No One’s Pov

Something bright poked at Viella’s eyelids, making her move uncomfortably but felt no comfort. As she was about to drifted back to sleep, she felt a strange vibration in her body and the sensation of her body swaying slightly.

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‎"What’s going on..." she muttered, her voice thick with sleep.

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‎When she finally blinked her eyes open, she was confused to see a large hand positioned perfectly Infront of her face to block the harsh morning sun from hitting her eyes.

She followed the line of the arm back to its owner and her heart skipped a beat.

‎Dante was sitting right beside her, one hand on the steering wheel, driving the car with a calm expression.

‎The.... car?!

‎Viella jolted upright, her head spinning as she looked around the luxurious car. She looked down at herself and gasped. She was no longer in the messy state from last night.

Instead, she was dressed in a simple but elegant white long sleeved dress with a high neckline that covered everything . She felt the weight of jewelry on her ears and neck that likely cost more than her entire tuition back home.

Not a single mark or hickey was visible.

‎Dante glanced over at her, his dark eyes softening as they landed on her face. He hadn’t told her, but the fearsome mafia lord had actually spent two hours early this morning hunched over his laptop, watching makeup tutorials with great focus.

‎He knew Viella was naturally beautiful, but he also knew that girls like to go out in perfect style, or so the internet had told him.

He could have easily called a professional makeup artist to the mansion, but the thought of a stranger touching her while she was in such a deep sleep had made his skin crawl. So, he had done it himself, carefully applying a light, natural look to her face with patience.

Obviously he didn’t stole anymore kiss on her sollowen lips....or maybe he did.

‎"You woke up, amore mio," he asked softly, his voice a low unlike his rage from the night before. "Did the sound of the road disturb you?"

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‎Viella stared at him, her jaw tight. She wanted to ignore him so badly after the way he had treated her last night. A wave of resentment washed over her, she hadn’t done anything to deserve that punishment, especially when she was telling the truth about Elias.

But despite her anger, her survival instinct was screaming for information.

‎Is he actually taking me to the airport like he mentioned? she wondered. She took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice sound less angry..

‎"Where are we going?"

‎"My estate," Dante replied firmly, his eyes never leaving the road. "We will stay there for two hours, then we leave for the airport. And remember, you will rest during those two hours while I manage some work."

‎The way he said "rest" was a clear hint- a warning that she wasn’t to try anything, or he would be forced to "settle" her again.

‎Despite the threat, Viella’s eyes shone with a hidden spark of excitement. Anything was better than being locked in that grumpy isolated mansion.

This was a chance. If she was at his main estate, she might finally be able to discover what exactly happened between him and Alina and where she was hiding.

‎But the bigger question remained.

‎"The airport...?" she pressed, her brow furrowing. "Where and why are we going? You can’t just ship me off to another country without telling me!"

‎Dante glanced at her briefly, his expression unreadable, before returning his gaze to the road ahead.

‎"You’ll find out everything once we are there," he said simply. Placing his hand on her thigh.

‎The finality in his voice told her the conversation was over. Viella leaned back against the plush leather seat, looking out the window.

She had two hours...two house to discover what happened in the estate, what he’s planning or maybe how she will run away from him.

‎"Fine," she whispered to herself, her fingers tracing her dress. "Two hours."

‎

As they almost reached, Viella looked out. ‎The estate was even more beautiful than she remembered.

As the car pulled up, rows of guards snapped to attention, their heads bowed low. Dante stepped out and, before Viella could even find her footing, he gathered her into his arms, carrying her bridal style.

He threw a freezing glare at his men, his warning had been made few days ago, any man who dared to lay eyes on his woman would pay the price.

‎Viella didn’t have the energy to protest. She let her head rest against his shoulder, her eyes darting around the familiar halls. Where is she?

She noticed all the regular maids were present, but there was no sign of Nonna or Alina.

‎As they passed through the foyer, she caught some of the younger maids blushing and whispering happily. They seemed genuinely thrilled to see Lady Viella back with their lord.

Did they miss my tantrums that much? she thought, bewildered. Or do they just like the drama?

‎Dante carried her into a room of the house she didn’t recognize. He laid her down on a massive bed. The room was elegant, and smelled faintly of his cologne.

‎"Whose room is this?" she asked, her voice small.

‎"Ours, Amore Mio," he whispered, leaning over her to brush a stray lock of hair from her forehead. "I wanted to bring you here later, but sometimes things don’t go as planned."

‎A cold flash crossed his eyes. Viella felt a knot of anxiety tighten in her chest. Whatever "things" weren’t going as planned, they clearly involved her.

‎Dante stood up and signaled to a maid standing by the door. "Check on her. Serve her anything she needs. If she so much as looks at a balcony, call me." With that finalcommand, he walked out.

‎Viella looked at the young servant left in the room. The girl was beaming, looking at Viella.

‎"Is there anything you need, my lady? A tea? Some fruit? A bath?" the maid asked eagerly.

‎Viella sat up, her eyes narrowing. She needed to know something important.

‎"Do you know a maid named Alina?" Viella asked, trying to sound casual. "Dante’s personal maid?"

‎The moment the name left her lips, the maid’s cheerful smile froze. Her face went pale, and she gripped her apron. She looked toward the door, as if making sure Dante was truly gone, before leaning in and whispering.

‎"My lady... we aren’t allowed to speak that name," the maid stammered, her voice trembling

‎

‎Watching the maid tremble, Viella realized something dark had happened here while she was gone. She didn’t want to terrify the poor girl any further, so she simply told her she was hungry and needed food.

The maid bowed quickly and scurried away to the kitchens.

‎Left alone, Viella caught her reflection in the vanity mirror. She froze, leaning in closer to inspect her face. Wait... who did my makeup? It was flawless...soft, natural, and perfectly blended.

A chill ran down her spine. Don’t tell me Dante did this... The thought was absurd. How could hands that were stained with blood and accustomed to holding weapons be capable of doing such flawless makeup with delicate touch. There’s no way!

‎She pushed the thought aside. She didn’t have time for a crisis of heart. Stepping toward the window, she peeked through the curtains and saw Dante’s car pulling away toward the gated entrance.

‎A smirk played on her lips. Finally. The mission had officially started. She slipped out of the room, but her path was blocked by several maids standing guard in the hallway.

Tsk, what should I do? she thought, her mind racing for a distraction. Suddenly, a plan formed.

‎She walked right up to the lead maid, crossing her arms. "What is with these dress codes? They’re hideous. So ugly!"

‎The maid bowed, looking confused. "My Lady?"

‎"Dante really has no taste," Viella scoffed, looking at the girl’s uniform with disgust. "Go change into something else before I rip that off you myself!"

‎The maid shivered, but she didn’t budge. They were more afraid of Dante’s rules than Viella’s insults. They stayed in place, bowing low but remaining like a wall. Viella realized her villainess tantrum wasn’t going to work this time. She needed something more convincing.

‎Suddenly, she gasped and doubled over, clutching her stomach. "Ah—!"

‎The maids immediately looked up, panicked. "My Lady! What’s wrong?"

‎"My stomach... it hurts so much," Viella groaned, her face scrunching in pretend pain "I need a hot water bag. Now! Go, get me one before I collapse!"

‎The maids, terrified that something might happen to the Lord’s precious fiancee, scrambled in different directions. The one guarding the main hallway bolted toward the closet.

‎Taking the chance, Viella immediately straightened up, her "pain" vanishing instantly. She checked both ways and started walking rapidly down the hallway

‎

‎Finally she came to stand in front of a door-

Dante’s bedroom.

‎She pushed it open, but instead of the luxury she expected, she stayed stunned after seeing what was inside.

The room was burned down and destroyed. Few remains of furniture stood and the expensive curtains were nothing but ash on the floor. It looked like a bomb had gone off, or like someone had gone on a rampage in here.

‎"What the hell just happened here?" she whispered, her voice trembling. Everything in the room was destroyed and burned afterwards, as if someone wanted to erase every memory associated with this space.

Standing still for a bit, Viella came back to her sense...this is the same room where she stayed but again Alina stayed too.

‎She quietly closed the door. She acted as if she saw nothing, trying to shake off the image of the devastation.

Uh... I guess I can just check his office, she thought. She walked to the opposite side of the hallway and stood in front of his study.

With a soft click, the door opened. It was odd that he hadn’t locked it, but she didn’t stop to wonder why.

‎As she entered, she started going through his files, drawers, and cabinets, searching for anything. But there was still nothing.

Frustrated and feeling her body pain returning, she flopped into his heavy hair, let out a tired sigh, and stared at the desk.

‎Then, suddenly, she remembered. The last time she was here, she had seen a bigger wooden box tucked in deep compartment of the desk.

She had never dared to open it back then, but now she had nothing to lose.

‎She leaned down, searching the side of the desk, and indeed, it was there.

She pulled the heavy box out onto the desk. To her luck, she found a small silver key attached to it.

Wasting no more time, she pushed the key into the lock and turned it.

‎The lid creaked open, and Viella’s breath hitched in her throat the moment she saw what was inside...

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TO BE CONTINUED