Stuck in a Mafia Romance

NO ONE’S POV

"Lily, what happened? Why do you look so remarkably pissed?" Viella asked, leaning over the hallway railing and peering into Lily’s face with an overly bright grin.

Lily glanced sideways at her lady, her expression as unreadable as polished stone. "I am not pissed, My Lady."

"Hmm... is that so?" Viella hummed, swirling around to walk right beside her, taking tiny steps. "Because if looks could kill, the terrace floor would be covered in corpses right now! You looked like you wanted to slice that girl into a hundred little pieces."

Lily kept her eyes fixed straight ahead, refusing to take the bait. She maintained a professional silence, her arms folded neatly behind her back.

Viella, however, was far from done. She lowered her voice into a whisper, leaning close to Lily’s ear. "You know, Lily... since that blind date didn’t really work out for my dear older brother, maybe I should arrange a new date for him? I heard the daughter of new elight circle is back in town! She’s drop-dead gorgeous, super sweet, and-"

Before Viella could finish her sentence, Lily stopped dead in her tracks and slowly turned her head.

She gave Viella a glance. Her dark eyes glinted with a stillness that made the surrounding air feel ten degrees colder in an instant.

A sudden shiver ran straight down Viella’s spine. She instinctively swallowed hard, taking half a step backward. Goodness gracious, Viella thought to herself, her heart doing a quick flutter of genuine shock. For some reason, Lily and Dante give off the exact same terrifying energy... Both of them are utterly obsessive when it comes to the things they care about!

Viella quickly cleared her throat, trying to regain her usual playful composure. "I-I mean, of course, only if Lucian actually wants to go, which he clearly doesn’t! Come on, Lily, don’t look at me like you’re calculating the easiest way to dispose of my body. Can’t you just admit it? You were jealous! Your whole face turned sour the moment that girl laid a finger on him."

Lily resumed walking, her tone icy and indifferent. "You are imagining things, My Lady. My only concern is your safety and fulfilling my duties."

"Duties, my foot!" Viella huffed, jogging a few steps to keep up with Lily’s brisk pace. "You can lie to yourself all you want, but you can’t lie to me. You care about him! Every time Lucian gets near another woman, you look like a storm cloud ready to drop lightning bolts. Why don’t you just tell him how you feel instead of burning holes through his back with your eyes?"

Lily kept her mouth strictly shut. Deep down, her thoughts were a tangled mess. Feelings? For a spoiled, bratty young master like Lucian? Impossible. She was a person bound by blood and dark secrets, currently carrying out a deadly mission with a ticking deadline. She didn’t have the luxury of silly emotions like love or jealousy.

While Viella was busy babbling away and waving her hands animatedly in the air, she completely failed to notice a richly dressed, middle-aged woman strutting around the corner of the grand hallway, holding a tall glass of red wine.

Viella marched right into the intersection, completely oblivious. "And another thing about Lucian-"

Clack!

"Watch where you’re going, you blind-!" the pompous woman shrieked, stumbling backward as her wine glass tilted over Viella’s designer dress.

Before a single drop of red liquid could touch Viella, Lily moved. In less than a fraction of a second, Lily stepped straight in front of her lady, placing her own body as a shield between Viella and the falling drink.

SPLASH!

The red wine splashed completely across the front of Lily’s crisp white shirt and soaking through the fabric instantly and dripping down to the floor.

Viella gasped, pulling back in shock. "Lily!"

The woman, who had dropped her empty glass onto the floor where it shattered into pieces, immediately puffed out her chest in outrage. She didn’t even check to see if Viella was hurt- instead, her eyes landed on Lily’s plain attire, instantly assuming she was just a common servant.

"You filthy, clumsy girl!" the woman screamed, her shrill voice echoing across the wide corridor. She raised a gloved hand aggressively, pointing her finger right at Lily’s nose. "How dare you get in my way! Look at the mess you’ve made, you absolute lowlife!"

Lily stood rooted to the spot, her face completely expressionless despite the cold, sticky wine soaking through her clothes.

The woman then turned her head, suddenly recognizing Viella’s expensive jewelry and striking features. She immediately tried to pull a victim card, scoffing loudly.

"Lady Viella! Thank goodness you are unhurt by this wretched servant’s incompetence!" the woman declared dramatically. "You really ought to teach your lowly maid a proper lesson in manners! Someone like her shouldn’t even be allowed to breathe the same air as us, let alone bump into distinguished guests!"

Meanwhile, at the far end of the corridor, the doors of Lucian’s office clicked open.

Lucian and Dante were stepping out into the hallway after finally clearing the air about their chaotic misunderstandings. Lucian was still rubbing his temples, his face slightly flushed from Dante’s bombshell revelation, while Dante walked beside him with his hands tucked casually in his pockets.

However, the moment the loud screaming reached their ears, both men stopped in their tracks.

Lucian’s eyes narrowed as he looked down the long hallway. The sight that met his eyes made his heart instantly drop into his stomach: a pompous dressed woman was screaming insults directly into Lily’s face, while Lily stood soaked in red wine.

In a split second, the air around both men changed completely.

Lucian’s knuckles turned stark white as he clenched his fists so tightly his fingernails bit into his palms. A fury surged through his veins, making his blood run scalding hot.

Beside him, Dante’s entire aura plunged into darkness. His gloomy eyes turned colder as he watched a stranger verbally abuse his newly found biological sister.

Without exchanging a single word, both Lucian and Dante strode forward together, their footsteps echoing.

"I am speaking to you, girl! Apologize this instant on your knees!" the woman barked, raising her hand as if she were actually going to slap Lily across the face.

"Don’t you dare lay a single finger on her!" Viella shouted, stepping forward with her eyes blazing, ready to tear the woman apart herself.

Before Viella or the woman could do anything, a tall, shadowy figure stepped right between Lily and the screeching lady.

Lucian stood like a wall, his massive frame completely shielding Lily from view. He reached out and grabbed the woman’s raised wrist in mid-air with an iron grip, locking his deadly gaze onto her trembling face.

"Who gave you the authority..." Lucian spoke, his voice dangerously low "...to talk to her like that?"

The woman’s face instantly drained of all color the moment she recognized the young master of the estate. "M-Mr. Lucian-"

"If you finish that sentence, I will personally make sure your family’s business disappears from this continent by tomorrow morning," a freezing voice sounded from right behind Lucian.

Dante stepped forward, standing side-by-side with Lucian and Viella. His posture was commanding, his dark eyes staring down at the woman as if she were nothing more than a speck of dirt beneath his boots.

"D-Lord Dante?!" The woman trembled violently, her knees wobbling in utter terror as she looked at the three most powerful young nobles in the city, all standing united in front of a single maid.

Viella crossed her arms, her chin held high as she gave the woman a cold, mocking smirk. "You told me to teach my maid a lesson? How funny. I think the only person here who needs a lesson in manners... is you. You almost ruined my dress, you smashed crystal on the floor, and you dared to insult someone who protected me."

Lucian shoved the woman’s wrist away with sheer disgust. "Apologize to her," he growled, stepping closer until his shadow completely engulfed the trembling woman. "Now."

"A-Apologize?" the woman stuttered, looking back and forth between the lethal glares of Lucian and Dante.

"Did he stutter?" Dante added, his cold voice sending an unmistakable threat through the air. "Apologize to Lily right now, or you won’t be walking out of this building on your own two feet."

Realizing the catastrophic mistake she had made, the woman swallowed her pride, her face turning red with humiliation. She turned toward Lily, gritting her teeth so hard her jaw quivered.

"I... I am deeply sorry... for my unacceptable behavior, Miss," the woman forced out through her tightly closed teeth, bowing her head in disgrace.

Without waiting for a reply, the woman turned around, gathered her skirts, and practically sprinted down the hallway to escape the pressure, her high heels clicking frantically against the floor until she vanished around the corner.

Silence returned to the grand corridor.

Viella let out a long breath, adjusting her sleeves. "Ugh, what an unpleasant woman! Are you alright, Lily? Let’s get you cleaned up right away!"

Dante looked at Lily, his dark eyes softening back into that protective warmth. He gave her a quiet, reassuring nod before turning to walk toward the lounge to arrange a fresh set of clothes for her. Viella quickly trotted after Dante, leaving the hallway behind to let things settle.

As the commotion cleared, Lily remained standing quietly in the middle of the corridor.

She looked down at her wine-soaked clothes, the dark red liquid clinging to her fabric. Then, she looked up at the empty space where Lucian, Dante, and Viella had just stood to shield her.

Nobody had ever defended her like that before.

Yet today, three people had stepped up to shield her without a second thought. And Lucian... Lucian had looked genuinely terrified of the thought of anyone hurting her.

Thump.

A sudden, strange flutter hit her chest.

Thump-thump.

Lily slowly brought her trembling hand up, pressing her palm against the left side of her chest. Her heart was beating fast, sending a strange, unfamiliar warmth spreading straight to her fingertips.

Her mind reeled in absolute confusion. What was this strange, tightening sensation inside her? Was it fear? No... it felt soft. It felt like... warmth.

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TO BE CONTINUED