No One’s Pov

The man entered the private green room after finally coming off the stage. The heavy noise of the cheering crowd vanished the moment the door shut behind him.

As he reached up to adjust his glasses, he heard the distinct click of the door locking from the inside.

He paused, a glint flashing in his eyes. Turning around slowly, he watched the baggy-clothed staff member leaning against the door, glaring at him with fierce gaze. He didn’t even look surprised. Instead, a smirk curved his lips under the mask.

He walked over to the grand dressing table, casually leaning his hip against it as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Am I getting robbed, or murdered, or something?" he asked teasingly, his smooth voice dripping with amusement.

"I don’t know about robbing, but if you turn out to be the person I am looking for, then I don’t mind killing you," Vivien said with a venomous spat.

"Oho? I want to watch you try it, then," he said, tilting his head challenging manner.

Vivien took a step forward, her eyes narrowing "So you’re not denying that you are Elias, huh?" she demanded.

Instead of answering, he uncrossed his arms and began walking slowly toward her. Vivien immediately went tense, watching his every movement cautiously, her back pressed flush against the locked door.

He stopped just inches away from her, completely towering over her small frame. Leaning down until his breath brushed against her ear, he whispered in a low tone, "We have met once again... my Vivien."

The room was dim, with only the soft, warm lighting from the dressing table mirror falling across his side profile. Even this close, she couldn’t see his face fully beneath the shadows of his cap and mask. Realizing this was her only shot, Vivien didn’t hesitate. Seizing the sudden closeness, she lashed her hand out, aiming straight for his mask to snatch it away and finally reveal his true face

But he was faster.

Before her fingers could even graze the fabric, his hand shot ou. He grabbed her wrist mid-air, spinning her around and slamming her against the hard wood of the door. With a swift movement, he pinned both of her hands high above her head, locking them securely against the doorframe and trapping her completely beneath his weight.

He slowly pulled the black mask off his face.

Standing trapped right beneath him, Vivien could feel his warm, steady breath falling over her shoulder and tracing the sensitive skin of her neck. But no matter how hard she strained, she couldn’t turn her head to see him- his body was pinning her down like a solid brick wall.

He was doing it completely on purpose,

"You’re quite smart. I didn’t expect you to recognize me this quickly," he murmured, his voice a low, almost purring. While his one hand held her wrists locked above her head, his free hand came up, the tips of his fingers lightly tracing her side profile from her temple down to her jaw.

Vivien shivered at the cold touch. Gasping, she thrashed against the door, trying desperately to break free, but he only tightened his grip, leaning his weight harder against her back.

"Tell me what you want from me!" she yelled, her voice trembling with a mix of fury and adrenaline. "Why did you target me out of everyone? What’s the connection between me and the story-"

"Shhh-" he interrupted, pressing his thumb gently against the side of her lips to silence her. "That’s far too many questions for a first official meeting. Why not let’s get to know each other first? What’s the rush?"

"What’s the rush?!" Vivien exploded, her fear instantly turning into pure rage. "You piece of garbage... no, you’re the whole damn landfill! You literally hijacked my life, turned it into a living hell, and now you’re casually asking what’s the rush!?!

He let out a genuinely amused chuckle that vibrated right against her back. "Well, you ruined my book, Vivien. The least you can do is pay a little commission for the trouble~" he said, his tone incredibly teasing.

"You’re the reason why I was stuck in that stupid book in the first place! Tell me why you did it!" she snapped.

She wasn’t going to just stand there and be his captive audience. Wasting no more time, Vivien summoned every ounce of strength she had.

She swung her entire upper body to the side, throwing him off balance. His grip on her wrists loosened just a fraction-

and that was all the space she needed.

Using her momentum, she whipped around and drove a powerful kick straight into his midsection.

The force of the kick caught him completely off guard. He stumbled backward, losing his footing on the floor, and fell over hard. Vivien scrambled forward, desperate to finally catch a glimpse of his face while he was down. But because he fell forward onto his hands, she only managed to catch a fleeting glimpse of his side profile and a distinct jawline.

Before she could process the familiar slope of his face, his reflexes kicked in. Moving with speed, he grabbed his mask from the floor and quickly slid it back over his face.

He rushed forward to grab her, but Vivien’s adrenaline was pumping. She dodged his reach and lunged, her fingers catching the edge of his mask. Before she could yank it off, his hand shot out hitting her arm and throwing her hand aside with a hud.

He recovered instantly and was about to charge toward her again, but a loud knocking suddenly erupted from the door.

"Sir! Is something wrong in there?! What’s all the noise?!" his manager’s voice called out anxiously.

Vivien looked at the rattling door. Shit! She had to make this quick. Knowing her time was seconds away from running out, she threw caution to the wind and rushed straight toward him.

She tackled him with all her weight, throwing his cap aside and pinning him down by getting right on top of him. Her hand clawed at his face, throwing his cap aside. His messy blonde hair fell over his face then her fingers gripping the fabric of his mask, about to rip it away-

BAM!

The door was violently kicked open. A squad of security guards stormed into the dim room.

But the moment they stepped inside, they froze, completely paralyzed by the bizarre scene before them.

They stared blankly at the famous author pinned flat on the floor, and the tiny staff member sitting aggressively on top of him.

But the guards weren’t the ones who made Vivien’s blood run entirely cold.

Stepping through the shattered doorway right behind them, his towering profile casting a long shadow over the room, was Dominic

Shit! Vivien cursed under her breath, her eyes widening in pure horror. Good thing I had my mask on, but still I can’t risk it!!

Before the stunned guards could even react and grab her, Vivien used the author’s chest as a launching pad. She vaulted off him, hit the ground running, and stormed toward the exit.

She ducked beneath a guard’s arm, dodged Dominic by a mere hair’s breadth, and flew out into the crowded corridor, sprinting for her absolute life as a swarm of guards immediately turned and followed right behind her.

Dominic didn’t chase her. He stood perfectly still in the center of the doorway, his entire aura radiating an icy pressure.

Outside in the hallway, the commotion had drawn a massive crowd. Staff members and lingering fans started whispering and gossiping furiously. "Oh my god, was that a crazy fan?" "Did someone just try to harass the author?!" "I think she tackled him!"

Dominic’s freezing eyes ignored the murmuring crowd. Slowly, his gaze shifted downward, falling directly onto the man still on the floor.

Elias leisurely stood up, brushing the dust off his coat. His manager rushed to his side, hurriedly shielding him from any cameras and trying to escort him out through a private back exit. But before he could step away, Elias paused.

He turned his head.

Through the crowded hallway, Dominic’s eyes met Elias’s.

The air in the room instantly turned to zero temperatures. It was a suffocating like a giant, venomous snake and a dominant black panther facing each other, both baring their fangs, waiting for the perfect moment to tear the other to shreds.

Neither of them blinked. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Soon, Dominic’s assistant rushed into the tense hallway, breathless. "Boss, the car is ready... and about the girl... should we deploy the men to chase her down?"

"There’s no need. Give me the keys," Dominic said coldly, holding his hand out without even looking at him.

"But-" the assistant started to protest, confused as to why his boss would want to drive himself when his assistant was there to drive. Before he could speak another word, Dominic snatched the keys right out of his hand and started walking away.

"Better be ready with what I asked for," Dominic threw back over his shoulder, his voice was commanding before he vanished through the VIP exit.

The assistant stood frozen in the corridor, completely dumbfounded. Boss is leaving without me?! he pondered, scratching his head.

He hurried to a window just in time to watch his boss get into the sports car and drive away.

The assistant felt like he sure was going crazy.

Meanwhile, Vivien ran and ran until her lungs felt like they were on fire. Finally bursting through the exit, she tore off the suffocating mask and threw her cap away, breathing loudly as she gasped for fresh air.

She risked a glance behind her. The guards were nowhere to be seen, lost somewhere in the maze of the main streets. Needing a place to catch her breath and blend in, she spotted a nearby alleyway and quickly walked inside. It looked a bit shabby, with damp walls and overflowing trash bins, but at least the security guards hadn’t followed her here.

As she walked deeper into the narrow path, a sudden chill ran down her spine. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She whirled around, her eyes wide, but saw nothing but the empty mouth of the alley.

She didn’t notice that a black car had just pulled up at the corner of the street, its tinted windows rolled completely up, tracking her every step.

Vivien turned back around and started walking, trying to shake off the paranoia. But after just a few paces, she felt that suffocating presence again.

This time, when she turned, her heart dropped. Blocking the exit of the alleyway was a group of rough-looking thugs, their clothes tattered and their faces had ugly grins.

Seriously, can this day get any worse?! she thought, her inner writer screaming at the absolute cliché she had just walked into.

"Hey, look, I don’t have any money, okay?" she said, raising her hands defensively, trying to sound tough despite her racing heart. "I’m just a broke college student."

The leader of the thugs let out a laugh, stepping forward as he pulled a thick rope from his jacket pocket. "Who said we are here for the money?" he said, smirking evilly as the others closed in on her. "In fact, we are here for you~"

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TO BE CONTINUED