NO ONE’S POV

"I can change myself, Dante! There are people right outside the door, please just go!" She reached out and tried to shove him toward the exit, but it was like trying to move a brick wall.

He didn’t budge an inch, he only looked down at her with an amused glint in his eyes.

"Fine," he said, finally relenting, though he held the dress just out of her reach for a second longer. "I’ll leave. But you have to promise to kiss me afterwards."

He said it with a shrug, almost like a child negotiating for a reward after a chore, but Vivien knew better. There was nothing innocent about the way he looked at her. She knew that whether she promised or not, he would find a way to take what he wanted the moment she stepped out of that room.

She glared at him, her eyes flashing with a fury. Dante let out a short, laugh, seemingly delighted by her spark of rage, and finally tossed the dress onto the settee. He turned and stepped out, the door clicking shut behind him.

The dress Dante had chosen was indeed beautiful. It was a floor length gown, the sleeve and neck was made with fine lace. The dress had a corset back. The skirt flowed out. With tons of mini crystal. Those crystals were in white and dark red. Making it look like dripping blood. It popped out her sharp looks more. As if she’s a vampire bride.

[Author is just bad with describing dresses XD]

Vivien stared at her reflection. She had read about gowns like this in her novels, but feeling the dress against her skin made the reality of her situation crash down on her. She was actually going to be his.....

The moment she reached for the door handle to leave, suddenly the lights went off.. Suddenly making everything quite.

Click.

The door in front of her creaked open and shut..

Vivien couldn’t see anything in dark and stumbled back.

"Dante... is this you?" she called out, her voice held suspicious.

No answer came. The figure stood perfectly still in the shadows near the door.

Vivien squinted. The more she took step back, she felt the shadow taking a step closer till she felt a presence towering over her.

A hot breath falling over the top of her head, and as the figure leaned down, she felt the air grow thin.

"Dante...?" she whispered, No response.

Then she felt hot breath against her lips as if someone leaning down to kiss her.

This didn’t feel like Dante.

Before she could defend, the lights flickered back. Viviens eyes were forced to close from the harsh light but when she looked up....the room was empty.

There was no one there. The door was in same position as she left it.

Was I hallucinating? she wondered.

She took a shaky breath and stepped out of the room. A few meters away, she saw Dante. He was standing by a window, his back to her, clutching his phone. He was barking orders, she could catch bit of his words- something about "no update" and "finding him before he breathes again."

Dante ended the call, his jaw tight. He was losing his patience. Elias was the target, he hadn’t managed to pin down yet, and the thought of that snake lurking near his Vivien made his blood boil.

But the sound of soft footsteps made him turn.

The anger died in his throat. He stayed stunned, frozen in his tracks.

Vivien stood there in the gown he had chosen for her. She looked goddess beauty that made his heart thrum faster. He felt a wave of heat rush through him, an ache to reach out, pull her into his arms, and never let her go.

She was his- his love, his obsession, his wife.

Vivien stayed still, caught in the Dante’s thirsty, intense gaze. She knew exactly what was swirling in his dark mind, the way he looked at her made her skin tingle, and despite her fear, she felt her ears turn a light red.

The tension was broken by a sudden, voice.

"Omoooo! You look absolutely fabulous, darling!" Nonna swept in, her heels clicking excitedly on the floor. "So beautiful! I knew it! no one is perfect enough to be my lion’s wife but you!"

Nonna leaned in and planted a kiss on Vivien’s cheek, beaming with pride as if she had just won the greatest prize. Dante finally moved, his eyes never leaving Vivien’s as he walked toward her, the corner of his mouth twitching into a satisfied smirk

Dante leaned down, catching a stray strand of her hair between his fingers and pressing a lingering kiss to it. "You look stunning, amore mio," he murmured.

Vivien felt a wave of shyness wash over her, a heat creeping up her neck. She quickly looked away to hide her face. Dante’s smile only deepened.

He could see the cracks in her. He wanted her to fall for him completely, to reach a point where he no longer had to use walls and locks to keep her. He wanted her heart to be his cage. But if she didn’t... his eyes darkened for a split second.

Sensing the sudden shift in the air, Vivien shivered. Thinking she had offended him by looking away, she forced out a quiet, "Thank you."

The tension snapped. He smirked, leaning down to catch her off guard. Before she could protest, he pressed his lips against hers in a soft passionate kiss right in the middle of the store.

Vivien’s eyes flew wide.

A gasp rippled through the boutique. The staff quickly looked away, blushing, while Nonna was busy snapping pictures on her phone like a proud paparazzo.

Finally, the old woman stepped in and playfully pushed Dante back.

"Aw, my little lion, can’t stand his thirsty heart!" Nonna teased, though she shook her head. "But you can’t do this now! Give her a break. Tomorrow is the wedding, and she needs her energy."

Dante actually nodded, a genuine satisfied smile playing on his lips. "As you wish, Nonna."

Vivien felt like she was about to faint. Energy? Tomorrow? Were they really discussing her like she was an athlete preparing for a marathon?

The rest of the day was a blur, shopping bags and frantic arrangements. Midway through the journey back, Dante’s phone buzzed, and his expression turned cold. He had to leave.

The moment they reached the mansion, Vivien didn’t even wait for a maid to assist her. She stumbled into the guest room and collapsed onto the massive bed. She was beyond exhausted. As her eyes fluttered shut, the last thing she saw was the moonlight shining brightly outside.

In just a few hours, the sun would rise, and with it, the life of Vivien would officially end.

She wouldn’t be Viella anymore. She would be Celestine Moretti.

"The original Viella would’ve died for this,"

Vivien muttered into the silence of the room.

"She wanted the title, the man, the power... and now that I’ve cleared her path and gotten rid of the ’heroine,’ she’s just gone."

It was a bitter thought. Viella had likely seen her revenge satisfied in that basement and simply vanished, leaving Vivien to pay the bill.

She shifted on the bed. Her mind began to work

looking for the exit sign she knew wasn’t there.

Run away? This was Miami, a city she didn’t know, but the security here felt lighter than the fortress back home. She could probably make it to the gates.

But then what? Dante would find her, eventually. And Nonna? The woman who laughed about breaking her husband’s legs wasn’t going to just let a bride-to-be wander off.

If they caught her again, the "golden cage" wouldn’t be so golden anymore.

She don’t even wanna think about it. She shrugged it off and kept thinking more.

What if I just get that dagger and kill myself with it instead? I wonder if I will wake up In my world or just straight up never wake up.

"Ughh," she groaned, burying her face in the pillow.

The choice was impossible. On one side was a life as a mafia queen to a man who was as beautiful as he was psychotic. On the other was a pure silence she don’t know if she craved.

Tomorrow, she was either walking down an aisle or off a cliff.

She just hadn’t decided which one was safer yet.

As she was about to doze off, she heard a sound behind her back. Her whole body became alert and as she was about to snap with the vase on the nightstand, she noticed someone kneeling down Infront of her.

The moonlight fell over Lily’s kneeling. Vivien slowly lowered the heavy vase. Her face instantly became cold.

"Lily?" Vivien said, her voice lingering fury.

"Greetings, my lady," Lily said, her head bowed in submission. "Before anything, I would like to apologize. I know you are mad at me, but I had my own reasons."

"Oh, so you know I’m mad at you?" Vivien let out a bitter laugh, setting the vase down on the nightstand with a heavy thud. "I thought you were too busy deceiving me and working for Dante."

"My lady.... I definitely noticed. But before I could approach you today... Lord Dante had arrived. I cannot move when he is watching."

"Enough with the excuses," Vivien snapped, sitting on the edge of the bed and crossing her arms. "Care to answer me? Why did you betray me? Why did you tell Dante to keep me trapped? I know it was you who leaked my information"

Lily stayed perfectly still, her eyes fixed on the floorboards. "My lady... I....well right after you left Elias mansion that night..."

The Flashback

The sound of the car tires screeching away echoed.

Finally Lily stepped out from the hiding spot. Her lady had ordered her to rest, to stay away, but Lily was not built for resting when her lady was about to take such huge step. There was no way she was gonna leave her lady alone.

She slipped back into the mansion through the side entrance, moving past the dead bodies. The mansion was dead silent. When she reached the room where the confrontation had happened, the sight was enough to make even her stoic heart falter.

Blood was everywhere- splattered across the expensive rugs and walls. And there, in the center of the hall, Elias lay. His body was cold, his skin pale, staring at the ceiling with sightless eyes. The smirk was still tugging in his lips.

Lily moved toward him, her mind already calculating how to scrub the scene. She began to gather the evidence Viella had left behind, wiping down surfaces and ensuring no trace of her lady’s presence remained.

She was so focused on the cleanup that she didn’t hear the sound of ragged breathing.

She didn’t see the fingers, slick with blood, twitching against the floor.

And finally...she didn’t notice the body rose from it’s place and casting a shadow over her....

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TO BE CONTINUED