Villainess.exe-Chapter 69: A Perfect Kidnapping

[Evelina’s POV — Outside the Vinter Mansion—Continuation]

Cassian’s smile didn’t break; it sharpened. A slow, deliberate curve—like a blade finding its edge.

"Disgust," he repeated softly. "That’s better than fear. Fear makes people boring."

I didn’t blink.

"Why are you here?" I asked coldly. "Tell me the reason before I kick you out of this place."

His eyes gleamed with amusement. "Oh... as the father of an adorable child, I came to meet my dearest daughter."

Alina flinched.

She instantly hid behind Rowan, small fingers clutching the fabric of his coat like a lifeline. Rowan didn’t move—but the air around him shifted, heavy with quiet intent.

I scoffed.

"Dearest daughter?" I echoed, my voice flat. "Hearing that from your mouth pisses me off more than anything else today."

Cassian tilted his head, studying me as if I were an interesting puzzle. I stepped forward—just one step—but it was enough.

My gaze locked onto his, cold and lethal. "Get out, before your dearest daughter stabs you with a mere fork."

Behind me, Alina’s grip tightened. Cassian noticed and he laughed.

Not loud.

Not manic.

A pleased, low chuckle.

He didn’t flinch. Didn’t react. Didn’t even glance at Rowan’s weapon. Instead, he looked at me.

"I like you, Evelina," he said calmly. "You’re sharp. Unafraid. You don’t tremble the way people should."

His gaze dragged over me, slow and invasive. "You’d look much better beside me than with that idiot Theo."

The air snapped.

"So," Cassian continued, voice silk wrapped around poison, "why don’t you stand where you belong—"

I cut him off instantly.

"Should I chop off your fingers," I asked mildly, "or sew those lips of yours shut?"

Silence.

Even his men stiffened. I smiled—small, dangerous, and unapologetic. "You can choose, but choose fast. I don’t waste time on jerks."

For the first time, something flickered behind Cassian’s eyes. A predator recognizing another blade in the dark and I knew it then—this wasn’t a warning visit.

This was a claim he intended to enforce.

And over my dead body would he ever touch that child... or think he had any right to stand beside me.

And in that instant, I understood. This hadn’t been a warning visit.

Cassian let out a quiet breath, then—slowly—he stepped back. One step. Then another. His men shifted with him, guns lowering just a fraction, like beasts leashed at the last second.

"I’m not giving up," he said calmly, almost pleasantly. "I want you beside me, Evelina."

His gaze burned into mine, possessive and deranged. "And I will do whatever it takes to make that happen."

The words weren’t a threat.

They were a vow.

He turned, already walking away, coat swaying with lazy confidence. At the gate, he paused—just long enough to glance over his shoulder.

"See you soon," he added softly. "...Evelina."

Then he was gone.

The gates slid shut behind him with a heavy, final clang.

Silence crashed down.

I clenched my fist, nails biting into my palm as my pulse finally caught up with reality. "He’s definitely planning something."

Behind me, Alina’s small body trembled. Rowan shifted closer to her instinctively, his jaw tight, eyes dark with calculation.

"Yes," Rowan said quietly. "And it won’t be simple, Miss."

I stared at the closed gates, at the space Cassian Vinter had just vacated—already feeling his presence like a shadow crawling up my spine.

This wasn’t over.

It wasn’t even close.

***

[Later—Night—Vinter Mansion]

"...Yes. The CEO will be out of the station for a week," I said into the phone, voice steady despite the tension coiled under my skin. "I’ll arrange the schedule once he returns."

A pause.

"Good night."

The call ended with a soft click.

I lowered the phone—but my eyes had never left the living area.

Alina sat curled on the couch, legs tucked beneath her, cartoon light flickering across her face. She laughed at something on-screen, small and bright, unaware of how closely the world was circling her.

"Aunty," she called, twisting around to look at me. "Are you done?"

"Yes, sweetheart." I forced a smile. "Do you need anything?"

She didn’t even hesitate. "Ice cream. I want ice cream, Aunty. Let’s go out and—"

"No," I said immediately.

The word came out sharper than intended.

She blinked, startled, then pouted. "But—"

"It’s not safe outside," I added more gently, kneeling so I was at her level. "Not until your uncle returns."

Her lips trembled, disappointment warring with understanding far too mature for a child her age.

Rowan cleared his throat behind me, "If we’re careful, we can manage it, miss."

I looked up at him. "Rowan, you know we can’t trust anyone. Not the streets, not the shops—hell, not even this mansion. If we step outside and—"

"But we can’t lock a child in a cage," he interrupted quietly. "Not even for her safety until Theo Vinter returns."

The words landed.

Hard.

I looked back at Alina.

At the way her fingers twisted nervously into the hem of her sweater. At the hope she was trying—and failing—to hide.

I closed my eyes.

Just for a second.

"Alright," I said finally. "We’ll go."

Her face lit up instantly. "Really?!"

"Yes," I sighed. "But we stay close. No running. No wandering."

She was already off the couch. "YAY! I’ll wear my favorite shoes!"

Her footsteps pattered down the hall, excitement echoing behind her.

I stayed where I was. Rowan watched me carefully. "You’re tense."

"I know," I replied.

Because I knew the truth. Whether she stayed inside or stepped out, Cassian’s shadow would find her. If not tonight, then tomorrow. If not here, then somewhere else.

This wasn’t about if.

It was about when.

And if the game demanded Alina’s kidnapping to move forward—then hiding her was only delaying the inevitable.

I clenched my jaw.

This way, at least, I’d be there, Watching, Ready. I exhaled slowly as Alina’s laughter drifted back down the hall.

Whatever is going to happen... will happen.

And when it does—This game ends, because I have a longing with this world to hesitate and stay here. The system will find a way to kidnap Alina, so protecting her is useless, so...let’s deal with this fucking last route of the game.

***

[Later—Ice Cream Parlour]

"Wow... this is so good," Alina said happily, licking her ice cream with unguarded delight, eyes sparkling beneath the neon lights.

I smiled for her but my body stayed tense.

Too tense.

My gaze drifted—not casually, never casually. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

The garbage cleaner sweeping the same patch of road again and again. An old woman selling flowers at this hour, her basket untouched. A man stretching beside the parlor, pretending to do yoga while never once closing his eyes.

I exhaled slowly through my nose.

What a funny setup, System. Too perfect. Too staged. They weren’t civilians. They were Cassian’s men—wearing the city like a disguise.

"I should be prepared," I murmured.

Rowan glanced at me. "Prepared for what, miss?"

I didn’t look at him when I asked, "You got a knife?"

He blinked once, then calmly pulled a pen from inside his coat—sleek, weighted, and wrong in the way only weapons felt. He placed it in my palm.

"Why do you need a knife, miss," he said quietly, "when you already have a gun with a full magazine?"

I closed my fingers around the pen.

"You don’t understand, Rowan," I replied softly. "Tonight... we should be prepared for everything."

He didn’t argue; he just nodded.

I turned back to Alina. "Are you done, sweetheart?"

She nodded eagerly. "Yes, Aunty!"

I lifted her into my arms, feeling how light she was. Too light for how heavy her life had already become.

"Then let’s go."

As we walked toward the car, Rowan slowed his steps. "I’ll pay the bill and catch up."

I nodded once and slid into the backseat with Alina nestled against me. The door shut. The moment it did, my stomach dropped.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

The air felt... thick.

"What kind of perfume is this?" I asked, eyes snapping to the driver.

No response.

Alina shifted in my arms, her eyes closing slowly. "Aunty... My head is spinning."

My heart slammed hard against my ribs.

"Huh—?"

CLICK. CLACK.

The doors are locked. I jerked forward just as the driver glanced at me through the mirror—smiling. "Have a good sleep, miss."

My eyes widened.

Before I could draw my weapon—before I could even scream—he pulled a mask over his face and twisted the AC to full blast.

A hiss.

A sickly-sweet scent poured out of the vents.

Gas.

"No—!"

My vision blurred instantly. My limbs turned heavy and useless, like they were sinking into wet sand. I clutched Alina tighter, fighting the darkness clawing at the edges of my sight.

Outside—I saw Rowan.

Running.

"MIS—!" his voice cut through the fog. "JUMP—!"

I tried.

God, I tried. But my body wouldn’t listen. My grip loosened and the world tilted.

And the last thing I felt before everything went black—Was Alina’s small hand slipping from mine.

SLUMP.

And just like that darkness swallowed me whole.