Chapter 19: Side Character x Mafia Boss (19)

Ding!

[ New Emergency Mission Triggered! ]

Mission: Prevent the Female Lead from being thrown into the cold dungeon.

Reward: Male Lead’s possessive jealousy toward side characters will increase, accelerating the plot timeline.

Lyra stared blankly at the bright blue screen hovering right in front of her face.

"..."

She slowly turned her head to glare at the invisible System. "...You really want me to die today, don’t you?"

The System’s voice echoed awkwardly inside her mind, sounding remarkably like a guilty customer support agent:

[ Host, please trust the core narrative process. ]

"I trust nothing!" Lyra hissed frantically under her breath. "I value my life above all things!"

Taking a deep, trembling breath, Lyra’s eyes darted frantically around the grand marble hall. The guards’ full attention was currently fixed on restraining the struggling Female Lead.

Right next to her, one of the elite guards had a black pistol loosely tucked into his side holster.

It’s now or never!

Without letting herself think through the absurdity of her actions for even a fraction of a second, Lyra darted forward.

"Hey-!"

With a frantic tug, she yanked the metal pistol straight out of the startled guard’s belt. "What the?!" The giant guard froze, his eyes widening in complete shock. "No, wait!"

Lyra sprinted past him, her heart beating up in her throat as she rushed toward Elena. She raised the gun with both trembling hands, shutting one eye tightly as she pointed the barrel directly at Alastair’s chest.

"D-Don’t move!" she shrieked, her voice cracking under the intense pressure. "Nobody move!"

The entire grand hall fell instantly into silence. Every single armed guard in the foyer instinctively reached under their jackets, their hands gripping the handles of their weapons as they prepared to open fire.

Alastair merely lifted one long-fingered hand into the air, his movement smooth and unhurried.

"Stand down," he commanded.

The guards immediately froze, pulling their hands back and standing at rigid attention, though their deadly eyes remained locked on Lyra.

Alastair’s icy grey gaze rested calmly on Lyra’s trembling figure. There wasn’t a single trace of anger or panic in his sharp eyes. Only intense, dark curiosity.

Elena, currently trapped in the guard’s grip, stared at Lyra in absolute horror. "Lyra! What on earth are you doing?!"

"I’m getting us out of here!" Lyra shouted back, her arms shaking so violently she could barely hold the steel up. To Lyra’s utter disbelief, Elena suddenly thrashed against the guard, trying desperately to step in front of her.

"No!" Elena cried out selflessly. "If anyone gets hurt today, let it be me! Don’t point a gun at him, Lyra!"

Lyra almost burst into actual tears right then and there. Female Lead! This is literally not the time to be noble and main-character-coded! I am trying to save YOUR life!

Alastair watched the two women silently, his eyes evaluating every detail. One girl was clearly frightened out of her mind... yet she was standing there, arms shaking, trying to protect the other.

His dark gaze slowly shifted back to Lyra.

Those trembling, dark eyes of hers... still stubbornly refused to back down or lower the weapon.

Interesting.

The corner of his lips lifted into a slight, dangerous smirk.

"...Do you even know how to use that?"

His deep, husky voice echoed smoothly through the tense room, vibrating in Lyra’s chest.

Lyra’s fingers trembled even harder against the cold trigger guard. "I... Of course I do!" She swallowed hard, her mouth completely dry. "...Probably."

She instantly regretted adding those last two words out loud.

Alastair took one slow step forward, his long black coat swaying behind him.

"L-Let us go..." Lyra squeaked out, taking a tiny half-step back. "...Or else..."

He kept walking, utterly unbothered by the deadly barrel pointed at his heart.

"...Or else what?" he asked, his voice soft yet terrifyingly. "You’ll shoot me?"

He stopped only a tiny distance away, his massive frame covering hers.

"...Do it," he murmured softly. Behind them, the high-ranking guards grew increasingly restless, their knuckles turning white. "Boss-"

Alastair raised his hand again without looking back. "No one moves a muscle."

His dark eyes never left Lyra’s pale face.

Step.

Another slow step forward.

The cold metal muzzle of the pistol pressed lightly against the fine fabric of his suit jacket, right over his beating heart.

Lyra’s breathing became completely ragged.

System... SYSTEM! she screamed hysterically in her own head.

[ Host, please remain calm! ]

HOW ON EARTH AM I SUPPOSED TO STAY CALM RIGHT NOW?! HE IS TOUCHING THE GUN WITH HIS CHEST!

Alastair slowly reached out his gloved hand. Instead of grabbing the gun or wrenching her arm back like a trained Mafia Boss should... he gently closed his fingers around her delicate, trembling wrist. His grip was warm and firm- not enough to hurt her, but strong enough that she couldn’t pull away even if she tried.

With a smooth controlled motion, he guided her hand upward, angling the pistol higher and higher until the steel barrel rested directly against the middle of his own forehead.

"Now."

His voice remained frighteningly calm, his icy eyes searching hers from inches away.

"If you’re truly willing..."

"...pull the trigger."

Lyra’s dark eyes widened her jaw dropping. "W-What?!"

"I..." Her voice hitched in her throat, complete panic seizing her mind. "I can’t!"

Behind them, Elena struggled desperately against the guards holding her back. "Leave her alone! Don’t touch her! Lyra!"

The guards ruthlessly restrained her before she could break free and reach them.

In her sheer panic, Lyra desperately tried to yank her trapped hand backward to break his grip.

Instead of escaping, her bare feet slipped against the marble floor. She completely lost her balance.

"Ah-!"

She stumbled forward, her shoulder bumping right into the broad, solid wall of Alastair’s chest.

For a brief moment in time, Alastair smoothly steadied her, wrapping one long arm around her small waist to prevent her from crashing onto the hard floor. She immediately froze, pinned flush against his tall frame. Her mind went completely, utterly blank.

Too close...

She was so ridiculously close she could clearly hear the steady thud of his heartbeat beneath his shirt. She could feel the intense, radiating warmth of his body burning straight through his coat, smelling the rich scent of dark cedarwood on his skin.

Her thoughts spiraled into a chaotic, tangled mess.

System... help... save me...

Inside her head, the System’s robotic voice sounded just as utterly panicked as she felt:

[ Host... ]

[ This exact spatial interaction... was definitely NOT in the original web novel script! ]

Lyra screamed at maximum volume inside her head.

NOTHING HAS BEEN IN THE ORIGINAL PLOT SINCE THE SECOND I WOKE UP HERE! HOW ON EARTH IS THIS MY FAULT?!

Seeing the sheer panic written all over her cute, expressive face...The corner of Alastair’s lips lifted ever so slightly into a faint smirk.

"...Fine," he murmured, his deep voice carrying a warmth that vibrated straight through her chest.

"I’ll spare her."

Lyra’s dark eyes instantly lit up like two bright stars, all her terror momentarily forgotten. "Really?! You won’t throw her into the freezing cold torture dungeon?!"

"No, But..."

Alastair’s piercing grey gaze remained tightly fixed on her small face, his thumb lightly stroking the side of her waist through her clothes.

"...Only if you behave yourself."

Without thinking twice, without even taking a single second to process the trap she was walking into, Lyra nodded her head fast.

"Yes! Absolutely! I will behave so well! I will be the most obedient hostage in human history!" she promised frantically, clutching at his lapels. "Just... please spare both of us!"

For some reason...

Watching her desperately agree to his terms with such frantic, innocent enthusiasm brought an unfamiliar, intoxicating wave of satisfaction rushing through Alastair’s veins.

The frightened, chaotic little mouse had finally stopped showing her claws and trying to run away.

She looked...

Unexpectedly, adorably obedient right now.

His dark eyes lingered on her soft lips for a long moment longer, his chest rising and falling against hers.

Ding!

[ Alastair Voss - Obsession Level: 65% ]

Inside her head, the System practically blew a party horn in excitement.

[ Congratulations, Host! ]

[ The Male Lead’s obsession level has increased successfully! ]

[ Emergency Mission Complete! Reward Applied! ]

Lyra almost cried tears of pure relief right then and there.

Thank goodness... my life is saved for another ten minutes... Now can somebody please get me out of this terrifying crime lord’s clutches?!

It was only then, as the adrenaline began to fade, that Lyra finally came back to her senses and realized the actual physical reality of her situation.

She was still standing far too close to Alastair.

In fact, she was pressed flush against his broad chest, and one of his massive hands was still wrapped firmly around her waist, pinning her to his side.

Every single elite guard remaining in the grand foyer had lowered their heads as low as humanly possible, staring intensely at their own shoes and pretending to be blind, deaf, and nonexistent.

The silence filling the grand hall became painfully awkward.

Lyra carefully tried to take a tiny step backward.

Nothing happened. His arm didn’t budge an inch.

She discreetly wiggled her hips, trying to slide out of his grip.

Instead of releasing her, his long fingers simply tightened their hold around her waist, pulling her a fraction of an inch closer.

"..."

Excuse me?! Lyra screamed internally. The danger is over! Release the hostage!

She slowly looked up at him.

Alastair wasn’t even looking down at her anymore. His attention had already shifted back toward the lower hallway where the guards were holding the Female Lead.

His handsome expression had instantly returned to its usual, terrifying coldness.

He spoke without a single trace of emotion,

"Take her to the maid quarters and settle her in one of those miad’s room. Lock the doors. She is not permitted to leave under any circumstances."

Then, he looked toward another man standing by the entrance.

"Spread the word immediately," Alastair commanded, his tone calm and calculating. "Tell the entire underworld syndicate that Victor Hart’s precious daughter has officially disappeared..."

"...and that she is currently under my power"

A faint smile crossed his sharp features

"Soon enough..."

"...her father will come crawling straight to my doorstep."

"...begging on his knees."

"Yes, Boss! Right away!" The man bowed deeply and hurried out the front doors.