No One’s Pov

Nonna dragged her toward the dining table, ignoring any protests, and made sure she was fed until she was absolutely full.

Vivien could hardly move after eating so much. She couldn’t help herself, despite the looming dread, the food was delicious. She leaned back in her chair, feeling heavy.

"Baby, since you’re done, let’s go," Nonna said, standing up with surprising energy for her age.

Vivien didn’t want to move at all, yet she found herself forced to follow as Nonna grabbed her arm with a tight grip

"Where are we going?" Vivien asked, her voice small.

"Where else? Of course to choose your wedding gown!" Nonna said, pulling her toward the grand entrance.

The moment Vivien was dragged out of the mansion, the sunlight hit her face. The view was breathtaking yet she felt like she was looking at a beautiful cage. I am definitely not marrying Dante! she screamed internally.

She had hoped Nonna would be her one chance to escape the wedding. But after listening to the old woman’s stories, that hope had shriveled up and died.

While they were on the road, Nonna chatted continuously about how grand the wedding was going to be. She talked about the guest list and the pride of seeing her only grandson finally settle down, but Vivien’s mind was miles away.

Suddenly, she turned to Nonna. "Nonna, can I borrow your phone? Uh... your grandson kind of lost mine, you know..." She left out the part where he had crushed it into pieces and never replaced it.

Nonna nodded and handed over her phone without a second thought.

Vivien immediately pulled up the browser, her fingers typing across the screen. She searched for the latest and oldest news. Elias’s name was still dominating the headlines, though the reports were vague about his current status.

Interestingly, Dante’s name had been wiped clean, the scandals that had followed him were gone, as if they never existed.

She scrolled deeper. There was absolutely no news about Elias’s death. Not even a "source" confirming his passing. Her hand tightened around the phone. He was definitely alive.

She moved on to Dante’s social media accounts. There was total silence- certainly no news about a wedding.

Is he trying to hide it from Elias or something? she wondered. If Elias didn’t know she was here, he wouldn’t come looking for her yet. It was an advantage for her . She couldn’t deal with two monsters at the same time.

Finally, she searched for Lily’s account. Her eyes nearly popped out when she saw her profile. The girl was a full blown influencer with 1.2 million followers.

Was she doing a side hustle while being my maid or what? Vivien thought, stunned.

She scrolled through Lily’s recent posts, desperately trying to find a location tag for clue.

She needed answers, what did Lily know about Elias, and why was she telling Dante to keep her? But there was nothing. Lily’s recent location was hidden.

"Tsk," Vivien hissed under her breath.

She wiped the search history and returned the phone to Nonna just as the car slowed in front of a bridal boutique.

As they started walking toward the shop, a sudden chill prickled the back of Vivien’s neck.

She froze, glancing over her shoulder. At first, there seemed to be no one, but then her eyes caught a figure standing beside a tree. In the harsh sun, it was hard to tell who it was from that distance, but a sense of familiarity washed over her.

Before she could focus clearly, Nonna tugged hard on her arm.

"Baby, why are you standing there? Let’s go, we are getting late!" Nonna dragged her away before she could steal another look.

There’s no way that was Elias, Vivien tried to convince herself, shaking her head. I’m just paranoid because I’ve been thinking about him too much.

The moment they stepped inside, the atmosphere changed. Nonna immediately started barking orders at the staff, and a mountain of dresses began to appear.

Nonna was relentless, making her try on dress after dress until Vivien felt like a mannequin.

She was already exhausted, her head throbbing from the heat and the stress.

"Umm, Nonna... can I take a break?"

Nonna nodded, distracted by a veil, and waved her off toward the dressing rooms. Vivien retreated into the back, but as she reached the corner of the changing area, a familiar voice drifted to her ear.

Vivien’s ears practically perked up. She poked her head out from curtain to see who it was, and her jaw nearly hit the floor. Her suspicions were right.

Lily was standing there, and in front of her was Lucian, wearing his signature arrogant smirk.

What the heck? What are they both doing here together?! Vivien thought in pure disbelief.

Here I am fighting for my life, while these two are having their own romance vacation!

Lily stood her ground in front of Lucian, her face as expressionless as ever. "Lord Lucian, did you just follow me here?" she asked, her voice flat.

"Why do I need to follow a maid, huh?" Lucian countered, leaning forward. "I was just here to meet my sister, that’s all."

"My lady just landed six hours ago, while you’ve been here in Miami for thirty-one hours now," Lily said, her eyes narrowing. "Are you lying to me, Lord Lucian?"

Lucian’s smug face faltered for a second before that smirk returned. "Were you stalking me or something? Oh, damn."

"I should be the one saying that," Lily replied coldly. "Are you stalking me lord Lucian?"

Lucian let out a dramatic gasp, clutching his chest as if he were deeply offended

"You are doubting a caring brother who wants to make sure everything is correct before his sister lands... so cruel," Lucian sighed, his voice dripping with mockery.

Lily looked entirely unconvinced, her eyes tracking his every movement.

"Hey, I was just making sure her head maid knows her job, since it looks like she apparently forgot who she works for," he added, folding his arms across his chest with a defensive huff.

"I am still working for her, Lord Lucian. You don’t have to remind me," Lily replied, her tone as sharp.

"Is that so? Then let me send her a pic of you showing exactly how you’re ’working’ for her here in the shopping mall." Before Lily could react, Lucian whipped out his phone. A flash went off, and with a few taps, the picture was already sent to Vivien.

Lily moved in speed. Using her training, she swept Lucian’s legs out from under him, causing him to stumble. But instead of letting him hit the floor, she caught him, forcing him into a kneeling position while her other hand reached around to snatch the phone from his grasp.

Lucian froze, trapped in her firm embrace. He looked up at her, his breath hitching. Being held by her like this- close enough to smell the faint scent of vanilla on her skin made something warm stir in his chest. For a split second, the world narrowed down to just the two of them, and his heart skipped a heavy beat.

But the moment didn’t last. Before Lily could navigate to his gallery to delete the original photo, Lucian regained his footing with a sudden burst of strength.

He twisted her wrist, reclaimed the phone, and in one smooth motion, he flipped their positions.

This time, he was the one catching her, his arms locking around her waist to pull her into a tight gasp.

Vivien, standing just inches away , felt like she was watching a live-action K-drama. She was so engrossed in the sudden romantic tension that she almost forgot her own situation.

She was just about to step out and put an end to the secret meeting when a large hand clamped around her waist. In one swift motion, she was yanked backward. Her back hit a solid muscular chest that she recognized all too well.

The scent of expensive cologne filled her senses.

"Eavesdropping on your brother, Amore Mio?" Dante’s voice purred against her ear, his grip tightening until she could barely draw a breath.

"I thought we were here to pick out a dress, not play spy."

Vivien’s eyes widened. Could he not have come just five minutes later? Of all the moments for Dante to appear, he had to catch her playing spy on her own brother and her maid.

Dante’s gaze trailed down her figure. Viella was still wearing the wedding dress she had been trying on. She looked absolutely stunning, like a goddess, but something made his jaw tighten and his eyes darken with a flash of cold fury.

The zipper on the back of the gown had snapped leaving the delicate skin of her spine completely exposed to the open air of the boutique.

Without a word, he stripped off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders. Before she could protest, he scooped her up into his arms and strode back into the main part of the store.

The staff, who had been bustling around moments ago, froze. A heavy silence fell over the room as they felt the weight of his anger.

Even the air seemed to turn cold.

Vivien clutched the lapels of his coat, confused. Why is he suddenly so mad?

Instead of putting her down or handing her back to Nonna, Dante walked straight toward the VIP changing rooms. Nonna watched them and covered her face "these young kids..."

"Hey, what- what are you doing? Dante!" she hissed, her face flushing.

Dante ignored her, kicking open the door and stepping inside. He set her down on her feet, the lock clicking shut behind him with a sound.

"Wait here. Don’t come out," he commanded, his voice a low.

"But why!" Vivien demanded, her own temper starting to flare.

Dante didn’t answer with words. He stepped into her space, his presence overwhelming the small room. Vivien instinctively tried to stumble back, but her back hit the wall. She gasped as the cold surface made direct contact with her bare skin.

Wait a moment...

Dante reached out, his hand sliding behind her back. His fingers caressed the exposed curve of her spine, a touch so possessive and intimate it made her breath hitch in her throat.

Then, just as quickly as he had cornered her, he turned on his shoe and walked out, the door locking from the outside.

Vivien stood there, trembling, before she scrambled to the mirror to see what had caused the fuss.

She turned her head, looking over her shoulder, and her heart nearly stopped.

The zipper was completely broken. The dress was hanging open, exposing almost her entire back down to the curve of her waist. It was a sight that was both sexy and provocative.

"Damn it!" she whispered, her face burning with heat. "No wonder he looked like he wanted to kill someone."

Vivien could hear the muffled, frantic sounds of Dante’s voice through the door. He was clearly tearing someone likely the manager for the zipper.

After a few tense minutes, the lock clicked, and he stepped back inside, draped over his arm was a new dress.

Vivien stayed pressed against the wall, pulling his oversized suit jacket tighter around her front to keep the gown from slipping further.

Dante’s eyes roamed over her, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Is my little bunny shy now?" he teased, his voice dropping into that low purr as he closed the distance between them.

Vivien didn’t take the bait. Her eyes were fixed on the new dress. She reached out, trying to snatch it from his arm to end this humiliating moment, but he moved his hand back.

"Let me help you put this on," he said, his tone hoarse.

The heck is wrong with this shameless pervert!

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TO BE CONTINUED