NO ONE’S POV

Vivien forcefully pushed Enzo’s heavy bleeding body off her, not sparing him a second glance.

Her eyes instantly darted to where Dominic lay motionless on the stone floor. Panic seized her chest as she ran toward him on her hands and knees, checking his pulse and his ragged breathing. She had been holding her breath the entire time the gas was releasing, but she couldn’t last much longer.

Thinking quickly, she grabbed the hem of her white gown, tore off a piece of the cloth, and tightly wrapped it around her nose and mouth to filter out the toxic fumes.

With her airways protected, she hurriedly tried to lift Dominic, slapping his cheeks gently to keep him awake and desperately trying to drag his heavy frame away from the center of the room.

Behind her, Enzo let out a guttural roar of pure madness. With a trembling hand, he violently ripped the silver knife out of his own neck, blood spraying across his clothes. He was deeply pissed off. His eyes were wide and bloodshot as he barged toward Vivien’s back like a wounded animal. She had tried to betray him again! He was going to make sure she could never ruin his plans ever again.

The entire dark room was in absolute chaos, the purple portal spinning violently and creating a messy wind. Enzo raised the bloody dagger, aiming it directly at Vivien’s exposed back. But before he could stab her, a dark shadow launched through the air and forcefully pushed him away, knocking him off balance.

It was Lily. She had finally managed to pull off her ropes using the very last bit of her physical strength. The moment her hands were free, she had noticed exactly what was going on, and without a single thought for her own safety, she ran straight into the fight.

Lily wrapped her arms around Enzo’s torso, hugging his body tightly from behind to lock his arms in place. Using his own momentum against him, she grabbed his wrist, forced the knife toward his chest, and stabbed him once again, deep into his heart. Vivien whipped her head around at the sound of the struggle, her eyes widening in pure horror as she screamed at the top of her lungs, "Lily! No!"

Lily didn’t try to pull the knife out. Instead, she only turned her head slightly to look at Vivien one last time. Her pale, blood-stained face softened into a peaceful expression. She muttered quietly through the roaring wind, "Please forgive me, My Lady..."

With those final words, Lily tightened her death grip on Enzo’s thrashing body, kicked off the stone floor, and jumped directly into the swirling purple portal, dragging Enzo down into the dark abyss along with her.

The moment their bodies vanished into the vortex, the magical energy ended. With a loud snap, the portal turned off completely, leaving the room in a sudden silence. Everything slowly became normal again. The vents clicked off, and the white sleeping gas stopped pouring into the chamber. Within seconds, the front doors were kicked off, and dozens of Dominic’s backup men rushed into the room with gas masks and weapons drawn, quickly securing the area.

Vivien let out a weak exhausted gasp, her strength completely drained. She looked down at her arm, which was still resting against Dominic’s chest. Dominic was already awake, his eyes open and staring up at her with intense relief and deep worry. He was trying to push himself up to hold her, but the lingering effects of the gas made him slow.

Because of all the extreme exertion, fear, and blood loss from the night, Vivien’s vision suddenly became incredibly blurry. The room began to spin, and her strength failed her completely. With a soft sigh, she fell forward, collapsing right on top of his chest.

Dominic’s reflexes kicked in instantly despite his weakness. He quickly wrapped his arms around her waist and back, pulling her safely into his embrace and holding her tight against his heart as the world finally went quiet.

His assistant came running into the ruined chamber, his breathing incredibly heavy and his face drenched in sweat. He was holding a tactical radio, ready to report a major victory to his employer.

"Boss, everything has been taken over! We have secured the entire perimeter and- " The assistant suddenly cut himself off, his voice dying in his throat. He stood completely still, his boots frozen on the threshold as he took in the horrifying, bloody scene right in front of him.

The floor was covered in blood stains, broken ritual tools were scattered everywhere, and the heavy smell of blood filled the air. The sheer shock of the violence was too much for the man’s nerves. His eyes instantly rolled back into his head, his knees buckled, and he fainted right on the spot, his body hitting the floor with a loud dramatic thud.

Dominic slowly looked down at his assistant’s unconscious form on the ground and let out a long irritated sigh. Even in the middle of a massive gang war, his staff could be incredibly ridiculous.

Gathering the last bit of his strength, Dominic carefully slid his arms underneath Vivien’s limp body, adjusting her torn white gown. He picked Vivien up in a secure bridal carry and walked away from the altar room.

He strode confidently down the dark hallway, passing right by his assistant’s fainted body without stopping. As he walked past his elite security team, he gave a subtle nod toward the floor, signaling his men to pick up the useless assistant and carry him along the way to the vehicles.

An hour later, inside the quiet, luxurious backseat of Dominic’s car, Vivien’s eyelashes finally fluttered open. The dark spots in her vision slowly faded, and she felt a soothing vibration beneath her. She quickly realized she was resting against something incredibly warm and solid.

Strong, muscular arms were wrapped securely around her waist, holding her tight against a broad chest.

She slowly looked up, and her breath completely hitched in her throat. It was Dominic.

He was leaning back against the seat, his eyes closed. Up close, he looked incredibly tired, with dark shadows under his eyes from sleepless nights spent hunting for her. Yet, his face looked remarkably peaceful now that she was back in his arms. His usually perfect back dark hair was a total mess, with a few loose strands falling over his forehead in a way that made him look more handsome.

Looking at his sharp jawline and feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath her cheek, Vivien felt her own heart throb violently. A sudden heat rushed to her cheeks, and her entire face turned bright red.

Shit... don’t tell me I am actually falling for him! she scolded herself mentally, panic flaring in her chest. Embarrassed by her own chaotic thoughts, she quickly buried her burning face deep into the fabric of his chest, trying to hide her blushing cheeks from the world.

Soon enough, the gentle rocking of the moving car made her eyelids grow incredibly heavy, and she fell fast asleep once again.

The moment her breathing evened out into a deep slumber, Dominic slowly opened his dark eyes. He hadn’t been fully asleep at all. An incredibly attractive smirk played on his lips as he looked down at the top of her head. He gently leaned down, pressing a soft kiss against her soft hair, before closing his eyes once more to finally get some well-deserved rest, keeping his precious girl locked safely in his embrace.

Soon after, Vivien woke up once again, the gentle morning light filtering through massive curtains. She blinked against the brightness, instantly noticing that the warm presence beside her was gone. Dominic wasn’t there.

She let out a long yawn and sat up, stretching her arms. Surprisingly, she felt so much better. The exhaustion in her bones was entirely gone, and her injuries barely ached. Looking down, she realized someone had completely changed her out of that torn, bloody white gown into a set of incredibly soft pajamas.

Then, a sudden, chilling thought came straight to her mind. Damn... I totally forgot that Dominic is an obsessive, possessive maniac too, she thought, a heavy sigh escaping her lips.

Didn’t I just save myself from one dangerous predator only to fall right into the arms of another?

She swung her legs over the edge of the mattress and stood up. As she walked toward the entrance of the bedroom, she noticed something highly unusual- the door was wide open. Vivien stopped in her tracks, completely confused. Was Dominic actually willing to let her roam around his massive estate freely? Isn’t he scared that I might try to run away from him after everything that happened?

Vivien walked out into the grand hallway, her bare feet making no sound against the polished floors. The entire mansion was dead quiet, with no guards or maids in sight. She walked down the familiar corridor and noticed that his private study door was left slightly ajar.

Stepping inside, her eyes immediately locked onto the desk. Sitting right there in the center was the exact same picture frame she had seen before. She vividly remembered that the last time she wanted to check it, she couldn’t see what was inside.

Finally, she had the perfect chance. Taking a deep breath, Vivien walked over to the desk, reached out her hand, and flipped the frame over to face her.

In an instant, her hands completely froze. Her breath caught tightly in her throat.

The teenage boy in the photograph was wearing a familiar high school uniform, his face holding the exact same cold expression he had today. But it wasn’t just him. Standing right behind him in the background, caught completely off guard, was a girl.

"That’s... that’s me," Vivien whispered, her voice shaking.

It was a candid picture from their school’s annual spring picnic. And that boy... the cold student she had been completely infatuated with throughout her school years... it was her ultimate high school crush!

"Don’t tell me..." Vivien muttered under her breath, her pupils shaking in absolute shock as the puzzle pieces finally clicked together in her mind. Dominic Valente, the most terrifying and successful man in the city, was the very same boy from her past.

Just then, a large hand suddenly reached out from behind her, gently grabbing the edge of the picture frame.

"Oh, you’ve seen it already," Dominic’s deep voice rumbled right next to her ear, sending a sharp shiver down her spine. "I was honestly planning to tell you the truth a bit later, once you were fully recovered." He looked down at the old photograph with a soft tender gaze.

"You... that... I..." Vivien stammered, her brain completely short-circuiting. She couldn’t spill out a single sentence, her lips parting and closing like a fish.

"What happened, amore mio? Can’t say anything at all?" Dominic asked, a low attractive smirk playing on his lips as he stepped into her personal space, trapping her between his chest and the desk.

He leaned down, his dark eyes flashing with fond amusement. "Wasn’t you the one who secretly stalked me throughout our entire high school years, hm? Always hiding behind the pillars and taking notes?"

The sudden realization hit Vivien. All this time, she thought she was hiding her feelings so perfectly, but he had known about her silly crush the entire time! In a matter of seconds, her face became a bright red tomato, and she desperately wished the floor would swallow her whole.

Seeing her look so incredibly cute, flustered, and completely defenseless, Dominic couldn’t help himself anymore.

The possessiveness in his chest softened into pure adoration. He leaned in slowly, his eyes locking onto her lips, giving her plenty of time to pull away if she wanted to.

But this time, Vivien didn’t run. She didn’t fight the pull. As his lips gently met hers, Vivien finally closed her eyes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him back with everything she had, completely surrendering to her handsome predator.

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The End