NO ONE'S POV
Vivien had always loved dark romance novels, especially the mafia ones. When she picked up the bestseller Under The Mafia's Obsession, she spent days devouring every single word and page.
The story followed Alina, a fragile girl sold by her family to the cruel mafia boss, Dante Valerio Moretti. At first, Dante treated her like property. But slowly, he fell into a mad, terrifying obsession with her.
The biggest wall between their love was the villainess, Viella. She was a rich, proud heiress who emotionally tortured Alina whenever she got the chance. Eventually, Dante killed Viella with his own hands to protect his "little bird."
Vivien hated Viella. She hated her so much that she spent her time leaving comments everywhere online, bashing the character's stupidity.
Before falling asleep, she muttered to herself, "If I were her, I'd never be so stupid. I'd stay away from the leads and avoid getting killed."
Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed through her head.
Then, darkness.
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The first thing Vivien noticed was the warmth. It wasn't the cozy warmth of her small apartment bed.
Her eyelids fluttered open.
She froze.
The ceiling above her was high, decorated with rich peoples taste. The bed curtains were pure silk which definitely she cant afford. She sat up slowly, her heart pounding.
"What happened? Did I really die? Am I in heaven? Though, looking back, I don't think I did enough good deeds to be here."
She looked around. This wasn't her room. This wasn't her bed. Then, a mirror came into view.
This wasn't her face either.
"Wait... why does this face look so familiar?"
Shiny bright red hair, flawless milk like skin, golden eyes, rosy round lips....
The realization hit her. This was the face of the cruel villainess who died miserably by the hands of Dante Valerio Moretti.
This was the world of Under The Mafia's Obsession, The book she had finished just last night or you can say the moment before she died. This wasn't fiction anymore. She was living in it, trapped in the body of the fiancée meant to die.
Her mouth went dry. No. This couldn't be happening. She tried to remember the plot.
"I can still survive, right? I still have time..."
Then, the memories of original body crashed down. This wasn't the beginning of the book. She was already halfway through the plot.
Alina, the female lead, was already sold to Dante. And this body- her new identity had already bullied her.
"Shit."
Her stomach twisted. She had already ruined her chances. There would be no redemption arc. The villainess had already abused and humiliated Alina many times. And tonight... tonight was the night.
The Party
In the book, this scene was the turning point. Alina would be serving drinks and accidentally spill wine on the villainess's gown. In response, the villainess would slap her in front of everyone.
Dante would storm in, take Alinas side and look at his fiance like she was some eyesore. That was the moment his hatred became deadly. The countdown to her murder would begin.
Vivien's breath hitched. No. She wouldn't let it happen. She wouldn't touch Alina. She wouldn't even look at her. She would change everything.
But first—she had to see what she was working with.
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Vivien threw back the covers and slid of the bed. Even the carpet was soft beneath her feet. she walked to the wardrobe. Inside were dozens of gowns and jewels. it was too shiny and colorful. Also the smell of expensive perfumes hit her nostrils. It made her head hurt.
Then,
A knock came at the door. "Miss Viella," a maid called tremblingly. "May we come in to prepare you?"
Vivien remembered the book. Viella was a nightmare to her staff. If she became nice suddenly, they would be suspicious. She had to be like her atleast a bit.
"Enter," she said.
Three maids walked in, heads bowed. They held a blood red gown covered in crystals. They were shaking so hard that fabric rustled. One maid named Sarah noticed that and her face became pale.
Vivien looked at the dress and then at the maids. "You're trembling," she said quietly. "Why?"
Sarah nearly tripped over her own feet, her eyes darting to the floor. "I-I'm sorry, Miss! Please don't punish us!"
The other two maids, squeezed their eyes shut, waiting for a slap or a scream. But those never came. Instead,
Vivien took the heavy gown and dropped it onto the floor. The maids gasped. Sarah fell to her knees, reaching for the fabric. "I'll clean it! I'll fix it, Miss!"
"Leave it," Vivien said coolly. "This is an embarrassment. I want everything in this room changed. The clothes, the colors, the furniture. Tell the butler to replace it all within the week."
The maids looked at each other in shock.
"Y-yes, Miss," one of the maid said, her voice shaking with relief.
"Start with the bedspread," Vivien added, her eyes sharp. "And Sarah, stand up. I don't like looking at the top of your head."
The maids scrambled to follow her orders, moving faster.
Once they were gone, Vivien sank into a chair. Her hands were shaking. She had to escape this world, but first, she had to survive the ball tonight. She would avoid the female lead and stay away from Dante. She would be invisible.
When the time was right, she would run..
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TO BE CONTINUED