REBORN My Second Life I Became The Villianess (Nyxara) novel Chapter 10

Chapter 10 

“How old are you?” he asked, his tone shifting into something more direct. 

“Eighteen,” I replied, short and cold. 

He nodded, clearly satisfied. “Why were you away for so long?” he asked. 

“Because I wanted to be.” 

My curtness clearly hit the mark. He looked like a man who spent his life surrounded by women who clung to his arm and fawned over his wealth; he was clearly relieved to find someone who treated him like a peer, or better yet, a target. 

He moved then, closing the distance between us until I had no choice but to step back. My back hit the cold iron of the railing. He was significantly taller, looming over me, forcing me to tilt my head back to keep my eyes locked on his. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” I asked, my voice steady, challenging him to try. 

He stopped inches from me, his gaze dropping to my lips before snapping back up to my eyes. 

“I’m looking at something I’m finally interested in,” he said, his voice dropping to a low, intimate rasp. 

He leaned in closer, his warmth radiating against my skin. He tilted his head, his lips hovering just a hair’s breadth from my ear, his breath hot against the shell of it. 

“The marriage to the Vexari estate doesn’t have to be Nysa,” he whispered, his words a jagged promise. “It could be you, too.” 

Before I could process the weight of it, he pulled back, gave me one final, searing look, and turned on his heel. He walked away, leaving me alone on the balcony with the rustling trees and the echo of his voice still ringing in the night air. 

I took another sip of my champagne, my heart beating a bit too fast, my mind already calculating the variables. The predator had just invited me into his den. 

I stepped back inside from the balcony, smoothing down the front of gown and slipping the meek little sister mask right back on like a second skin. 

The cool night air had cleared my head, but Dario’s words were still bouncing around in the back of my mind. It could be you, too, I filed it away under Useful Complications and walked back into the hum of the ballroom. 

The atmosphere in the room had completely shifted since I first walked in. People weren’t looking at me like I was a ghost anymore; they were watching me like I was a dark horse they hadn’t bet on. 

Across the room, I spotted Nysa. She was just standing there but her eyes were locked on me, blazing with pure, toxic fury. She wasn’t terrified; she was already spinning her wheels, calculating, and plotting how to get me out of the picture permanently, good. Let her try, desperation makes people sloppy. 

My father caught my eye and actually gave me an approving nod, gesturing for me to join a group of older business associates he was schmoozing with. I spent the next hour playing my part to absolute perfection soft-spoken, incredibly smart when spoken to, and just humble enough to make these old-money dinosaurs feel superior while secretly eating out of my hand. 

I watched my father puff his chest out, actually looking proud of me. It was bizarre, a strange little knot of misplaced warmth that I instantly crushed. In my past life, I would have killed for that look. Now? It was just another piece on the board. 

When the gala finally wrapped up, the Vexari family piled back into the fleet of cars to head home. 

The second the front door opened, Nysa lost it. She didn’t say a word, just stormed off toward the stairs her heels clicking a furious rhythm against the marble. Our mother took one look at Nysa’s face, panicked, and scrambled after her, calling her name and trying to do damage control. 

I turned to head upstairs too, but a voice stopped me. 

“Morning,” I murmured softly, keeping my eyes fixed on my plate as a butler quietly poured me a cup of black coffee. 

Nysa’s sweet facade cracked for just a split second, a flash of pure venom crossing her features before she smoothly transitioned back into her loving sister routine. She batted her lashes, casting a sideways glance at Dario to make sure he was watching her, and turned her sugary-poison smile right at me. 

“Look who finally decided to join the land of the living,” Nysa trilled, her voice dripping with condescension. “Did you raid the closet to play dress-up today, Nyxara? Are we pretending you have somewhere important to be, or are you just heading down to the library to read your little books again?” 

She gave a light, tinkling laugh, expecting our parents to join in and expecting Dario to look away in sheer boredom. 

I didn’t blink. I took a slow, measured sip of my coffee, letting the silence stretch just long enough to make everyone uncomfortable, before looking up with wide, innocent eyes. 

“I’m actually going to work, Nysa,” I replied, my voice gentle, almost hesitant. 

Across the table, my father paused, a piece of toast halfway to his mouth. 

He blinked, clearly thrown off. In his mind, I didn’t even know what a real job looked like, let alone have one. He lowered his fork, looking at me with sudden, sharp curiosity. 

“Work?” my father echoed, his brow furrowing. “What kind of work, Nyxara? Nobody said anything about an internship.” 

“It’s not an internship, Father,” I said, keeping my tone perfectly submissive, letting the lie slip out like second nature. “I’m a consultant and analyst for CipherCore.” 

The second the name left my lips, the entire room seemed to drop ten degrees.