house to rest. You talk it out, girls. Discuss the problem one by one. I hope you can come up with a brilliant solution. I\'m just here to support you," she said in resignation.

She left the girls and went inside the house.

Kate and Ivy looked at each other.

"What we\'re going to do now?" asked Kate hopelessly.

Ivy eyed her sister sadly. "Do you want to stay here? You don\'t want to go with me?" she asked in simple directness.