Villain of Fate: The Tyrant System-Chapter 18: Pride Draws Blood [Part-2]

Pride Draws Blood [Part-2]

The door opened.

Into the stillness came sound, slow steps on cold rock, one after another like breaths drawn too deep. From beyond the door appeared Bianca De Dominicis, silhouette edged by daylight, fabric trailing just above the ground. Behind her, brightness poured across the floor, tangling with strands of red hair, turning them into momentary fire. She looked around - not casually, never that - with eyes the shade of dried blood, missing no corner, no shadow, no flicker.

Into the room she stepped, and just like that, the heavy air changed once more.

Fog curled through the trees. A branch snapped underfoot. Wind dropped without warning.

Sharp.

Expectant.

Her presence pulled every eye, though no one meant to stare.

Fresh off the sidewalk, Bianca De Dominicis stepped into view - and just like that, Evan’s fury collapsed, drained clean. What filled the space wasn’t calm, nor relief, but heat, sudden and restless, coiling tight under his ribs.

Beauty was something he’d witnessed many times, across Valcenza and farther still. Not just there - noble girls turned heads wherever they walked. Famous faces passed by too, often leaving silence in their wake. Some moved as if shaped by painters, not born.

Bianca De Dominicis moved through the room like smoke, her dress cutting sharp lines against the light. Not one of them - no single soul - matched how she carried that sleek silhouette. Fabric gripped her slender frame, slid along her curves, whispered power tucked inside grace. There was nothing crude about it. Just undeniable authority.

Frowning slightly, Evan stared without blinking. That one, he decided quietly, was exactly who he had picked.

Soon enough, time would pass quickly. Then it’d arrive without much delay.

It really doesn’t take much time.

Bianca would soon be his, along with everyone else under the De Dominicis roof.

A flicker of movement caught his attention - Bianca’s glance skimming past him. Shoulders lifting without thought, Evan offered that crooked grin people always remembered. His expression held a spark, sharp and knowing.

This was his ultimate weapon.

The one thing he always counted on.

Facing his reflection, he repeated the motion endlessly - tweaking each tilt, rounding sharp corners, finding how stillness held everything together. A look could settle a room.

A smile with a rebellious edge.

A trace of chill indifference.

A stretch that teases the mind. Enough space to spark a wondering glance.

It pulled women in every single time.

Maybe that’s just how it ended up in the story.

Holy crap, could you try smiling differently? Maybe skip the weird mouth twist this time around

If I had the strength to win, your lips would already be sealed with tape, mutt

That writer really messed up... yet somehow that grin still fits just right

A quiet figure near the edge of the room, Julian D’Aurelius watched Evan without showing anything at first glance - though inside, thoughts spun wildly out of control. Almost right after seeing it, his gaze shifted, gold eyes sliding sideways like catching that grin had somehow insulted him.

Beside him stood Amara Ravenswood, jaw tight from biting the inside of her cheek. A quiet shake ran through her shoulders, barely held back. Her laughter waited just beneath the surface, caged by willpower. Hazel eyes danced, lit from within by something she refused to let out.

Bianca De Dominicis picked up on what Julian was thinking too.

Most times, a small grin would’ve come naturally - maybe even that lightness when you realize someone else shares your annoyance with Evan.

Yet today, her mind felt elsewhere.

Back at the office that morning, Bianca shut down the active project without pause. Not a single delay. Not one word exchanged. Because she needed answers fast, she pulled in every quietly available person tied to the De Dominicis family and started digging deep into everything happening inside.

And the results...

Fingers just bent by her hip. A small curve formed where they hung.

What Julian said would happen? It came to pass. She saw it now.

That plan came from her cousin, Ryan De Dominicis, who pushed hard for what he called an advanced heat-energy setup. It looked good at first glance - talk of progress, promises of money flowing in. But underneath sat something carefully built to drain the family’s resources, then point fingers exactly when needed.

Time was something she could not find enough of.

More evidence.

Should she shift even a second sooner, those waiting unseen would know. She stays still.

Bianca stepped toward the bed, holding back the rush inside. She reached for the old man’s hand, fingers moving slow. Quiet respect shaped how she held him. The air stayed still around them.

"Grandpa, are you feeling better?"

Faint light touched his face as the old man’s eyes lifted slowly. A quiet rhythm had returned to his breath, yet weariness stayed close, drifting through his bones like cold mist after rain.

A pause came first. Then he spoke. His voice was stronger now, though it dragged between syllables. He felt improved, he said. Only some weariness remained

A quiet calm settled over Bianca’s face. With a small nod, she pulled the blanket tighter around him, her hands moving like they’d done it many times before.

"Then rest well. We’ll check on you later."

Into the winding stone trails they moved, the group vanishing like mist after rain. Left standing near the old man, the caretaker stayed, silence settling heavier than before.

"Oh - three o’clock already."

A soft chime cut through the quiet - Amara Ravenswood’s phone again. Her eyes dipped toward it, just for a second. A small sigh followed, tinged with something like remorse.

"I need to get back to the clinic."

A glance upward, then she bent at the waist, offering a small nod to each person.

"Take care, Divine Doctor Amara."

"Please come visit us more often, Divine Doctor Amara."

A quiet kindness showed in their voices while talking. Smiles spread across each face at the table.

That’s when Amara gave a small nod, shifting her gaze to Julian. A grin tugged at one corner of her mouth. Without warning, she closed one eye in a quick wink.

"Brother Julian, why aren’t you saying goodbye to me?"

Frozen stillness gripped Julian - just briefly.

He mumbled something close to farewell, lifting his hand as if it weighed too much. That grin on his face showed defeat, not warmth.

A breath slipped out - quiet, heavy. Not refusing to let go, exactly. Just too afraid to try. The words stuck, motionless. Courage had a way of hiding when needed most

He’s got it in his head that you belong to him now. Get near you, and Evan will make it personal - fast

Something about Julian’s thoughts made Amara’s stomach twist. A cold ripple crawled up her throat.

His woman?

Almost, she let out a laugh - sharp, quiet, close to disbelief.

Ugh. Eat shit.

A stone’s throw off, Evan’s spirits dropped sharp as a knife. Jaw clenched tight. For just a breath, something cold glinted deep in his stare.

What made it so simple for her to say another man was like a brother?

Such familiarity?

A glare like that ought to leave scorch marks. Julian stood frozen, breath caught, staring at the tiles where shadows pooled too dark.

Frozen still, Evan showed no change in his face. Moving ahead anyway, he spoke without a shift in tone - steady, polite.

"Divine Doctor Amara," he said, inclining his head slightly. "If it’s convenient, I’d like to visit your home in a few days. I’ve heard that Old Divine Doctor Ravenswood’s medical skills are extraordinary, and I’d like to learn from him."