No One’s POV

"I did as you told me-then why isn’t he acting the same?!" a furious voice cut through the silence, sharp and trembling with rage.

The unknown figure didn’t even flinch. They only gave a half-hearted shrug

Alina’s eyes burned, locking onto him like daggers. "It’s your freaking story! How do you not know anything? You wrote him! You wrote Dante! Then why-why isn’t he obsessed with me?"

A low chuckle slipped from the figure, calm, mocking. "I told you not to mess with the script."

"I did not!" Alina spat, voice cracking. "I followed everything-acted pitiful, looked fragile, even did that stupid trembling-lip thing you said! Everything was fine until her." Her chest heaved, hands shaking as she hissed, "Until that woman-Viella-started acting like... like this!"

The unknown leaned back, watching her "Okay, okay... chill, Alina."

"Chill??" Her voice shot higher, filled with bitterness. "Are you kidding me?! I’ve been silent, swallowing every humiliation, every time Dante brushed me off. And now-now look at him! He’s not even glancing at me anymore. Not even once. His eyes... they’re all on her."

Silence pressed heavy between them.

Finally, the figure’s tone sharpened. "I know that’s not Viella. Because that woman-"

"Shhh." The unknown leaned forward suddenly, eyes cold as steel. "Don’t cross the line, Alina." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Her breath hitched, words dying in her throat.

"I did everything because you begged for Dante. Because you wanted him. I handed you the perfect role. But if you dare test my patience-" their smile curled, wicked and merciless, "I’ll erase your existence from this story like you never belonged."

Alina’s body trembled, her fury clashing with fear. Her eyes glistened with angry tears, but no words came out. With a strangled gasp, she turned on her heel and stormed out.

The unknown figure didn’t move. Instead, his gaze shifted to the window, where moonlight bled into the room. A slow smirk carved across their lips.

"Oh, Viella..." they murmured darkly, almost in awe.

"You’re catching everyone’s attention now."

---

Viella’s POV

Uh... hello? My brain’s still buffering. My eyes barely open, and all I see is the inside of a moving car. Am... am I getting kidnapped??

"Not yet, Incase you’re thinking you’re getting kidnapped" came a deep voice right beside me.

I turned, still half-asleep-sharp jaw, cold eyes... DANTE?!

"WHAT THE-?! What is going on?!"

Finally looking around, I noticed my outfit. Great. I’m wearing the same pink pajamas with cartoon ducks. Hair’s a mess, face bare. I looked into the car mirror-yep. Absolute homeless.

"Where are we even going?!"

"Date," Dante said casually, as if he just asked me to pass the salt.

"Didn’t I tell you I wasn’t going anywhere with you?"

"Too bad you’re going now" he smirked.

My mouth dropped. "This is kidnapping! I could sue you!"

"Go ahead." He tossed me his phone with one hand, still driving with the other. "Call the police. Tell them your fiancé is kidnapping you." He even air-quoted kidnapping.

I stared at the phone. "Oh, I will. And when they ask what you look like, I’m gonna describe you as a short, balding man with bad breath."

His jaw twitched. "You wouldn’t."

"Watch me, baldy."

He snorted, clearly amused. "Cute. But if you keep calling me that, I might just extend this date to a weekend trip."

My eyes widened. "You wouldn’t dare!"

His smirk widened. "Oh, princess, I already dared when I picked you up in your pajamas."

I crossed my arms with a dramatic huff. "You really have no shame, kidnapping your fiancée like this."

"Fiancée," Dante repeated, smirking. "So you finally remembered"

"I did," I shot back. "And I regret it every day."

His hand tightened on the wheel for half a second before he leaned back, chuckling low. "Careful, princess. If anyone else said that, they wouldn’t be laughing five minutes later."

I rolled my eyes. "Lucky me, huh? Special treatment now?"

"Special treatment because you’re entertaining." He glanced at me, eyes sharp but amused. "The old Viella never had this much bite. You should keep it. Suits you."

I froze for half a beat. Oh, crap. Did he notice the difference? No no no-play it cool. Villainess mask on.

I flipped my hair like the drama queen I was forced to be. "Well, someone’s got to keep up appearances. Can’t let people think the great Dante is marrying a boring wallflower."

His lips curved, almost a real smile this time. "Don’t worry. No one will ever mistake you for boring."

I blinked, caught off guard, then immediately scoffed. "Please. The only thing I want from you is to take me home before someone sees me in bunny pajamas and assumes you’ve lost your standards."

Dante’s smirk widened. "Too late. I already like these pajamas and all."

---

We finally pulled up to the restaurant, and the second the car stopped, I stayed glued to my seat. No movement. No words. Just me stubbornly staring at the door like a hostage.

Dante stepped out first, all calm then walked over to my side-he opened my door and leaned down.

His sharp gaze flicked over me. "Coming out, princess? Or..." He tilted his head, lips quirking, "...should I carry you out?"

I bit my lip. Ha. As if. He’s obsessed, sure, but Alina’s still the OG female lead, right? There’s no way he’d actually-

Wrong. So wrong.

Before I could blink, he scooped me up in his arms like I weighed nothing. Full-on bridal style.

"WHAT THE-?!" I shrieked, arms flailing as my pajama sleeve slipped down. "Put me down! Do you know how heavy I am?!"

"Light," he answered flatly, not even breaking a sweat as he adjusted me higher against his chest. His tone was final.

I squeaked and buried my face in my hands. "This is so embarrassing!"

And yet, with zero shame, he strode into the restaurant. The place was glowing with warm golden lights, marble floors polished like mirrors, chandeliers..But... not a single soul was there.

I blinked. Waiters appeared at once, bowing and greeting us like some royal couple. "Welcome, sir. Ma’am. Right this way."

I gaped. Not a single other customer. The entire restaurant was empty.

Dante carried me past the elegant tables while I wriggled in his hold . "Dante-seriously! This is not normal! I can walk, you know!"

"You weren’t walking," he replied simply

"Because I was thinking-" I smacked his shoulder lightly, "-not agreeing to being kidnapped bridal-style in public!"

His lips curved, dark amusement in his eyes. "Public? no one else is here. Just you. Just me."

He... he’d actually cleared the whole place?

I forced a nervous laugh. "H-Haha, what do you mean just us?"

"The restaurant is mine for tonight," he said casually, as if it was completely normal to buy out an entire luxury establishment. "I don’t like distractions."

My brain short-circuited.

...

Okay, that was definitely yandere behavior.

I peeked up at him, my cheeks warming at how serious he looked. His gaze didn’t wander, not once. Just fixed straight on me, like I was the only thing that existed.

God, why does he look like that?! He’s supposed to be obsessed with Alina! Alina! Not me, the villainess!

I puffed my cheeks in protest, whispering under my breath, "Why do you act like this with me..."

"Because You’re mine" he said without hesitation.

My heart did a dramatic flip.

Nope. Nope nope nope. Abort..This is not according to the script!

---

He finally put me down, but instead of relief, I felt the air tighten. His hand stayed on my wrist, firm enough to remind me I wasn’t going anywhere.

"Listen, Dante," I blurted, trying to pull free, "I think you’re confused."

His eyes darkened, lips curving like a blade.

"Confused?"

"Yes!" I nodded quickly, forcing a laugh. "You-this-carrying me through a restaurant? You’re not like this with me. You never were."

He leaned in, voice low, dangerous, each word dripping with deliberate cruelty.

"Not with you? You’re my fiancée, Viella. Or did you forget?"

I froze, chest tightening.

"Wasn’t it you," he murmured, tilting his head, "who told me that every single day? Who clung to me so tightly I thought you’d carve your name into my skin?"

My throat went dry.

"...Wait," I stammered, backing up a step. "Are you-are you taking revenge?!"

He smirked, sharp and cold.

"Revenge? No, Viella. If I wanted revenge, you wouldn’t be breathing."

My breath hitched.

"But..." he tilted his head, studying me with a sharpness that stripped me bare, "you did catch my attention."

My pulse thudded in my ears. "I-I what?"

"You thought you could play a dangerous game. Pretend to give up. Pretend you didn’t care." His voice was silk laced with poison. "You ran. You pulled back. You dared to ignore me. And that..." his eyes narrowed, heat flickering in the cold, "made me look twice."

I shook my head quickly, panic bubbling.

"I changed, okay! I don’t chase after you anymore, do I? I don’t cling or scream your name. I don’t... make a fool of myself like before."

His gaze locked onto mine, heavy, unreadable.

"So what made you change?"

My chest tightened. "Because you didn’t care, Dante," I whispered. "You didn’t care about Vi-" I bit my tongue, panic flaring. "-about me. You never did. I could smile, I could cry, I could run after you every single day, and you never noticed. You never even looked back. So... I gave up."

For one unbearable heartbeat, he said nothing. His eyes burned into mine, something twisted flashing there-something too close, too dangerous.

Then, softly, almost like a confession:

"Funny," he murmured. "The moment you gave up was the moment I stopped being able to ignore you."

I blinked, throat closing.

"You see, Viella..." he leaned close, his lips brushing the shell of my ear, "...I don’t like games. But I do like watching the person foolish enough to play them."

My knees weakened. "T-That’s not-"

"...Then why does it feel like you’re still running-only this time, away from me?"

My heart skipped, fear crawling up my spine. My lips parted-ready to argue, deny, something-

-but at that exact moment, the waiter appeared with silver trays, setting the table with dish after dish.

I blinked. Then blinked again.

Every. Single. Plate.

It was my favorite food. My comfort food. My guilty-pleasure food. Spices, sauces, delicate cuts of meat, even the dessert I secretly ordered at midnight when stressed.

My stomach betrayed me with a loud, growl

Dante’s smirk sharpened, his eyes glinting with cruel amusement.

"Hungry?" he asked softly.

I shut my mouth so fast I almost bit my tongue. I sat down without another word, hands folded primly in my lap, pretending I wasn’t drooling.

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TO BE CONTINUED