REBORN My Second Life I Became The Villianess (Nyxara) novel Chapter 44

I forced every ounce of my acting skills to the surface. I kept my face smooth, dropped my eyes slightly , and gave Elena a soft, obedient nod.

"Okay," I whispered, sounding like a sweet little angel who didn't have a malicious bone in her body.

Elena’s smile turned radiant. "Good. And of course, once it's official, you'll pack your things and live with us." she said.

"Okay," I echoed again, playing emanating the part of the compliant pawn they thought they were scooping off the board.

Elena finally patted my hand, gave Dario a sharp look of motherly approval, and turned on her heel, leaving us alone in the sun-drenched silence of the patio.

I didn't say a single word to Dario. I didn't even look his way. I stood up on stiff legs, turned around, and walked right off the patio, heading straight back into the house. I needed to get to my room, lock the door, and process the fact that I had just accidentally agreed to marry the most dangerous man in the city because his mother pitched a fake sibling dynamic.

I marched down the hallway, pushed open my bedroom door, and stepped inside. I let the door swing shut behind me, reaching for the latch to lock it and froze dead in my tracks.

Dario was already in here. How the fuck.

He was stretched out lazily right across the center of my bed, completely at home like he owned the place, which he probably did. One arm was behind his head, and his dark, consuming eyes were locked straight onto me the second I crossed the threshold.

The door clicked shut with a solid thud, sealing us in absolute privacy. And the second that latch clicked, every single trace of the meek, soft, obedient girl completely vanished from my face.

The innocent act melted away into thin air. My shoulders dropped, my chin came up, and I crossed my arms tightly over my chest, glaring right back at him with eyes narrowed into twin points of pure violet fire.

"A brother?" he said, his voice a low, gravelly rumble that vibrated through the quiet bedroom as a slow, wicked grin spread across his face.

"Shut up," I snapped, the faux-sweetness entirely gone, replaced by a sharp, lethal edge. I dropped my arms and marched a few steps closer to the bed, glaring down at the way he was taking up nearly my entire mattress.

"Your mother actually expects me to believe that? A brother? Does she think I'm completely brain-dead? What kind of twisted soap opera pitch was that? Is this what you were up to. Is this why you threatened me that night at the gala. Did you lan this"

He didn't even blink. He just shifted his weight lazily, propping himself up on one elbow as he watched me with intense, hungry focus. A dark amusement danced in his eyes.

"My mother sees what she wants to see, kitten," he replied smoothly, his voice dropping an octave. "She wants a controlled environment, she wants a clean win after the Nysa disaster and she approves of you"

I let out a harsh, disbelieving breath, shaking my head as I paced a circle on the floorboards before turning right back to face him. "And you just sat there. You didn't correct her. You let her stand there and pitch an incestuous sibling-zone theory like it was a viable game plan."

"Why would I correct her?" he asked, tilting his head slightly, his dark gaze dropping down to trace the high neckline of my shirt where my hickeys were hidden.

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