No One’s Pov

"Ah-!" Vivien gasped, the pain finally breaking the trance.

Dominic was on his feet in an instant. He didn’t even glance at Amelia as he strode across the room, his long legs covering the distance in seconds. He snatched the cup from her hand and set it on a nearby table, his fingers immediately gripping her wrist to inspect the burn.

"You’re a disaster, Vivien," he growled, though his voice lacked its usual bitterness. It sounded almost... worried. "Can’t you do one simple task without hurting yourself?"

Amelia watched the scene with narrowed eyes, her dress rustling as she stepped forward. The sight of Dominic touching this messy girl and looking at her with such intensity made a vein pulse in her forehead.

"Dominic!" Amelia said, "Is this the new ’help’ everyone is talking about? She seems a bit... incompetent, don’t you think?"

She turned her gaze toward Vivien, a mocking smirk playing on her lips. "And what’s wrong with you, girl? You’re looking at me like you’ve seen a ghost. Or have we met before in some gutter?"

Vivien couldn’t find her voice. Her skin was burning from the coffee, but her heart was freezing. She looked from Dominic’s protective grip on her hand to Amelia’s cold stare.

"She’s my personal assistant," Dominic said, his voice dropping low as he finally looked up at Amelia. He didn’t let go of Vivien’s wrist. "And she’s not ’help.’ She’s under my direct protection. If you have something to say about her work, you say it to me."

Amelia’s smile faltered. She looked at Vivien again, this time with pure hatred.

Dominic’s grip tightened slightly. "Vivien. Go to the washroom and put cold water on that burn. Now."

"But-"

"Go," he commanded, his eyes flashing with a warning.

Vivien stumbled back, her hand throbbing. As she backed out of the room, she saw Amelia lean in toward Dominic, her hand reaching for his arm. The last thing Vivien saw before the door closed was Amelia’s eager eyes trying to please Dominic.

Reaching the washroom, Vivien immediately turned on the tap and put her hand under the cold water. The burning sting slowly started to fade, but her mind was still in absolute chaos.

She looked up at herself in the mirror. Her face was pale. Thankfully, because of my bangs and these thick glasses, she couldn’t see my face fully, she thought, letting out a shaky breath. But even if she did see her, would Amelia even recognize her?

In the book, Alina was just a poor, helpless girl who was sold to Dante. But here, things were completely twisted. The roles had been swapped.

Vivien was a broke college student working as a maid, while Amelia was a rich, powerful lady. If by any chance she finds out who I really am, I am so doomed, Vivien thought, gulping down her fear.

Suddenly, something inside her brain clicked.

She froze, staring at her reflection as a realization hit her.

Wait a damn minute... she thought, her eyes widening behind her glasses. First, that grumpy suit who looks exactly like Dante. Now, this Amelia woman who looks exactly like Alina... This cannot be a coincidence.

It was too perfect. The looks, the personalities, the way they acted- it all lined up perfectly.

It only means one thing, Vivien realized, a chill running down her spine. They definitely are Dante and Alina.

If I came back, it means Alina did too... but what about Dante? Vivien thought. It doesn’t feel like he did, but then again... it does. Dominic was cold and commanding, but he didn’t act like he remembered a past life. Still, the terrifying resemblance was there.

She splashed cold water on her face, trying to wash away the panic. "This is so complicated... ughhh!"

Suddenly, the washroom door opened and another employee walked in. Vivien hurriedly dried her hands and left before anyone could ask questions.

As she walked back down the quiet hallway toward the executive suite, she slowed her steps. If she’s Alina or not, the only way to find out is to test her and observe her, Vivien decided. And about Dante... She felt a cold chill run all over her body. I really hope it’s not him. I can’t handle a real life obsessive maniac mafia don.

With that final thought, she steeled her nerves and pushed the office door open.

The tension in the room was thick. Vivien kept her head low as she stepped inside, immediately analyzing the scene. Amelia was sitting gracefully on the plush couch, crossing her legs. Dominic, on the other hand, was back in his chair, looking as stoic as a statue.

Neither of them looked happy, and the moment Vivien entered, both of their gazes snapped directly to her.

Removing his gaze, Dominic looked at Amelia, his voice flat. "What are you waiting for?"

"Obviously for us to go have lunch!" she said, leaning back with a self-satisfied smile. Before Dominic could say no, she quickly added, "And no, you can’t refuse. Mrs. Valente specially told me to take you to lunch today, so you can’t say no!"

Dominic’s face became incredibly cold. Right. His mother was still playing matchmaker, trying to force them together. He hated it, but he had to listen for now to avoid a headache later.

Without another word, Dominic stood up, grabbed his jacket, and tossed it right onto Vivien’s arms. "Follow us," he ordered shortly.

"Wait, she’s coming with us?!" Amelia said, her voice rising in pure annoyance. She looked at Vivien like she was a piece of trash.

"Just follow," Dominic repeated coldly, not giving Amelia an explanation as he walked right out of the room.

Amelia scoffed, stomping her heel. As she walked past Vivien, she paused for a split second, throwing her a vicious glare at Vivien

Vivien caught the look and turned away. Yep, the exact same glare, Vivien thought.

Vivien hurried after them, making sure to keep a safe distance behind the two of them as they headed toward the elevator.

______________

Once they reached the beautiful, high-end restaurant, the hostess led them to a private table. The atmosphere was elegant, with soft lighting and classical music playing quietly in the background. Once they got seated, the waiter handed them the menus.

Dominic didn’t even look at his. He glanced across the table at Vivien, who was holding the menu awkwardly. "Order for yourself," he commanded smoothly.

Amelia let out a mocking laugh. "How can she order, Dominic? I am pretty sure she has never been to such an expensive restaurant in her life to even know how to ord-"

"I’ll have the pan-seared sea bass with a side of truffle mash and a lemon butter sauce, please," Vivien suddenly interrupted, speaking clearly and flawlessly to the waiter. "And just a glass of sparkling water, thank you."

Vivien smiled politely. The waiter noted it down without batting an eye, then turned to Amelia. "And for you, Ma’am? Your order?"

Amelia was completely stunned. Her mouth stayed slightly open as she stared at Vivien. How did this poor girl know how to order here?!

The menu was mostly in French, and a regular college student should have been sweating just looking at the prices.

She didn’t know that Vivien had spent hours testing luxury dishes when she was Viella.

Dominic watched the interaction with deeply interested eyes. A small, amused glint danced in his dark gaze. He casually ordered a few premium items for himself and dismissed the waiter with a nod.

Before Amelia could recover her dignity and say something mean, her phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, her expression instantly flipped into sweet perfection.

"Yes, Auntie!" she answered, her voice dripping with sugary innocence. "Yes, Dominic is right here with me! Ahaha, yeah, he’s being so sweet... bla bla..."

Vivien felt her ears bleed just listening to it. Tsk, so fake, she thought, rolling her eyes.

As she turned her head away from Amelia’s loud phone conversation, her gaze landed straight on Dominic. He wasn’t paying attention to Amelia’s call at all. Instead, he was staring intently at Vivien’s hand- specifically, the red, irritated skin where the hot coffee had spilled earlier. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Suddenly, Vivien felt like her hand was burning all over again. It wasn’t from the pain of the coffee anymore, but from the sheer intensity of his heavy gaze. Feeling hyper-aware of him, she quickly pulled her hand off the table and hid it in her lap, looking out the window to avoid his eyes.

After lunch, Vivien excused herself to go to the washroom. Right after, Amelia got another call and excused herself as well, leaving Dominic alone at the table.

As Vivien walked out of the washroom, wiping her damp hands with a paper towel, she suddenly heard an irritated voice echoing from the quiet hallway.

"What? You’re here? Are you following me now? Like, seriously?!"

It was Amelia. Vivien paused, her curiosity piqued. Who is following her?

But before she could hear anything else, Amelia angrily cut the call. Before Vivien could slip away unnoticed, Amelia stepped around the corner and came directly in front of her, blocking her path.

"You should stay in your place, you broke girl," Amelia hissed, her sweet facade completely gone. She stepped into Vivien’s personal space, her eyes flashing with malice. "Don’t even plan on snatching my Dominic away from me. I can buy your whole bloodline, understand?!"

Vivien just looked at her boredly. She didn’t blink and simply gave an uncaring nod.

Amelia smirked, thinking she had successfully intimidated the quiet girl. But before she could step away to make her grand exit, her high heel caught on the edge of the plush carpet. With a sharp gasp, she tripped and fell right onto the floor.

"Oops," Vivien said, looking down at her. "Miss Amelia, you should be careful with those high heels... In the end, no matter how rich your shoes are, you have to fall one day because of them. Unlike my poor shoes... who always keep me on my feet." Vivien smirked, crossing her arms.

"You-!" Amelia choked out, her face turning red with humiliation as she scrambled to sit up.

Before Amelia could say anything else, Vivien interrupted her again with a sweet, mocking smile. "Ah, Mr. Dominic must be calling for me... After all, I am his personal maid. Hehe~"

With a little wave, Vivien turned on her heel and walked away, leaving a furious, sputtering Amelia on the floor.

As she walked back toward the dining area, a satisfied grin broke out on Vivien’s face. Alina or not, it’s honestly so much fun to rage bait her, she thought happily.

Suddenly, a low, mocking laugh echoed down the hallway from behind Amelia. She gasped, quickly scrambling to her feet, and turned around to find the exact same man from the cafe standing there with a highly amused face.

"So you’re here to see me miserable!" she spat, dusting off her expensive dress, her face burning with rage.

"Honestly, yeah," the man said, leaning casually against the wall with his hands in his pockets, looking down at her. "It’s like I am watching my own book being played out in real life."

Amelia’s eyes narrowed ignoring his remarks. "Who is that girl? And how did you know about her?"

"Well, you’ll just have to find your own answers for that," he said, his smirk widening as he enjoyed her frustration.

"I will pay you!" she sneered, stepping closer. "Just tell me what you know. How much do you want?!"

"Money can’t buy everything, Amelia. At least, not my answers," he smirked, turning around to leave. "Besides, I have more than enough money." With a lazy wave of his hand, he walked away down the corridor, leaving her completely in the dark.

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TO BE CONTINUED