REBORN My Second Life I Became The Villianess (Nyxara) novel Chapter 28

She was pissed out of her mind, but she couldn't throw a fit in front of the Valteris, so she just had to sit there and choke on it.

Over by the couch, Vincenzo and Elena started asking my dad about me, my life, what I'm up to. Back then, my dad would've brushed me off to brag about Nysa. But now? He sat up tall and actually sounded proud as hell talking about me, flashing a real smile. I guess I could spare my father, I could take him off my list with peace of mind.

Dario set his glass down, muttered something to his parents, and slipped out of the room.

Meanwhile, nobody was saying a word to Nysa. She was invisible, sitting next to a guy who wouldn't even look at her, while I was holding the room's attention without even trying.

Around noon we all headed into the dining room for lunch, and by what definitely wasn't an accident, the seating arrangement landed me right on Dario’s right side, with Nysa stuck on his left.

I spotted an empty seat a little further down and started to shift, thinking I’d rather not deal with the circus. But the second I moved, Dario’s right hand slid out from under the table and clamped hard around my thigh, pinning me in place with zero effort.

I sat down hard, shooting him a glare, while the staff started dropping plates of food in front of everyone. That’s when the mood did a complete 180, turning ice cold.

Dario’s mother leaned forward, looking right at Nysa. "There's a video floating around online. Rumors." she said, in a clam tone, but I heard the heat underneath.

Nysa instantly snapped straight up, her eyes going wide as she locked onto Elena. "That was just a mistake," she blurted out, her voice pitching up a fraction. "I wasn't thinking clearly that day." she whispered.

Elena just gave a slow, neutral nod. Then she dropped the real news. "The date for the engagement is the end of the week. The Vexari family will stay here for the week, and we'll start planning the engagement right here at the seaside estate."

My mother and Nysa looked like they had just won the lottery. They lit up, smiling from ear to ear, practically vibrating with excitement. Nysa immediately lunged, grabbing Dario’s left hand and squeezing it. "We're getting engaged," she gushed, staring up at him like he hung the moon.

Dario just gave a cold, single nod and didn't say a single word back to her.

Elena kept talking, running down the schedule and plans for the next few days. But I couldn't focus on a single word she was saying.

Because under the table, Dario’s hand hadn't moved. In fact, his fingers were slowly, deliberately inching higher up my thigh by the second, and it was getting way too hard to pretend I wasn't losing my mind.

The clinking of silverware against fine china echoed softly around the long dining table, but the sound was drowned out by the static hum of my own racing pulse.

Above the table, Elena kept right on talking, smoothly detailing the timeline for the upcoming engagement events, florist consultations, and guest lists. Across from us, my mother and Nysa were practically glowing, trading triumphant looks as if they had already won the war. Nysa was still clinging to Dario’s left arm like a vine, flashing a smug, radiant smile that suggested she thought her future was completely settled.

She had no idea, beneath the heavy mahogany table, completely hidden from the rest of the room, absolute chaos was unfolding.

Dario’s hand hadn't stopped its slow, agonizing crawl up my thigh. His palm was warm, the friction of his thumb brushing lightly against the fabric of my jeans was sending sharp, involuntary shivers straight up my spine. Every time I tried to shift my weight or tense my muscles to push him away, his grip only tightened, anchoring me firmly to my seat with terrifying, effortless strength.

He wasn't subtle about it anymore; his fingers curved securely around my leg, inching higher and higher , testing my control with every breath I took.

I kept my face completely blank, staring fixedly at the plate of food in front of me, forcing my breathing to remain even. If I broke, if I so much as flinch or gasp, Nysa would notice, and the fragile house of cards we had all built since arriving at the estate would instantly collapse.

I had to endure it. I had to sit there and act like my mind wasn't entirely consumed by the heavy, dangerous weight of the man sitting right beside me.

"Nyxara?" Elena’s voice cut through my spiraling thoughts, pulling my attention sharply back to the surface.

Her jaw slackened, and she froze mid-breath, the smug smile completely shattering into pure, unadulterated panic. She shot a terrified glance across the table at our mother, but our mother was too busy staring down into her water glass, suddenly looking like she wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole.

At the head of the table, Vincenzo let out a low, appreciative hum, a ghost of an amused smirk touching his lips. Elena raised an eyebrow, clearly entertained by the sudden shift in power.

Even Dario let out a low, gravelly chuckle right beside me, a sound so dark and approving that it sent a fresh wave of heat straight through me. Under the table, his hand finally shifted, his thumb tracing one slow, possessive circle against my skin before sliding back down just enough to give me some breathing room, though he still refused to let go entirely.

Nysa was shaking with fury, completely cornered and utterly humiliated in front of the most powerful family in the country, while I sat right beside her, entirely unbothered, holding the entire room in the palm of my hand.

After lunch wrapped up, the staff led us up to get settled into our rooms. The layout of the third floor was designated for the younger crowd, putting my room right down the hallway from Bianca and Ella. Down on the second floor was where Dario, his parents, my parents, and Nysa were all crashing.

The room was massive, clean, and actually pretty comfortable. I told everyone I was going to take a nap, I shut the door, and got straight to work unpacking. Knowing Nysa’s desperate, unhinged mindset, trusting this house for even a second would be a rookie mistake.

I quickly planted a couple of tiny micro-cameras around the room, just in case she tried to pull something sneaky while I was asleep.

Once I was done, I kicked off my shoes, collapsed onto the bed, and pulled up some documents on my phone to look over.

Then I heard it. A faint, low creaking sound, like a door slowly swinging open.

My head snapped toward the room door, but the door was locked tight. I knew I clicked the deadbolt. But the noise kept going.