No One’s Pov

Alina felt as if an invisible hand was squeezing her neck, cutting off every bit of oxygen. She struggled to breathe, clawing at the air as the darkness pressed in on her. It felt so real, so heavy, like the shadow of death itself was leaning over her.

"Ahhh!"

She suddenly woke up with a huge gasp, her lungs burning as she dragged in air. Her heart was pounding loudly, and her forehead was covered in a cold sweat.

Dante was sitting right there by the bed, his expression not visible in the dim light. "What’s wrong? How are you feeling now?" he asked, his voice calm and sounded concern.

Alina slowly calmed down, her trembling hands clutching the sheets. She looked up at his handsome face and forced a weak smile. It was probably just a nightmare caused by the pain and the medication, she thought. There was no way her Dante will ever hurt her. Infact he choose her over that Viella.

"I’m... I’m okay lord Dante," she whispered, still breathing heavily. "It was just a bad dream."

Dante reached out and brushed a stray hair from her face, his touch lingering on her

temple. "Rest, Alina. You’re safe here. I won’t let anything happen to you tonight."

He sat back in the shadows, watching her eyes close again. The gun was already tucked away, hidden perfectly out of sight.

"Yes," he murmured to himself as she drifted back into a drugged sleep. "Safe for now."

______________

The moment Elias stepped into his mansion, his lead man rushed forward to report, his face lit up with a relief that only a man who had narrowly escaped death could feel.

"Boss, we finally found the dagger!" he said, his voice far too happy. He knew that if he had returned empty handed, he wouldn’t be standing alive.

Elias’s eyes glinted with a dark hunger as he looked down at the weapon. He traced the cold metal with his gaze, feeling the weight of his victory. But then, he paused. His expression shifted, becoming colder once again.

"

Where is the book?"

The man’s happiness vanished instantly. The color drained from his face.

"Bo—Boss... we couldn’t find it..." he started stuttering, his knees beginning to shake.

Elias’s smile disappeared as if it had never existed. In one swift motion, he grabbed the man’s collar and yanked him forward until they were eye to eye. "What do you mean, you couldn’t find it?" he hissed

"We checked everywhere! We were searching the study when we got interrupted by Lucian’s men. We had to leave before they caught us, or we would have been trapped!"

Elias shoved the man away with enough force to send him stumbling back. "You know what I hate the most, don’t you?"

His men shivered. Everyone in the mansion knew the rule. Elias Noir hated unfinished work more than anything else in the world. To him, a partial victory was just a different kind of failure.

He turned his attention back to the dagger, turning it over in his hands. It was odd. It looked exactly like the original, yet it felt suspicious. Why would Viella let the dagger go so easily but keep the book hidden? A seed of doubt planted itself in his mind.

Then, without warning, he gripped the blade and stabbed it into the palm of his own hand.

As the sharp edge pierced his skin, warm blood started dripping onto the floor. The pain was sharp and real. A satisfying laugh finally tugged at his lips as he watched his own blood coat the steel. It felt like the real thing.

Elias dismissed his men with a sharp wave of his hand. Once the room was silent, he turned toward his desk, where a framed picture of Viella sat. He picked up the dagger, the blade still wet with his own blood, and began tracing the outline of her face.

"I wonder what kind of plan you’re plotting right now, Viella... or should I say, Vivien?"

A dark,hollow laugh escaped his throat. "You’re so full of mysteries. You actually have the guts to play the part of the original Viella just to fool me. It’s impressive. I really want to solve you... play with you... break you."

H

is eyes were wide, grinning with a manic intensity.

"Well, before that, let’s break that stupid plaything of mine."

He reached for his phone and pulled up the footage from the party. He knew Alina hadn’t witnessed the truth because of her injury. Yet He had watched exactly how Dante shielded Viella first, how he held her, and how he played Alina. With a flick of his thumb, he hit send, delivering the video straight to Alina’s phone.

How stupid of Dante to think he could cover it up.

Elias tossed his phone onto the couch and started humming a song. He no longer cared what happened to Alina, she had served her purpose. His sights were now locked onto the woman who dared to challenge him.

Satisfied with the seeds he had planted, he finally retreated to his bedroom. He lay down, expecting a peaceful night of sleep, completely unaware of the storm that was coming on his way.

_______________

Viella stood in the dim light of the private room, looking down at Lily’s pale, bandaged body. She had personally ordered for her to be moved here from hospital.

"My lady," a maid whispered, stepping into the room.

Viella didn’t look up. "Lucian has gone to sleep?"

"Yes, my lady."

"Did he say anything?"

The maid shook her head silently. Viella nodded and dismissed her with a wave. Once alone, she picked up Lily’s phone. It was locked, but Viella didn’t hesitate. She thought for a moment and entered a series of numbers.

Click. It opened.

"Hah, silly girl... it’s Viella’s birthday," she muttered, a trace of bitterness in her voice. "Exactly how dedicated are you to her?"

She began scrolling through the texts and call logs. The further she read, the clearer the picture became. Her suspicions were confirmed. Lily was the one behind the stolen dagger from starting. She was the one who had stolen it for Dante and then turned around to help Viella gather information.

"Hah, so Dante is just playing an act just like I thought" Viella whispered. She tossed the phone onto the bed and looked down at her own wrist.

A familiar symbol had been carved into her skin with the tip of the dagger.

A dark smirk played on her lips.

Flashback

Vivien stood in front of the full length mirror, her reflection staring back at her with cold eyes. She knew tonight was a turning point. It was a massive advantage. An opportunity that wouldn’t come again.

She needed to uncover Dante’s true reality and find a way to cut ties with him forever. At the same time, she had to outsmart Elias, who was watching her every move like a hawk. It was a high stakes game of chess, and one wrong move would mean her end.

Her eyes landed on the cursed book, the scattered papers, and the dagger sitting on her table. She walked over, looking at the blade for a long moment before taking a deep breath. With a steady hand, she carved the symbol into her skin.

As she finished, the blood began to dry instantly. A searing heat surged through her, burning her to the core. Her head throbbed with a bang until she forced her eyes open.

They were cold.

Vivien could feel something fundamental shifting within her. It wasn’t just memories anymore. the original Viella’s strength and skills were carving themselves back into the vessel.

It was as if the original soul had merged with her own, body and mind finally becoming one.

A dark smirk played on her lips. "Well, well... it seems we found a way now."

Everything that had happened from the killing of the men to the calculated way she left their bodies for Elias, had been executed with the original Viella’s cold blooded precision.

Vivien had known there would be an assassination attempt at the party. Instead of a threat, she saw it as a perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. She wanted to test Dante’s loyalty and uncover Lily’s true master.

Yet she hadn’t expected Lily to actually sacrifice herself. Her anger over finding out Lily was working for Dante had been over the edge, but it vanished the moment she saw the girl’s blood hit the floor. Lily had chosen her Lady over her master.

Viella took one last look at the sleeping girl. She stood up and silently left the room. Spotting one of Lucian’s trusted men in the hallway, she leaned in and whispered a single order.

The man nodded gravely and vanished into the shadows to carry out her command. Viella walked away.

______________

Alina finally woke up from her deep sleep. The throbbing pain in her leg was still there, but she barely cared about it. She looked around the luxurious room and heard the sound of water running from the bathroom.

Dante must be in there...

She smiled to herself, feeling a wave of pure satisfaction. It felt like a dream come true. She snuggled deeper into the silk sheets, closing her eyes and taking in Dante’s lingering scent on the pillows. In her mind, the nightmare was over. That bitch Viella was finally gone from her life, and now, at long last, Dante could be hers and hers alone.

She was so lost in her fantasy of a perfect future that she didn’t notice her phone sitting on the nightstand.

The screen suddenly lit up with a notification

Alina groaned, her hand shaking slightly as she reached for her phone to see who had texted her so early. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the name Elias on the screen. She quickly glanced toward the bathroom door, making sure the water was still running. She couldn’t let Dante find out about her secret connection.

Just as she was about to press play on the video, the bathroom door clicked open.

Dante stepped out, his hair still damp, and walked straight to the bed. Without a word, he pulled Alina into a tight hug. Alina froze instantly, her blood running cold as she hurriedly threw her phone aside, burying it under the pile of blankets.

"I am so glad you’re finally awake," Dante whispered against her ear, his voice sounding warm and relieved. "I have a surprise for you today. But first, let’s get you cleaned up and fresh."

He kept holding her, his touch seemingly affectionate, but his gaze was anything but affectionate. Over her shoulder, his cold, sharp eyes were fixed exactly on the spot where she had hidden the phone.

He knew exactly who had messaged her and what exactly that message contained.

"Don’t worry about anything else, Alina," he added, his grip tightening just a fraction.

"Today, everything changes."

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TO BE CONTINUED