Chapter 24: Side Character x Mafia Boss (24)

Alastair stared down at Elena for a long time, his cold grey eyes drinking in the horror written all over her face. Satisfied with the absolute terror he had instilled in her, he didn’t offer another word.

He simply turned his back on her and walked out of the room.

Clack.

The heavy double doors shut firmly behind him, followed by the chilling click of the electronic lock engaging from the outside.

The heavy silence returned to the luxurious guest room.

Elena stood frozen in the middle of the room for several seconds before her strength completely gave out. Her trembling hands loosened their grip, and the heavy vase slipped from her fingers, thudding softly onto the thickrug. She collapsed onto her knees beside it, her heart beating fast.

No... no, no, no...

Her hands flew to her head, clutching her hair as panic threatened to completely overtake her mind.

What did he mean ’what if I already did’?! What has he done to Lyra?!

The possessive gleam in Alastair’s eyes burned bright behind her eyelids. It wasn’t just the cold cruelty of a Mafia boss dealing with a prisoner. It was the terrifying, dark obsession of a predator who had found something he considered his absolute untouchable property.

And Lyra... harmless, sweet, chaotic Lyra, who had only stepped in front of a gun to protect her... was now completely locked in the lion’s den.

This is all my fault, Elena thought bitterly, tears of frustration pricking the corners of her eyes. If I hadn’t gotten caught by his men in the first place... if Lyra hadn’t tried to pull off that reckless stunt to save me from the guards... she wouldn’t be trapped beside that monster right now.

Elena took a deep, shaky breath, forcing herself to push down the rising wave of hysteria. She wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve and slowly stood up on wobbling legs.

Crying wouldn’t save them. Panic wouldn’t open these locked doors.

She turned her gaze toward the grand glass doors leading out to the room’s balcony. Creeping silently over to them, she pulled back the curtains and looked out into the night.

Her heart sank even lower.

The guest room was situated on the third floor of the sprawling estate. Down below, the vast courtyard was lit with the harsh white glow of lights. Every corner of the grounds was actively patrolled by armed men in black suits. Dobermans paced silently beside their handlers near the tall perimeter gates.

It was a fortress. Escape through the window without specialized gear was pure suicide.

Think, Elena, think! she urged herself, pacing back and forth across the soft carpet. Alastair Voss thinks I’m just a helpless pawn in his war against my biological father. He expects me to sit here and cry... which means he might drop his guard.

She stopped, her eyes narrowing as she mentally mapped out everything she had observed since being dragged into the estate.

First, the guards outside her door were disciplined, but they strictly followed a rotation schedule. Every few hours, there was a brief two-minute window during the guard shift change where the hallway was quiet.

Second, Alastair’s primary attention wasn’t even focused on her- it was entirely fixated on Lyra. That meant his lieutenants and guards would be overly focused on monitoring Lyra’s movements and securing the master wing, potentially leaving blind spots in the lower wings of the mansion.

Third, and most importantly... Lyra had access to the master suite.

Elena bit her lip nervously. If I can somehow establish contact with Lyra... if we can coordinate from the inside...

Lyra was unpredictable. She was clumsy, reckless, and somehow managed to throw the entire mansion into chaos without even trying. If anyone could create a distraction loud enough to throw the Mafia guards into confusion, it was her.

I just need to find a way to get a message to her, Elena decided, her hands clenching into determined fists. I don’t care how terrifying Alastair Voss is. I brought Lyra into this nightmare, and I am going to get both of us out of here alive- no matter what it takes.

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Meanwhile...

Utterly oblivious to the dark web of obsession and escape plans spinning around her, Lyra was drowning in the most peaceful sleep of her life.

It wasn’t until a warm, brilliant shaft of late-morning sunlight beamed directly through the balcony glass and hit her face that her dark eyelashes fluttered. She stretched her arms, letting out a long yawn as she slowly pulled herself up against the plush headboard.

She rubbed her eyes, blinking against the blinding light.

"Ah... that felt amazing," she mumbled, tilting her head toward the grand clock standing in the corner of the room.

The brass hands pointed squarely at 10:30 AM.

Lyra’s brain froze. Her eyes widened into huge saucers.

"SHIT!"

She practically threw the blankets off her body, scrambling out of bed so fast she nearly tripped over her own feet.

"It’s ten-thirty?! The schedule said morning tea and briefing at seven-thirty! HE IS GOING TO EXECUTE ME FOR NEGLIGENCE! HE’S GOING TO BURY ME ALIVE IN THE GARDEN!"

She clutched her head, screaming hysterically inside her mind.

SYSTEM! SYSTEM! WHERE ARE YOU?! WAKE UP!

Ding!

A weak, flickering blue icon materialized in the air, pulsing erratically.

[ Yes, Host...? ]

"WHY ON EARTH DIDN’T YOU WAKE ME UP?!" Lyra shrieked internally, frantically pacing around the room. "I slept through the Male Lead’s entire morning routine! My personal maid duties are a complete disaster!"

[ I... I just came back online a few seconds ago, Host, ] the System explained, its robotic voice sounding strangely fatigued and full of digital static.

Lyra stopped dead in her tracks, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at the floating screen. "You just came online?! You left me completely unattended all night! Where on earth were you?!"

[ I experienced severe server connection issues around midnight, Host, ] the System reported, pulling up a long log of error codes. [ Multiple narrative bugs were affecting my core processing memory, so I was forced to undergo an emergency offline system repair. I have no data on what occurred while I was rebooting. ]

Lyra groaned, rubbing her temples. "Great. Phenomenal customer service. The one time I need an alarm clock, my futuristic AI goes into maintenance mode."

She rushed over to the luxury bathroom to splash cold water on her face. As she leaned over the marble sink, a faint, lingering soreness caught her attention. She raised her head and peered closely into the illuminated mirror.

"Huh...?"

She leaned in closer, touching her lower lip with her fingertip.

Her skin looked entirely normal- her hair was just a bit messy, and she was wearing the soft silk nightgown but her lips looked noticeably fuller, strangely flushed, and a deep, dusty rose color.

"Weird..." she muttered, lightly biting her bottom lip. "Did I have an allergic reaction to that gourmet dinner last night? Or did I bite my own face while sleeping...?"

Before she could process the thought any further-

Knock. Knock.

A firm knock echoed from her bedroom door.

Lyra quickly scampered back out of the bathroom, smoothing down her silk gown as best as she could. She pulled the heavy door open a few inches, peeking out nervously.

One of the senior head maids stood in the hallway, holding a crisp, freshly pressed set of clothes over her arm. Her expression was perfectly neutral, though her eyes flicked momentarily to Lyra’s flushed lips.

"Good morning, Miss," the maid said, bowing respectfully.

"Is... is the Boss furious?" Lyra squeaked out, her voice pitching high. "Am I fired? Is the execution squad waiting downstairs?!"

The maid offered a faint, polite smile.

"Not at all, Miss. Boss explicitly ordered us not to disturb your rest this morning. However, he has just returned to his private dining hall from his morning workout..."

The maid held out the folded clothes.

"...and he has requested that you personally serve him his late breakfast immediately."

Lyra swallowed hard, taking the clothes with trembling hands.

"O-Okay..." she stammered out, forcing an awkward smile. "Tell him... tell him the coffee is on its way!"

As the door clicked shut again, Lyra clutched the fabric to her chest, her heart pounding

He ordered them NOT to disturb me...?

She exchanged a panicked glance with the System.

"System..." she whimpered softly. "...why do I feel like walking into that dining hall is going to be ten times more dangerous than facing a firing squad?"

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The moment Lyra nervously stepped into the grand private dining hall, the suffocating atmosphere in the room instantly shifted. Everyone- from the standing guards to the maids lined up along the marble walls looked up at her entrance.

At the center of the lavishly decorated table sat Elena, looking surprisingly pristine yet visibly tense. She was seated directly across from Alastair.

Before Lyra could even open her mouth to apologize for sleeping late, Alastair cast a cold warning glance toward Elena. The threat in his icy grey eyes made Elena clench her hands into tight, white-knuckled fists underneath the white tablecloth, forcing herself to swallow her rising anger.

Elena stared at Lyra’s sweet, oblivious face, her heart clenching with intense worry. She has absolutely no idea what kind of monster that bastard sitting in front of her really is... Elena thought fiercely, her jaw tight. Hang on, Lyra. No matter what happens, I will get us out of here.

Alastair, having dismissed the annoying girl across from him with a single look, turned his head toward the doorway. The moment his gaze landed on Lyra, a dark, mesmerized glint flickered deep within his grey eyes.

She looked breathtakingly beautiful in the custom cream dress he had handpicked for her. Every single outfit delivered to her room had been personally selected by him after scrutinizing the tailor’s catalogs. The soft, elegant fabric hugged her curves flawlessly, neatly highlighting her impossibly slender waist- the very waist he had held firmly in his hands the night before. His dark gaze slowly drifted upward, lingering heavily on her plum, rosy lips.

The vivid memory of pressing his lips against hers in the midnight silence flashed through his mind, and for the first time in his life, a subtle flush crept up the back of his neck, his face burning slightly red as he forced himself to look away.

Elena, who was watching him like a hawk, instantly caught the faint blush on his face and cursed savagely in her head. That sick bastard is definitely thinking about something completely unhinged right now!