NO ONES POV
If blending into the background was a skill, Vivien thought she had mastered it.
She had practiced her "I'm just a ghost" expression all morning. She infact did everything to make her not stand out at all. She even put on those glasses, hoping to look like a complete stranger.
And yet.
The moment she stepped through the grand doors, the music didn't stop, but the atmosphere changed. At first, no one even recognized her. People glanced at her and then looked away, wondering who the elegant woman in the simple dress was.
But then, the realization hit.
"Wait... is that her?"
"Is that really Viella?"
"She looks so... different."
Suddenly, all eyes were on her. The soft lighting hit her skin just right, and the grey dress she thought was boring actually looked incredibly good on her. Her hair, tied in a lazy bun, had that effortless vibe. Even the dull lipstick just made her look soft and natural.
Vivien froze mid-step, her brain screaming. This was her first time being in the spotlight, and she was panicking. She lowered her head slightly and pressed her lips together, trying to look cold and bored.
Okay. Stay calm, she thought. Look rich. Look like you didn't just practice fake fainting twenty minutes ago.
She was just about to glare at the crowd to get them to stop staring, but then, everyone's eyes shifted. The whispers stopped instantly. The air in the room got heavy and cold.
The crowd began to part like the Red Sea, and a familiar, dangerous presence stepped into the room.
Viella turned to look at the person who just entered.
There he was. The moment she had been dreading. The male lead. Her fiancé. Or maybe... her destiny of death.
His dark hair was slicked back, and his jawline was sharp. His expression was flat, and his eyes were like ice. Suddenly, those eyes landed on her.
They made eye contact.
Holy shit!
He was walking straight toward her.
"Should I just run away?" Vivien thought. She felt her soul leave her body again. Her inner thoughts was screaming: "Okay. Be cool. You've read the novel. You know he hates you. Just nod, smile a little, and DON'T say anything that sounds like a threat. Easy."
He stopped right in front of her. His voice was quiet, cold, and mocking as he reached out his hand to hold hers.
He observed her for a bit and then,
"Seems like you're all fine now," he said. "Even found a new way to draw my attention to you? Nice seducing skills, I have to say. What a pathetic little thing."
Vivien blinked.
Internally, she was losing it. "WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL KIND OF OPENING LINE IS THAT? Bro, I'm not even trying to seduce you. I'm trying to survive this party and maybe eat a shrimp cocktail in peace!"
But instead of saying that, her pride took over. She narrowed her eyes, ignored his outstretched hand, and walked right past him.
A few guests gasped. They expected the same old drama, where she would cling to him or scream, but this was different.
Vivien kept walking, her heart racing like a Formula 1 car. She tried not to grin.
HA. TAKE THAT, Mr. Pathetic!
But then... she paused.
Brain loading.
Wait.
WAIT.
He is the guy who is supposed to kill her! And she just ignored him in front of everyone, giving him a brand new reason to hate her.
"I am so doomed," she whispered to herself.
Slowly... cautiously... she turned around.
And she immediately regretted it.
Because there he stood tall, still, and terrifying. His hand was still hanging in mid air from where she had ignored it. His jaw was clenched, and his knuckles cracked. His eyes...oh god! They were burning holes through her soul.
Vivien gave him a small, nervous smile. She even gave him a tiny, shy wave. Like that would help.
It did not help.
Internally, she was screaming
Oh God. I'm going to die tonight. Should I apologize? Should I faint? Should I fake food poisoning after all?
There was no time to decide. He started walking toward her again.
Vivien quickly grabbed a glass of champagne off a passing tray, chugged half of it, and then held the glass in front of her
She whispered to herself, "This is fine. Everything's fine. He's just glaring because he wants to... talk. Or kill me. Same thing, really."
But then, the unexpected happened. Instead of confronting her or making a scene, he walked right past her. He didn't even look at her again, his shoulder almost brushing hers as he moved into the crowd.
Vivien stared straight at his back, completely stunned. "Oh... I guess I am safe for now," she whispered, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
The music picked up again, but the tension in the room didn't fade.
Vivien could feel the weight of the entire room's gaze pressing down on her.
She tried to blend into the gatherings but her spine was stiff and she may or may not have forgotten how to swallow.
And then again the whispers began.
"She's definitely doing this to catch his attention."
"Ugh. Classic. He ignores her, so now she's trying this 'innocent' look?"
"We all know who already has his heart."
Vivien's fingers tightened around her glass. She turned and glared at the gossiping group. They all shut up instantly.
Well, I guess the villainess aura is still there, she thought. Enough to scare them away, at least.
She forced a casual step to the side, pretending to admire a vase while her brain was screaming. She could feel his gaze. just when she turned her head.....Those scary eyes were locked onto her.
and she noticed he was walking towards her.
Oh shitt, why is he walking toward me again!!!!
She tried to walk away, but he moved faster, stepping exactly in front of her. He leaned in so close she could smell his cologne
His voice was like ice.
"It's really annoying to see you pretending" Dante said, glancing at the other men in the room who were staring at her. "At this point, I don't know if you want my attention or everyone else's."
He narrowed his eyes. "Just so you know... I'm only tolerating you because you're my business partner's daughter. But don't confuse that with patience. My patience has limits. I don't owe you kindness. And I won't tolerate this little act or what you did in the past over and over again."
Then he straightened up, gave her a look , and walked away.
Vivien stood frozen in place. Her heart was thumping,
"His patience has limits? she thought, blinking. Bro, I spent three hours looking for a boring dress just to avoid you. I'm the one being patient here!"
-------
Vivien stood by the food table
"She just got humiliated," a woman whispered nearby, not even trying to hide it.
"She still thinks she can win him back? After that?"
"Honestly, this is getting embarrassing. Someone should tell her to just go home."
My blood ran cold. Yep. I'm definitely dying.
She turned her back to the crowd.
"Okay. Cool. I just got publicly disrespected by my "business fiancé" and now a room full of strangers thinks I'm a clingy drama queen. Fantastic. I LOVE THIS FOR ME.!!"
She shoved a mini croissant into her mouth. Then another. Then she finished it with half a glass of champagne.
Her hand was shaking.
"I'm fine," she whispered to herself. "I'm totally fine. I'm so fine I could be a wine."
Suddenly, her maid appeared beside her like a ghost. "He looked like he was ready to kill someone, my lady."
"That someone is me," Vivien muttered.
"Do you want me to fake a fire alarm?" the maid replied, her face perfectly plain.
"Yes. Absolutely. But first, let me grab one more croissant for the road."
Vivien peeked over her shoulder cautiously. He wasn't looking at her anymore. Or maybe he was, just out of the corner of his eye.
She took another sip of champagne and whispered to herself, "I just wanted to avoid being splashed with wine today. That's all. Why is that too much to ask? Also... I don't think he was supposed to say such harsh things to me this early in the story, right? Did I just raise my own death flag by trying to be boring?"
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TO BE CONTINUED