Viella’s POV

Reaching Dante’s mansion, I nearly forgot how to breathe.

The place wasn’t just decorated-it was glowing. Fairy lights draped over marble pillars,and every corner had some kind of elegant floral arrangement (don’t worry, no tulips-Dante must’ve ordered a tulip ban).

I took a deep breath.

Then another.

Finally.

Tonight was the night.

The night I’d get the bracelet. The night I’d get my freedom. The night I could start counting down to my retirement from this mafia plot

Or so I hoped.

The moment I stepped through the grand entrance, I was immediately ambushed-by a surprisingly strong hug.

"Omo, my darling!"

Oh no. Nonna.

Dante’s grandma was in full fluffy-feather-scarf, hugging me"I heard you had an allergic reaction, my, my, I was so scared! I could hardly sleep!"

"I-uh-" My lungs about to give up because oxygen was no longer available.

Nonna must’ve noticed because she released me with an apologetic pat. "Oh, look at you, fragile thing. Are you alright now?"

"I’m fine, Grandma-"

"Tsk, no. Call me Nonna, like Dante does."

"Uh... okay, Nonna."

She gave me a quick once-over, eyes softening before she smiled. "Beautiful. Truly beautiful. Dante should be proud. Come, come."

And then I was dragged.

The party inside was lavish-soft jazz playing, servers gliding between guests with trays of champagne, men in tailored suits, women in glittering gowns. The air smelled like wealth.

Good thing I didn’t see my family anywhere.

Oh wait.

Spoke too soon.

The universe must’ve been waiting for me to jinx myself because bam-in they walked.

The Viella family in all their cinematic slow-motion glory. Hair perfect, clothes perfect, facial expressions perfect.

And there it was.

My mother’s sharp eyes.

Locked. On. Me.

I froze.

Nope. Couldn’t handle that glare. Time to hide.

I subtly stepped closer to Nonna. Like... behind her.

Did it work?

Of course not.

Our eyes met.

They approached, and I had no choice but to smile and greet them like we were one big happy family.

Lucian smirked at me. I hate that smirk.

My sister looked completely uninterested, as if she’d rather be anywhere else.

Mother’s expression softened-slightly. Probably because my outfit tonight screamed expensive and respectable instead of chaotic problem child.

Father... didn’t even greet me right away. Instead, he greeted Nonna.

"Where’s my son-in-law? Dante. I can’t see him anywhere."

"He’s just coming," Nonna said with a dismissive wave. "Don’t worry about him."

The way she said it? Yeah, pretty sure Nonna didn’t like my father.

Same, Nonna. Same.

Then suddenly

The lively chatter and clinking glasses around us suddenly... stopped.

Like, dead silent.

everyone’s heads turned toward the staircase.

And there he was.

Dante.

like some mafia prince straight out of a magazine cover, all black suit, crisp white shirt, expression sharp.

And-oh.

Alina was trailing behind him. Alone.

I tilted my head. Huh. Guess the plot isn’t ruined after all.

I glanced at Nonna, expecting her eyes to sparkle in excitement the way they did in the original story.

But instead... she looked annoyed.

The moment Alina’s heels clicked onto the floor, Nonna pointed at her like she was a stain on her favorite scarf.

"You-where have you been? I’ve been looking for a maid to clean up the mess in the garden. Now go and do your job."

...

I stared.

Hard.

Wait. Hold on. This was not how it went in the book. Weren’t they supposed to bond after I left? Did Nonna just... demote her in public?

Before I could even process that plot twist, Nonna tugged Dante’s arm, pulling him right beside me.

"My little lion took so much time," she muttered, then gave him a nudge that said stand here and behave.

Dante greeted my family-formal, polite, But then his gaze landed on me.

And stayed there.

Uh... hello? Sir? This is not your first time seeing me. Why are you staring like I’ve grown a second head?

Nonna, of course, decided to make things worse.

She smirked and, with the subtlety of a bulldozer, bumped him toward me. "Let the kids talk freely."

Wait-no, no, don’t leave me alone with him-

Too late.

He stood there, looking at me like he was trying to figure out a puzzle only he could see.

"How are you feeling now?" he asked.

"Uh... ah... fine," I stammered, because apparently my vocabulary had taken the night off.

"Have you never learned not to take anything from strangers?"

"What! Elias wasn’t a stranger-"

"Is that so? Was he so close that you even forgot you’re allergic to tulips?"

I froze.

"Wait-how do you even remember that?" I tried to change the subject.

But then he leaned down, close enough that his breath tickled my ear.

"I remember everything... about my fiancée."

His tone was calm. Too calm.

Then he straightened, his expression unreadable. "Enjoy the party."

And he walked away, leaving me rooted to the spot.

...

Okay. What was that?

The way he said "everything" just shot straight down my spine. And not in the romantic swoon way.

---

By the time the party was in full swing, I was done.

Like-emotionally, socially, physically done.

I had like a hundred conversations about wine, politics, and which cousin married which business partner’s daughter.

So yeah, I escaped.

The balcony was bliss-quiet, cool, with the city lights glittering below. I leaned against the railing, finally letting my shoulders relax.

Then-

Shiver.

A cold gust of wind swept past me, prickling my skin. Not the normal ah, fresh air kind of cold. No. This was... spine-chilling.

And then-

"Searching for me?"

My heart jumped into my throat. I spun halfway around-but before I could fully face him, a figure stepped in behind me, close enough that I could feel the faint brush of his coat.

"Who-?"

"You forgot me already?" His voice was low, almost amused. "Ouch. I’m hurt."

It clicked instantly. "Closet guy?"

"Bingo." His laugh was soft, but it carried that strange edge that made it impossible to tell if he was actually amused or just... dangerous.

"What do you want with me? Who are you?Why-"

"Shhh." His breath ghosted near my ear. "Too many questions for such a short reunion."

I froze

"I’m just here to warn you," he continued, voice dropping lower. "You’re playing with fire. Better to be careful... than to regret afterward.

Also stop trying to find my identity"

"What do you mea-" I tried to turn around, but in that instant... he was gone.

Just gone.

No sound. No shadow. Nothing but the faint chill he left behind.

Instead, the balcony door creaked open and Lucian stepped out, making me flinch so hard he actually frowned.

"What?" He raised an eyebrow. "You look like you saw a ghost."

I swallowed, forcing a laugh. "What are you doing here, Lucian?"

"Oh, I was just here to give you the brace-"

"GIVE MEEE!"

He blinked. "I didn’t even finish my sente-ugh, fine." He pulled it from his pocket and tossed it my way.

I caught it like my life depended on it. Which... it kind of did.

"You never get this happy when I give you gifts," he muttered, clearly baffled.

"Consider this one an exception," I said, already admiring the bracelet

He sighed, muttering something about "you better remember my kindness" before heading back inside.

But I didn’t care.

I had it. The bracelet. My golden ticket to freedom.

I was so happy I could’ve kissed the nearest potted plant. Instead, I called one of my men, instructing him to take it straight to my room and keep it safe.

If anyone tried to touch it... well, let’s just say I’d happily introduce them to my personal version of hell.

---

Time to celebrate!

I strutted back into the hall.

I did the only logical thing: I headed straight for the food.

I ate happily, ignoring everyone. At one point I looked around, and noticed Alina was nowhere to be seen.

Hmm... our dear FL seems to be disappearing a lot lately. But whatever. Not my problem tonight.

I grabbed a glass. "Let’s drink~"

Half an hour later, Alina reappeared holding a tray with more drinks. I froze. Uh oh. This is usually where the plot throws me into chaos.

I took a step back from her.

"Uh... you want some?" she asked. "Yours is almost finished..."

"Oh, sure," I said casually, taking the glass.

It was delicious. Too delicious. So naturally, I had a few more.

---

No One’s POV

Hours later, guests began to leave. Viella’s parents slipped out without even asking about their daughter. Not unusual-they never really cared.

Her sister, on the other hand, casually told Lucian to "go find Viella before she does something stupid," because she hadn’t been seen in a while.

Lucian sighed but nodded, scanning the room.

---

Viella’s POV

Oh wow...

The stars looked so pretty. Like... mini cheeseballs in the sky. Could I eat them?

I was standing-okay, maybe swaying-a little too close to the balcony railing when...

Strong hands grabbed me.

"What the hell are you doing now?" The voice was sharp. Angry.

I squinted up to see the face but everything was blurry.

"What’s going on?" I heard Lucian’s voice somewhere nearby.

"Your sister wants to commit suicide in my house," Dante muttered.

Lucian stepped forward, and I lit up like a bulb. "Wow... you look handsome! Wh-hiccup-what’s your name?"

Lucian actually laughed. "Pfft. She’s drunk."

Before he could reach me, Dante scooped me up bridal style.

Lucian smirked. "Fine, fine. My dear friend, I’ll leave her to you. Take care of your dear fiancée." He gave a very obvious blink and left.

I tilted my head at Dante. "Ohhh... you have a handsome face too. So beautiful." I placed my fingers outlining his jaw.

"Do you like handsome faces?" he asked, carrying me effortlessly.

"Yes! A lot!. You know Your eyes are pretty... but they look dead."

He stopped walking for a moment, then continued.

"You should smile more, you know? You’d look cute. With that angry face, you look like this-" I made the ugliest angry face imaginable. "Hah! Funny, right?-ouch."

"Don’t move so much. You’ll fall," he said firmly.

"Aww, handsome man is caring for me~ ahhh!" I squealed as his grip loosened suddenly.

"Ahhh no no no okay okay I’ll shut up! Don’t throw me!"

He pulled me back in tighter. My heart skipped-not that I’d admit that out loud.

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TO BE CONTINUED