Chapter 29: Side Character x Mafia Boss (29)

Behind him, a crowd of breathless office staff and security guards came skidding around the corner.

"Sir! The lower parking garage is clear, but Miss isn’t there either..." the chief security officer panted, trailing off abruptly as his eyes landed on the scene in front of him. "I think we lost..."

The guard stopped dead in his tracks, his jaw dropping as he saw who his deadly boss was currently clinging to like a lifeline.

Alastair didn’t say a single word to his trembling men. The overwhelming fear of losing her had temporarily shattered his cold mind.

Before Lyra could even blink, he reached down, slipped his arms under her knees and back, and smoothly scooped her up off the floor into a firm bridal carry.

Without giving the surrounding staff a second glance, he turned around and walked straight out toward the private executive elevators, holding her tightly against his warm chest.

The moment their scary boss walked away carrying the cute girl, the suffocating pressure hanging over the entire floor instantly vanished. Every single employee let out a massive sigh of relief as the normal office atmosphere finally returned.

"Ah... this..." Lyra mumbled awkwardly, her face flushing pink as she rested her hands against his broad shoulders while he carried her through the wide corridors.

Inside her mind, the System gasped loudly as it watched the floating translucent screen update its metrics.

Ding!

[ Darkened Value: 80% ]

[ Host! The value finally turned down a bit! It dropped back to 80%! ] the System exclaimed in complete shock. [ That means... ]

Before the System could even finish its sentence, Lyra cut in mentally, her voice sounding small, quiet, and completely terrified.

It means... his obsession is no longer focused on the Female Lead at all, Lyra thought bitterly. It’s focused entirely on ME.

Even though her small body was currently wrapped in his warm, protective embrace, a cold shiver ran straight down her spine. The dark, possessive look in Alastair’s eyes as he stared down at her face was far too intense for a mare background character.

We are completely doomed, both Lyra and the System whimpered in silent, synchronized horror inside her mind.

----------------------

The ride back to the mansion was suffocatingly quiet.

Alastair didn’t put Lyra down until they reached the privacy of the Maybach’s back seat. Even then, his large hand remained firmly wrapped around her wrist, his thumb rhythmically rubbing the soft skin over her pulse as if continuously proving to himself that she was real and still there.

He didn’t open his laptop. He didn’t check his reports. He simply stared at her.

His dark grey eyes traced every single detail of her face- her nervous, fluttering eyelashes, the tiny twitch of her nose, and the pink hue on her soft cheeks.

Deep inside his chest, an unhinged obsession was taking root, growing bigger and darker by the second.

When he had walked into that empty lounge and seen only a half-eaten pastry on the table, his world had genuinely turned to dust. The mere thought of her running away, of her smiling at another man, or of someone taking her out of his reach made him want to burn the entire city to the ground.

He didn’t care about the Hart family’s docks. He didn’t care about his long-planned revenge against Victor Hart.

All he cared about was keeping this fragile, chaotic little mouse locked inside his arms forever.

She thinks she can hide from me? Alastair thought, his grip on her wrist tightening just a fraction, making Lyra wince slightly.

I will build a cage made of pure gold just for her. She will never leave my sight again.

Lyra, sitting awkwardly beside him, tried to pull her wrist back just a tiny millimeter. Instantly, Alastair’s eyes darkened, and he pulled her even closer until her shoulder was pressed right against his chest.

"Don’t move," he growled softly, his voice raspy, low, and laced with absolute, possessive authority. "Stay right here."

Lyra quickly stopped moving, her body going stiff as a wooden board.

System... she cried out internally, her soul practically floating away from her body. He is officially crazy! The Male Lead has completely lost his mind! Why is he looking at me like he wants to swallow me whole?!

[ Host, I am currently running three different diagnostic checks, and all of them are returning the exact same horrifying result! ] the System whimpered, its digital voice shaking with panic.

[ His romance metrics have completely transferred over to you! The Female Lead doesn’t even exist in his brain right now! ]

What about my mission to survive and escape?! Lyra wailed in her mind. If I’m stuck as the main target of a dark romance Male Lead, I’m going to get locked in a basement by Chapter 30!

When the motorcade finally pulled up to the grand estate, the sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the courtyard.

Alastair didn’t even let Lyra walk up the marble stairs. The moment the car door opened, he lifted her back up into his arms, carrying her straight past the bowing servants and up the grand staircase.

Elena was standing near the second-floor railing, her arms crossed, waiting to see if Lyra had managed to get any helpful information from the city.

The moment Elena saw Alastair carrying Lyra up the stairs like a prized treasure, her jaw dropped in absolute shock.

"What are you doing to her?!" Elena demanded, stepping forward, her eyes flashing with anger. "Put her down!"

Alastair didn’t even slow his pace. As he passed Elena, he gave her a glare so icy, so filled with pure, murderous hatred, that Elena involuntarily took a step back, her breath catching in her throat.

"Stay out of my way," Alastair warned, his voice dangerously low. "Or I will end your father’s business tonight."

He carried Lyra straight down the master hallway, pushing open the double doors of his own grand suite- not her servant quarters, but his private bedroom.

He set her down gently on the massive, plush king-sized bed, standing over her like a tall, threatening shadow.

Lyra scrambled back against the plush pillows, clutching her small handbag to her chest. "U-Um... Boss? Why am I in your room? My maid room is down the hall..." Lyra tried to play dumb.

Alastair slowly unbuttoned his suit, tossing it casually onto a chair. He leaned over the bed, placing one hand on either side of her body, trapping her completely between his broad arms.

His sharp face was only a few inches away from hers. The heavy scent of expensive cologne and faint tobacco wrapped around her senses making her feel dizzy.

"You don’t sleep in the maid quarters anymore," Alastair murmured, his dark grey eyes locking onto her wide, terrified dark ones. "From now on, you stay in this room. With me."

"Eh?!" Lyra squeaked, her eyes popping out of her head. "But- but what about my maid duties?! Who’s going to clean the tea set?!"

A tiny, dark smirk touched the corner of Alastair’s lips. He reached out, his long fingers gently tucking a loose strand of dark hair behind her ear, his thumb brushing against her soft cheek.

"You are no longer a maid," he whispered, his raspy voice sending a shiver down her spine. "You are mine. You will eat with me, stay with me, and sleep right here. You will be Mrs Voss"

DING!

[ Character Status Update ]

Alastair Voss - Obsession Level: 88%

Darkened Value: 82%

Target of Obsession: Lyra (Host)

Lyra stared at the translucent blue screen floating right behind Alastair’s head, her brain completely short-circuiting.

System... she squeaked internally. Did the blue screen just confirm that I am his official target of obsession now?!

[ YES, HOST! ] the System cried out in absolute despair. [ THE MAIN PLOT IS COMPLETELY BROKEN! THE MALE LEAD HAS OFFICIALLY REWRITTEN THE NOVEL HIMSELF! ]

Lyra swallowed hard, looking up at Alastair’s dark, possessive gaze.

She knew that if she rejected him outright right now while his darkened value was at an all-time high of 82%, he might completely lose control and lock the doors permanently. She needed to play along, calm him down, and figure out a new plan with the System later.

Offering him a tiny, trembling, super-awkward smile, Lyra patted his chest lightly with two fingers.

"O-Okay, Boss Voss... whatever you say! But... can I at least have some dinner first? Playing hide-and-seek in your skyscraper really made me hungry..."

Alastair froze for a second, staring at her soft, innocent face. The dark, violent tension in his chest instantly melted away, replaced by a sudden, fond warmth.

He let out a quiet, raspy laugh, leaning down to press a soft, quick kiss onto her forehead.

"Fine," Alastair murmured smoothly, standing up and straightening his shirt. "I will have the chef bring the food upstairs. Don’t even think about stepping outside this door."

As he turned and walked toward the door to give the orders, Lyra collapsed backward onto the soft mattress, covering her bright red face with a pillow.

"I am so dead," she groaned into the fabric. "I came here to be a background wingwoman, and now I’m the main character of a mafia boss’s dangerous obsession!"

[ On the bright side, Host... ] the System offered timidly, floating above the bed. [ ...the dinner menu in this bedroom is probably going to be top-tier! ]

"SHUT UP, SYSTEM!" Lyra yelled into her pillow.