NO ONE’S POV

After freshening up, Viella stood before the massive walk-in closet. Her eyes scanning the dresses. A smirked playing on her face..

20 minutes later

The door creaked open as Lily entered, carrying a fresh towel. She stopped dead in her tracks, the towel nearly slipping from her hand as she stared at the figure standing in the center of the room.

"What are you wearing, My Lady...?"

Viella stood there, unrecognizable. She had squeezed into thick leggings, layered a long, heavy wool skirt over them, and topped it with a baggy full-sleeve shirt. To finish the masterpiece, she had donned a thick hoodie with the hood pulled low and a black face mask. Only her eyes were visible, peeking out.

"You are going to suffocate to death, My Lady," Lily said, letting out a long, exhausted sigh. "It is nearly summer."

Viella reached up, peeling the mask down just enough to speak. "I don’t care! I don’t want Dante to look at my—"

Suddenly, the memories of these past few days scene flashed in her mind. She felt the heat of his gaze. Her face turned a shade of red. She hurriedly snapped the mask back over her nose.

Lily’s eyes narrowed. "Lord Dante looked at your...?"

"Ahem! Nothing!" Viella’s voice came out muffled and frantic behind the fabric. "I wore it because I am cold! Yes, very cold! Now let’s go, I am hungry!"

She marched toward the door.

Lily looked at her suspiciously.

"Well, Lord Dante is not home, so you don’t have to hide your tomato face," she said flatly.

"What do you mean! I am not hiding my fac- wait, he’s not home?" Viella paused

mid-adjustment of her hoodie. "Where is he?"

"He left for the office early this morning," Lily replied.

"What?!" Viella gasped, her eyes wide with frustration. "How am I going to play my role and leave this so-called estate looking fabulous while main lead isn’t even here to see it!"

Lily simply shrugged, looking entirely unbothered by Viella’s existential crisis.

"Duhhh!" As soon as the words sank in, Viella realized she was sweating like a marathon runner under all those layers. She hurriedly began peeling off the heavy clothes, tossing the hoodie and the extra skirt aside with frantic energy.

Lily raised her eyebrows, watching a sweater fly across the room. "I thought you were cold."

"Not anymore! Tsk!"

After a quick change, Viella emerged in a simple, breezy white dress. It was much more comfortable. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

As they walked down the grand staircase, Viella’s eyes darted around, searching for Alina’s annoying, "innocent" face.

But Lily’s voice cut through her thoughts. "If you’re looking for Alina, she joined Lord Dante at the office."

Hearing that, Viella’s face became gloomy. Her shoulders slumped as they reached the dining hall.

"It’s not even the third day yet, and the book is returning to its original state so fast," Viella muttered to herself.

"All my hard work to show Dante Alina’s real face... gone to waste. If they’re spending all day together at the office, she’ll have him wrapped around her finger by lunchtime."

She sat down at the table, staring blankly at the plate.

Viella stabbed a piece of pancake with her fork, the movement a bit more aggressive than necessary. She shoved the bite into her mouth, chewing with a focused intensity

Lily watched her for a moment, then leaned against the sideboard, her voice casual. "By any chance, are you jealous, My Lady?"

Viella nearly choked on a blueberry. "Jealous? Me? Of what?"

"Uh... like Lord Dante and Alina going together..." Lily trailed off, her eyes tracing the way Viella was practically shredding the rest of her breakfast.

"Hah! Who cares? Let them do whatever they want!" Viella rolled her eyes hard. "More like it’s so much better. I can leave this mansion without any bother. It’s a vacation, Lily! A vacation!"

She took another large, defiant bite of pancake, nodding to herself as if trying to convince her own brain.

"I should thank her. Truly. She’s doing me a favor by keeping him. Busy"

Lily stood still and nodded even though she didn’t look convinced at all.

Viella slammed her fork down. "Stop looking at me like that! I’m perfectly fine! In fact, since the cat’s away, the mouse is going to... well, the mouse is going to the library to find a map of the city."

With the last bite of pancake finished, Viella stood. The gloom from earlier had vanished.

"Time to level up our plan. Let’s go, Lily!"

Lily didn’t ask questions, she simply gave a professional nod and fell into step behind her.

As they reached the hall exit, a female guard stepped forward, her expression firm as she blocked the path.

"My Lady, lord Dantes orders were quite clear about you staying within the—"

Viella didn’t let her finish. She straightened her posture, looking down her nose with the cold, haughty gaze,

"You think you have the right to stop the Lady of the house?" she asked, her voice dropping to a dangerous tone.

"Are you a guard, or are you the Dantes legal counsel? Because unless you want to explain to him why I’ve decided to fire his most ’loyal’ security for insubordination, you will step aside."

The female guard hesitated, her eyes flickering with uncertainty. Swallowing hard, the guard stepped back and made a way.

Viella let out a quiet breath of relief once they were out. Well, that was easy.

They reached the sprawling garage section of the estate. Dante had a massive collection of high-end vehicles. "Rich people," Viella muttered, her eyes scanning the rows of luxury.

She held out her hand, palm up. Without a word, Lily reached into her pocket and dropped a heavy key into it, the one Viella had secretly instructed her to "steal" earlier that morning.

As she pressed the unlock button, the lights of a sleek black Ferrari flashed, and the engine started.

Viella’s lips curled into a smirk. "Good choice, Lily."

She climbed into the driver’s seat, the scent of expensive car filling her senses. She adjusted the rearview mirror, checking her reflection one last time.

"Time to meet the main villain of the story... the one writing my fate. Elias," Viella muttered.

As the car purred toward the massive iron gates of the estate, she saw the Old Guard, Dante’s most loyal, stubborn veterans. They stood like stone pillars, blocking the exit.

One of them stepped forward,

"I am sorry, Miss Viella, but the Boss hasn’t given us any clear instructions to let you leave."

Viella raised an eyebrow, a cold mock playing on her lips. He’s too busy with Alina now to even care about me anymore, she thought.

"I don’t need Dante’s permission," she said, her voice demanding. "I am his fiancée, not his personal maid. Step aside."

The guard stayed silent, his face expressionless.

"I am sorry, Miss Viella, but you have to wait until we speak to Boss"

Viella didn’t argue. She stayed silent, shifted the car into reverse, and backed up slowly. The guards relaxed, thinking she was admitting defeat and returning. They were halfway to their chairs when the Ferrari’s engine suddenly roared

Before they could even shout, Viella floored the accelerator. The car surged forward, a black streak aiming straight for the locked iron gates.

Lily sat in the passenger seat, her face completely unfazed as the wind whipped her hair.

The guard’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

That’s the Boss’s favorite car. And that’s his fiancée inside. If so much as a scratch touched either of them, he wouldn’t just be fired, he’d be erased from the world itself.

"Open it! Open the gate, now!" he screamed.

The heavy iron doors open just in the right time. The Ferrari shot through the gap like a bullet.

As they cleared the perimeter, Viella leaned out the window, flashing a very un-lady-like middle finger to Dante’s men, her smirk widened.

"That was fun, My Lady," Lily said calmly.

Viella glanced over. Lily was sitting there, perfectly composed, holding a bucket of buttery popcorn and munching away.

"What the heck?! Where did you get that from?!!!" Viella shrieked

Lily didn’t answer. She just popped another popcorn into her mouth and shrugged, staring out the window at the passing city scenery as if they were just out for a Sunday stroll.

"Whatever," Viella huffed, refocusing on the road.

_________

Inside the high-ceilinged conference room, the atmosphere was tense. The air was thick.

Dante sat at the head of the table, his eyes cold and sharp, scanning the reports with focus.

Beside him, Alina stood with a small, triumphant smile playing on her lips. She adjusted a stack of papers she barely understood, basking in the silence.

Everything about the maid following behind their boss, to attending the meeting was unusual but it looked like no one dared to question.

Brrr... Brrr...

Dante’s phone vibrated on the mahogany surface. He ignored it.

Brrr... Brrr...

His jaw tightened. He picked it up, his voice a low, dangerous growl.

"Didn’t I say I don’t want any interruptions during meetings? Now get los—"

"Boss, it’s about Miss Viella."

The room seemed to drop five degrees.

"Speak."

"She... she along with her maid left the estate. They’re riding in your favorite Ferrari, sir. She almost crashed the gate to get out."

Dante stayed silent, his expression unreadable. He hung up the phone and stood up abruptly, pulling his coat from the back of the chair.

"Meeting is cancelled," he said shortly.

The executives gasped, exchanging shocked glances.

Alina’s smile faltered, her heart skipping a beat. All of a sudden? What was that call about?

"Lord Dante, what happened?" Alina asked, scurrying after him as he marched toward his private office. "Is it serious? Do you have to go? Let me join you—"

"There is no need, Alina," Dante said, not even looking back. "Just bring me a cup of black tea."

Alina nodded, her face falling slightly, and hurried toward the breakroom. As soon as she was gone, Dante entered his office, where his head of security was already waiting, looking pale.

"Should we send men after her, Boss? Should we follow Miss Viella?" the man asked urgently.

Dante sat down, leaning back into his leather chair. He stared at the empty space in front of him, his fingers tapping a rhythmic, slow beat on the desk

"There’s no need," Dante said coldly. "Let her do whatever she wants. I don’t care, as long as she isn’t causing trouble while being my fiancée."

The guards looked at each other, utterly baffled.

He had practically sprinted out of a multi-million dollar meeting the moment her name was mentioned, yet now he claimed he didn’t care? They nodded and retreated, confused by the shifting tides of their master’s temper.

As they exited, they passed Alina. She was standing beside the door, holding a tray with a single cup of black tea. Her face was a blank, icy mask for a split second until she saw the men.

Instantly, her expression transformed. Her eyes brightened, and she offered them a soft, angelic smile before gracefully walking into Dante’s office.

As Alina entered the room, she saw Dante stand up abruptly, his coat already slung over his arm.

"Here is your tea, Lord Dante," she said softly, moving to place it on the desk.

"Put it aside," Dante commanded, his voice clipped and efficient. "We are leaving for lunch."

Alina paused, her head tilting in confusion. "But Lord Dante... it isn’t lunch time yet? The clock hasn’t even hit noon."

Before Dante could respond, a loud sound erupted.

Gurgle

The room went silent. Alina’s face instantly turned a deep shade of red. She had been so excitement of following him around and watching the board members’ reactions that she had completely forgotten to eat breakfast.

Dante’s eyes flickered toward her embarrassed face, but his expression remained a mask of cool indifference.

"Let’s go,"

he repeated, turning toward the door without waiting for an answer.

Alina followed him shyly, her heart fluttering as she smoothed down her flowery dress. A small, triumphant thought began to bloom in her mind.

I thought he was going to look for that crazy Viella under the excuse of lunch, she thought, a spark of pride warming her chest. But he’s just thinking about me. He heard my stomach growl and cancelled everything just to feed me. He’s thinking about only me...

_________

Meanwhile, miles away from the cozy lunch date, Viella felt a sudden, violent chill run down her spine.

"Lily," Viella said, her eyes fixed on the massive, ivy-covered gates of Elias’s estate.

"I just felt a massive wave of ’Main Character Energy’ coming from the city center. I bet you ten bucks Dante is currently doing something ’sweet’ for Alina while I’m out here doing the dirty work."

Lily finished the last of her popcorn and wiped her salt-stained hands on a handkerchief.

"Probably. But look on the bright side, My Lady."

"What’s the bright side?"

"We stole Lord Dantes favorite car and here we are Infront of Elias house boutta steal the book" Lily said fixing her sunglasses. "Much more interesting"

"Okay first of all....where did u get those sunglasses from now? And second of all.....THIS IS DANTE’S FAVORITE CAR?!!!! WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME BEFOREEE??? I WAS ABOUT TO CRASH IT!!!!"

Lily just shrugged.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

TO BE CONTINUED.