No One’s POV

Alina slammed the lady’s room door so hard the perfume bottles on the vanity fell down.

"Ughhh! I want to kill her! I want to rip that dress off her dead body!" she shrieked, her face contorting into a pure rage. She grabbed a heavy soap dispenser and hurled it into the sink, watching it shatter.

"How dare she! How dare that bitch treat me like a common dog in front of everyone!"

She was mid curse, her chest heaving, when she heard a click of the door locking behind her.

Instantly, her posture shifted. She smoothed her hair with trembling fingers, wiped her eyes, and slumped her shoulders. She turned around, ready to play the victim card to whichever socialite had walked in. Until she saw exactly who was standing there.

Her innocent act dropped instantly. She straightened up, her eyes flashing with Anger as she marched toward the man leaning against the door.

Elias stood there, his face cold.

"Now you decided to show up like What the heck is going on?!" Alina sneered, poking a finger into his chest. "Why couldn’t your so called ’best men’ take care of that one little girl?! You told me she was handled! I thought you took care of her, but instead, she’s out there, covered in your men’s blood, and embarrassing me in front of the entire elite circle!"

Before she could finish her sentence, Elias’s hand shot. He caught her wrist in harsh grip, twisting it until she flinched, her knees buckling slightly from the pressure.

"Watch your tone, Alina," he whispered, his voice a low that made the hair on her neck stand up.

"I won’t be as patient as before if you keep crossing your lines. Don’t forget- the same way I gave you this life, I can take it away exactly the same way. I can leave you in the gutter where I found you."

Alina shivered, the fire in her eyes replaced by fear. She forced herself to breathe, though the irritation. "But... what about that bitch? How is she alive? How is she even here after what you planned?"

"Watch this." Elias pulled out his phone and flicked through photos.

Alina’s eyes widened, her breath hitching in her throat as she scrolled through the images. The six specialists Elias had sent were nothing more but dead corps. The kills were clean and absolutely heartless.

Viella had intentionally left the bodies in row condition for Elias to find, knowing her family’s power would bury any police report before it even reached a desk.

"Who... who did this?" Alina stammered, her voice barely a whisper as she looked at the pictures. "That bitch can’t even hold a gun without shaking let alone taking them down by herself. And the way they’re murdered... it’s like...like.."

She couldn’t bring herself to say the name. The memory of that night still haunts her...she can’t forget those burning gaze.

"Like it’s done by original Viella " Elias finished, his eyes dark with a new curiosity. "It’s exactly how the original Viella, the real Villainess used to kill people. No hesitation. No mercy. One shot, one kill."

Alina started shivering, her breath coming in ragged, "No... no, it can’t be possible. Tell me it’s a lie, Elias! She died! I saw her die! I killed her!! That girl out there is just a lucky brat, she’s not....she can’t come back!!"

"It’s up to you to find that out, Alina," Elias said, his voice dropping once again. He stepped toward the large vanity mirror, adjusting his suite. "Tonight is the ultimate test. I want you to provoke them. Test both Dante and Viella together. If either of them is acting..." He caught his own cold reflection in the glass and straightened his tie. "...they’re getting eliminated today. I don’t care about this book or even Toying with them anymore. I don’t keep broken tools."

The moment she heard Dante’s name, Alina’s eyes sparked with a desperate. She grabbed Elias’s arm, her voice rising in a frantic pitch.

"No! No, my Dante isn’t acting! I already proved it to you! Didn’t you see how he saved me in front of everyone back then? How he threatened you to never meddle with me? He told you never to harm me! He loves me, Elias! He would never betray me for that monster!"

She knows if Elias wants, he can definitely kill Dante. And she will never let that happen.

Elias slowly turned his head, looking down at her hand on his sleeve with pure anoyence until she flinched and let go. A cruel mocking chuckle came within his chest.

"Did he look at you even once today, Alina?" he asked, his words cutting through her delusions. "Did he come to save you when she was rubbing her bloody shoes on your expensive white silk? Did he even flinch when she called you a dog?" He leaned down, his face inches from hers. "Tell me, you little fool... where was your knight in shining armor then?"

Alina stayed silent, her lower lip trembling. The only answer Elias got was the silence.

"Exactly. Now you have your answer," Elias said, pulling back and turning toward the door. "My men are positioned throughout the hall. At any sign of unusual behavior, any slip-up from either of them, they will strike at that exact moment. Don’t fail me, Alina. Or you’ll find out just how quickly a ’favorite’ can become a ’casualty’."

With that, Elias unlocked the door and walked out. Alina stood alone in the wreckage of the bathroom, her eyes wide and bloodshot as she stared at her ruined dress in the mirror.

Meanwhile-

Lily stood outside the door, her heart racing as she heard every word. Her eyes trembled. This was the moment she ever showed so much emotions or even felt any. My lady... is she really back? She felt a rush of happiness, but she quickly hid it. She had to stay calm. First, she needed to make sure her lady was safe and tell her about Elias’s dangerous plan.

But as she turned to leave, she suddenly felt something was off. Out of nowhere, a hand grabbed her and a cloth soaked in chloroform was pressed against her nose. Everything went black.

Inside the hall.

Lucian stood by himself, boredly sipping his wine. A lot of girls came up to him, trying to get his attention, but he wasn’t interested at all. His eyes kept roaming around the room.

Where did that miss math teacher go? he wondered. Then his eyes landed on Viella. She was talking to some guests, but Lily wasn’t beside her. Lucian frowned and started looking through the crowd for her.

Viella looked at her watch while she talked. There were still a few hours left before midnight. She still had some time. Right then, Alina walked back into the room. She had tried to clean the stain, but the blood was still visible on her white dress.

Viella smirked and watched her walking towards Dante. Before Alina could reach Dante, Viella stepped right in front of her.

"I thought you were a servant here tonight? Why aren’t you serving the guests?" Viella asked loudly. Then she looked at a nearby waiter. "You, bring her a tray. Let her serve some drinks. We don’t have maids here just to spend their vacation.

Because of Viella’s loud voice, everyone’s attention shifted toward them including Dante’s.

Alina noticed the crowd watching and immediately started her plan. She bowed low and apologized to Viella with a submissive look, reaching out to take the heavy tray. But before she could serve anyone, a hand reached out and held her hands on the tray, stopping her.

Dante stood right in front of her. Alina felt a massive rush of joy, but she quickly hid it, remembering what Elias had said. She had to stay focused.

Dante looked coldly at Viella. "I told her not to work today since her hands are injured."

Viella raised her eyebrows, a playful but dangerous glint in her eyes. "Oh? Is that so?" she said, walking slowly towards them. "My dear fiancé is such a kind hearted man."

She smiled thinly as she reached out and took a full wine glass from the tray Alina was holding. Dante watched her every move, his eyes tracking her hand.

Then- Splash. Without warning, Viella tilted the glass and poured the dark red wine all over Alina’s white dress.

Everyone in the ballroom gasped in shock. The red liquid soaked into the fabric, making the dress look more ruined. Dante immediately grabbed Viella’s hand to stop her.

"What are you doing, Viella?" he demanded, his voice sounded angry..

"Viella? I thought you called me your fiancée?" she asked, tilting her head. "And what’s wrong with it? Her dress looked way too white, too flashy for a servant. I just decided to add some color to it. All I did was help her stand out, right Alina?"

Alina stayed silent, looking down at her ruined dress as if she were about to cry.

"Stop this nonsense, Viella," Dante snapped, his grip on her wrist tightening yet not enough to hurt her. "Didn’t I tell you not to misbehave today? Everyone is present here."

"Yes, everyone is present here," Viella said, her eyes turning cold as she looked directly into his. "Let them also see exactly what my fiancé is doing."

Everyone looked at each other. They all knew how troublesome the youngest daughter of the Viella family could be, but for some reason, they felt she was actually right today. The whispering started up again, filling the room with a restless energy.

"Silent!" a voice rang out. Dante’s command instantly shut everyone down.

"I will sort this out with my fiancée. Everyone, enjoy the party," he said firmly. He slipped his hand away from Alina and, with a tight grip, pulled Viella toward a balcony.

Alina glared at both of them, her face twisting with hidden rage. Elias, who was standing nearby, gave her a small signal with his eyes, signing for her to follow them and watch.

On the balcony, the air was cold. Dante pushed Viella back and caged her against the stone railings, leaning in close so she couldn’t move.

"You’ve been testing my patience a lot lately, Viella," Dante said, his voice dropping to a deadly murmur.

"Oh really? How exactly am I doing that, dear fiancé?" Viella asked. She didn’t look scared at all instead, she wrapped her hands around him.

She could feel his body heat rising, his muscles tense beneath his suit. She smirked, enjoying the effect she had.

He reached his hand around her back and pulled her body flush against his. Viella’s breath hitched for a split second, but she kept her expression calm and daring.

"Don’t do things you’ll regret later on. It will no longer be a warning next time, but action. You’ll see," he whispered, his hot breath hitting her face. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Hmmm... I don’t mind a little action," she flirted back, her eyes locked onto the fire burning in his.

"You better keep up with your words, Viv-"

The sound of footsteps interrupted them. Dante immediately took a step back, breaking the tension.

"Viella."

He turned and saw Alina standing there. She hadn’t seen exactly what happened, but she noticed Viella’s face was red. She must be fuming with anger, Alina thought to herself, feeling a small sense of victory.

Dante didn’t say another word to Viella. He took Alina’s hand and walked back into the ballroom without looking back.

Viella leaned against the cold railing, watching them disappear into the crowd. A dark smile played on her lips as she muttered to the empty air

"You can’t even expect what I have planned for you, Dante Velerio Moretti."

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

TO BE CONTINUED