No One’s Pov

Vivien looked at the men in front of her, her mind racing. Instead of panicking, she suddenly let out a gasp, her eyes widening as she looked past their shoulders toward the alley entrance.

"Oh, thank God, officer, you came! These guys were harassing me!" she cried out, pointing frantically.

The thugs instantly went tense, their smirks vanishing. Panicking at the thought of the police, they all whipped their heads around to look behind them- only to discover the mouth of the alley completely empty. She was lying.

"She tricked us!" the leader roared.

But Vivien had already taken the chance. The moment their backs were turned, she bolted in the opposite direction, sprinting deeper into the the alley.

"That bitch!! Get her!!" they shouted, their heavy footsteps echoing loudly behind her.

Vivien ran as fast as her legs could carry her, her eyes searching for an exit. But as she rounded a corner, her breath hitched. Standing right in front of her, completely blocking her path, were two more burly men.

She stopped dead in her tracks. Trapped, she took a step backward, her eyes darting around frantically.

A mocking laughter echoed from behind.

She turned around slowly. The first group of thugs had caught up, completely sealing off her only escape route. She was surrounded from both sides.

"So you came all prepared, huh?" she said, narrowing her eyes as she tried to keep her voice steady.

"Of course, little girl," the leader said, stepping forward while tapping a thick wooden baseball bat against his palm. "Now, like a good girl, come with us. Or we’ll have to use force~"

Vivien’s eyes narrowed, her gaze locking onto the baseball bat they were holding, and then onto the messy stance of the other men. As a past Isekaid person, she knew how real professionals held themselves. These guys? They were sloppy, unbalanced, and predictable. They’re definitely not the best thugs, she noted mentally. I can deal with them.

"Who sent you?" she asked coldly, crossing her arms to appear fearless.

The men kept getting closer, tightening the circle around her. "Why should I tell you~" the leader sneered, raising the bat.

"I will pay double than whoever paid you," she said confidently, trying to buy time while shifting her weight to her back foot, preparing her muscles to strike. "Name your price."

The leader stopped, a greedy, disgusting grin spreading across his face. "Oh? Then it will be 200 thousand dollars!" he said, chuckling loudly.

Vivien’s jaw nearly dropped. 200,000 dollars?! That kind of insane money meant whoever ordered this hit wasn’t just some random street criminal- it was someone with elite pockets. The pieces instantly clicked in her head. Amelia. That psycho woman actually hired people to kidnap her in broad daylight!

The thugs closed in, the gap between them shrinking. The leader raised his hand, a cruel sneer stretching across his face as he reached out to grab her shoulder.

Suddenly, Vivien dropped to the ground. She collapsed onto her knees, burying her face in her hands and pulling her legs tightly against her chest, her small frame trembling violently as if she were sobbing.

"Please... please don’t do anything to me," she whimpered, her voice cracking with terror. "Trust me, I will pay you. Just don’t touch me! I’m begging you!"

Watching her completely break down, the men burst into loud laughter, their guard dropping entirely. "Look at her, crying like a baby," the leader laughed, completely relaxed as he bent down carelessly to grab her by the hair. "Too late for regrets, sweetie- "

Just a few yards away, Dominic stood perfectly still, his eyes flashing with a terrifying rage. He had tracked her all the way, watching these lowlifes corner her. The moment he saw them surround her, his blood had turned to pure fire. He had already pulled his pistol from his jacket, loading a fresh magazine with a click and tucking it into his pocket, ready to paint the alley walls red.

Who dared to bully what’s his?

Dominic stepped forward, his jaw clenched ready to slaughter every single one of them. But before he could storm in, something entirely unexpected happened.

The very second the leader’s hand came close to her, Vivien’s fake sobbing instantly stopped.

She shot upward. Before the leader could even register the change, Vivien hooked her leg behind his ankle and drove her palm hard into his chest. The sudden shift in balance sent him flying backward. As he fell, Vivien cleanly snatched the wooden baseball bat right out of his gripping hands.

Dominic froze, his hand stopping over his pocket. His eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise.

"What the-!" one of the thugs shouted, but Vivien gave him no time to think.

Spinning on her shoe, she swung the heavy baseball bat cracking it perfectly against the second thug’s jaw.

The loud CRACK echoed through the alley, and the man dropped like a sack of potatoes, completely knocked out cold.

The remaining three thugs panicked, lunging at her. Vivien didn’t retreat. Recalling every single move from Viella, she ducked low beneath a punch from a burly thug. Using her lower center, she swept her leg taking out his knees. As he crashed down, she brought the butt of the bat down hard onto the back of his neck, neutralizing him instantly.

The fourth thug tried to tackle her from behind, but Vivien heard his heavy footsteps. She sidestepped gracefully, grabbed his extended arm, and used his own rushing momentum to pull him forward, slamming his face squarely into the brick wall. He slid down the bricks, leaving a smear of blood behind.

The final thug standing was trembling, his eyes wide with absolute horror as he looked at his four unconscious friends on the floor. He dropped his weapon, turning to run, but Vivien casually weighed the baseball bat in her hand, took aim, and hurled it. The bat spun through the air and struck him dead in the back of the head. He crumpled to the ground, out cold.

Vivien stood in the center of the narrow alley, panting softly as her adrenaline began to cool. She dusted off her baggy hoodie, adjusted her thick glasses, and looked down at the pile of groaning, unconscious thugs with a satisfied smirk. "Sloppy," she muttered to herself. "Dante’s men would never."

From the shadows, Dominic watched the entire show with a intensely fascinated smile spreading across his lips. The icy rage that had filled his chest just a moment ago was completely replaced by a thrilling wave of interest.

He pulled his hand out of his pocket. This girl- this clumsy, fragile girl - had just dismantled five armed thugs without breaking a sweat. She was an absolute enigma, a little mouse with claws, and Dominic found himself completely, utterly captivated.

Vivien didn’t wait any longer, she hurriedly rush out before anyone could see her.

Dominic didn’t immediately chase after her. He stood in the damp alley, his dark eyes tracking the empty corner where she had just vanished. Then, his gaze slowly traveled downward, falling upon the five groaning, half-conscious thugs bleeding on the concrete.

The amused smile vanished from his face, replaced by a freezing expression. These vermin had dared to lay their filthy hands on what belonged to him.

Reaching into his jacket, Dominic pulled out his pistol. He walked over to the men. Silently, he raised the weapon.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Dark blood spread quickly across the dirty concrete, pooling around the trash bins.

Without a single trace of emotion on his face, Dominic tucked the gun back into his pocket and pulled out his phone, dialing a private number.

"B Block, X Road," he commanded, his voice dropping "Clean everything here. Disposed of. And don’t let a single breath of this reach the media."

He cut the call without waiting for a reply. Glancing one last time at the blood stained alley, he turned and walked back to his sports car.

Once inside, he threw his gun, pulled off his blood stained gloves, and tossed them aside. He leaned his head back against the headrest, closing his eyes as the image of Vivien fighting flashed vividly in his mind.

The way she had shifted her weight. The fearless glare. She hadn’t been timid at all. She had moved like a professional. It made him curious- so intensely curious it was making his blood boil. The burning obsession that had been taking root in his chest was now growing rapidly, wrapping its chains around his mind. He wanted to know every single secret she was hiding.

Dominic opened his eyes, the dark irises reflecting the glow of his dashboard. He pulled up his phone, opening the CCTV footage of her apartment building.

He sat in the dark car, waiting and watching patiently. Minute after minute passed until finally, the camera showed her disheveled figure running up the stairs and safely entering her home, locking the door behind her.

Seeing that she was secure, a quiet sigh escaped his lips. He turned off his phone, tossed it onto the passenger seat, and shifted the car gear. and Dominic drove off toward his estate, his mind entirely consumed by his dangerous little maid.

Reaching her apartment, Vivien locked the door. She tore off the baggy staff jacket and cap, tossing them onto the floor and collapsed face-first onto her bed.

"Ugh, I smell like a dumpster," she groaned into her mattress.

Shaking off the exhaustion, she stood right back up and went straight to the bathroom for a long, hot shower, scrubbing away the grime from the convention center floors and the shabby alleyway.

Finally, wrapped in a oversized sweatshirt and sweatpants, she laid back down on her bed, letting her body completely relax against the pillows. Staring up at the dark ceiling, she began to put the piece together.

Blonde hair, huh... she recalled, narrowing her eyes as she pictured the mysterious author. Even in the dim lighting, she had noticed a few undeniable details before she tackled him. He had striking blonde hair and incredibly fair skin. His eyes... she hadn’t been able to see their exact color through his glasses, but she could still feel the phantom sensation of their piercing weight. And that defined side profile she caught a glimpse of right before he masked up again...

"Tsk, I should definitely try some other way to see his face next time," she muttered to herself, rolling over onto her side.

Then, her thoughts shifted to the thugs. Her expression darkened. Hmm... I am definitely sure it was Amelia who did it. After all, who else has such a personal, psychotic issue with me in this world? Of course it’s her!

She rules out Elias pretty quickly. She didn’t think the mystery writer would resort to hiring sloppy street thugs to do his dirty work. If he wanted her captured, he would have done it himself long ago. Besides, based on his arrogant attitude, he clearly loved to play with his prey firsthand.

"You are so dead, Amelia," Vivien hissed into the empty room. "I was letting everything slide before just because I didn’t have the extra energy to deal with your drama... but now you’ve officially crossed the line. I’m coming for you."

Amused by her own internal thoughts and busy planning some wonderfully petty revenge plots, the exhaustion of the day finally caught up to her. Her eyelids grew heavy, and within minutes, she drifted off into a deep sleep.

The small apartment fell completely silent only soft sound of Vivien’s breathing could be heard.

Outside, the clock ticked past midnight.

Click.

The sound was light. The door opened and closed without making a single squeak, the lock turning back into place from the inside. Someone had entered her house.

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TO BE CONTINUED