Villainess.exe-Chapter 70: The Warehouse

[Evelina’s POV — Unknown Warehouse—Night]

Cold.

That was the first thing I felt. Concrete biting through thin fabric. Damp air clinging to my skin. The kind of cold that didn’t shock you awake—but seeped in slowly, patiently, like it had all the time in the world.

My head throbbed.

A low, nauseating ache pulsed behind my eyes as consciousness dragged itself back piece by piece. I tried to move—Nothing.

Rope.

Thick. Coarse. Tight around my wrists, pulled behind the metal chair I was bound to. My ankles were tied too, the knot brutal and efficient. Whoever did this didn’t improvise.

They planned.

My breath hitched—but I forced it steady. Panic wastes oxygen. Panic wastes time.

I lifted my head slowly and my heart cracked.

"Alina..."

She was right beside me.

Smaller chair. Smaller ropes. Her hands were tied clumsily in front of her, and her legs barely touched the floor. Her head was drooping, curls falling into her face, and chest rising too fast.

Alive.

Thank God—alive.

"Alina," I whispered again, voice rough. "Sweetheart... can you hear me?"

Her eyelids fluttered.

"A... Aunty...?" Her voice trembled, thick with fear and lingering dizziness. She tried to move, winced, and froze.

"Don’t struggle," I said quickly, keeping my tone calm and soft—steady. "It’ll hurt more. Just look at me, okay? I’m right here."

Her eyes focused on my face and Tears pooled instantly.

"I’m scared," she whispered.

I swallowed hard.

"I know," I said gently. "But you’re not alone. I’m here. And as long as I’m here—nothing happens to you. Do you understand me?"

She nodded, small and shaky. I scanned the warehouse without moving my head too much.

High ceiling. Rusted beams. Flickering fluorescent lights hanging like tired sentries. Wooden crates stacked along the walls. No windows I could see. The smell of oil, metal, old dust—and something faintly chemical.

Remote.

Deliberate.

This wasn’t a holding spot.

This was a statement.

My jaw tightened.

Cassian.

The system warning echoed in my mind like a scar:

[Final episode: Alina Vinter’s Kidnapping. Mission: Save Alina Vinter. Kill Cassian Vinter.]

So this was it.

I shifted my fingers slightly, testing the rope. Tight. But not perfect. Whoever tied Alina rushed. Whoever tied me... didn’t.

Figures.

I leaned my head toward her as much as I could. "Alina," I murmured, barely moving my lips. "Do you remember what I told you?"

She sniffed. "Fight... until help comes."

"That’s right," I said softly. "You did nothing wrong. And you’re doing everything right just by staying calm."

She nodded innocently and Footsteps echoed somewhere far off. Heavy. Unhurried. I felt it then—the shape of what was coming. Not chaos.

Control.

I drew a slow breath, eyes hardening.

Theo trusted her with me. I would not fail him.

I tightened my bound hands, feeling the rope bite into skin, and lifted my gaze toward the shadows ahead.

"Alright," I whispered to myself, voice barely more than a breath. "Let’s see how this final episode thinks it ends."

The creak of the door cut through the air like a blade dragged slowly across bone. Light spilled in first—harsh, white, deliberate.

Then him.

Cassian Vinter stepped inside as if he owned the night itself, polished shoes echoing against concrete, coat pristine, expression amused in a way that made my skin crawl. He didn’t rush. He never rushed. Men like him believed time bent naturally in their favor.

"Oh my," he drawled softly, eyes sliding over me first, then lingering on Alina. "My two favorite women woke up."

Alina stiffened beside me. I felt her fear spike before she even spoke. Her fingers clenched around the rope, knuckles whitening.

"Don’t talk to her," I said coldly.

Cassian chuckled, slow and indulgent. "Still sharp. Even tied to a chair." He tilted his head, studying me like a collector admiring a rare knife. "You really are wasted playing bodyguard, Evelina."

He took another step closer.

I forced myself to stay still, Predators enjoyed flinches.

"You look disappointed," I said evenly. "Did you expect me to beg?"

His smile widened.

"No," he replied. "I expected you to glare. You do it beautifully."

He stopped directly in front of Alina.

Too close.

My chest tightened. "Step away from her."

Cassian glanced at me, amused. "Or what? You’ll stab me with a look?"

He crouched slightly, lowering himself to Alina’s level.

"Hello, sweetheart. Do you remember me?" Then he grabbed her hair, pulling back, "I am your father."

"STEP AWAY YOU BASTARD!!!" I yelled.

Alina’s lips trembled. She shook her head violently, tears pooled from her eyes and when he released her, she pressed closer to me as far as the ropes allowed.

"I don’t like you," she whispered.

For a moment—just a moment—something dark flickered across Cassian’s face.

Then it was gone. Replaced by a soft smile that was far worse than when he pulled her hair.

"Children always lie," he said calmly, standing again. "But that’s alright. You’ll grow out of it."

I pulled against the ropes, ignoring the burn in my wrists. "You touch her and I swear—"

"You’ll do what?" he interrupted mildly. "Kill me? You’re unarmed. Bound. Outnumbered." His eyes dipped briefly to my tied hands. "I made sure of that."

So he knew.

Good.

"Relax," Cassian continued, strolling lazily around us. "If I wanted her dead, she’d already be cold. Tonight isn’t about killing."

My stomach sank.

"It’s about choice," he said, stopping behind me. I felt his presence like a shadow pressed against my spine. "Theo chose to steal what was mine. To protect what I decided didn’t deserve protection."

His voice dropped, intimate and venomous.

"So now I take something from him."

I swallowed. "You won’t win."

Cassian laughed quietly. "Oh, Evelina... winning is easy."

He leaned down, lips near my ear. I could smell his cologne—expensive, sharp, suffocating.

"Breaking people," he whispered, "that’s the art."

I forced myself to turn my head just enough to meet his gaze. "Theo will come."

Cassian straightened slowly.

"I’m counting on it."

Silence stretched—thick, unbearable.

Then he clapped once.

The sound echoed.

From the shadows, two men stepped forward. Masks. Guns. Efficient movements. Cassian gestured toward Alina without looking at her. "Take my child. Gently."

Alina cried out. "Aunty—!"

I surged forward with everything I had. The chair screeched. Pain tore through my wrists as the rope cut deeper.

"DON’T YOU DARE!" I screamed.

Cassian turned back to me, eyes alight with something close to delight.

"There it is," he said softly. "That fear you pretend you don’t have."

He leaned closer one last time.

"Here’s how this ends, Evelina," he murmured. "Theo comes for his niece. He walks straight into my trap. And you..."

His gaze dragged over me slowly.

"...you watch."

I bared my teeth at him, blood on my wrists, heart pounding—but my voice was steady.

"You’re already dead."

Cassian smiled. "Everyone says that."

The men reached for Alina and somewhere deep in my chest, something snapped into place—cold, focused, lethal.

The men moved. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Alina screamed, "AUNTY!"

The sound hit something raw inside me. Cold snapped into place where panic had been. Calculation. Focus. Steel.

"Stop," I said sharply. "If you leave her alone—if you don’t touch her—I’ll do what you want."

Cassian lifted a hand. The men froze. His eyes slid back to me, interest sharpening. "Anything?"

I swallowed. Slow. Deliberate."Yes," I said. "Anything."

He stepped closer, invading my space, voice lowering. "Then you stay. With me. You stop standing in my way. You belong on my side. Be my woman today...Evelina."

There it was. Not desire—ownership. Not attraction—control.

I forced myself to nod. "Alright."

Cassian laughed, loud and delighted, the sound echoing off concrete. "Hah—unbelievable. I didn’t think you’d bend so easily."

He waved a dismissive hand toward Alina. "See? Useful after all."

My jaw clenched. Good. Laugh. Predators relaxed when they thought they’d won.

I kept my face empty. Gave him compliance. Gave him exactly what he wanted to see. Because this wasn’t surrender. It was a trap. And the moment he turned his back—I would take Alina and burn my way out.

"It’s okay...dear, Aunty will teach your bad father a good lesson, just wait and watch," I said.

"I’ll see you soon, darling," Cassian said softly.

The word darling crawled over my skin like rot. Then he turned—unhurried, satisfied—and walked out. The door groaned shut behind him with a final, echoing clang.

"Aunty..." Alina’s voice broke. She struggled against the ropes, tears streaking down her cheeks. "I’m scared..."

I leaned toward her as much as the bindings allowed, forcing my voice steady, gentle—strong. "Hey. Look at me, sweetheart."

Those golden eyes—Theo’s eyes—shaking, but still listening.

"It’s okay," I whispered. "Aunty’s here. And Aunty doesn’t lie. Your bad father is about to learn a very good lesson."

Her breathing hitched. "Really...?"

"Really," I promised. "Until then, be brave. Just like Uncle taught you. I will protect you—no matter what."

She nodded, hiccupping, clinging to the promise like a lifeline.

I scanned the warehouse quickly—crates stacked too high, chains hanging from rusted hooks, concrete scarred with old stains that never quite faded. No guards inside. Cassian was confident.

That was his first mistake.

I shifted my wrists, testing the rope. Too tight. My fingers burned, circulation screaming—but pain was irrelevant.

Then I felt it.

A faint scrape. A thin, uneven edge brushing my skin.

My bracelet. The one I’d worn.

It was broken. Hanging loose against my wrist.A slow breath slid from my lungs.

"Yes..." I murmured, barely audible.

The metal edge bit as I twisted my hand, carefully, millimeter by millimeter. Pain flared—sharp, welcome. Blood welled where the bracelet sawed into the rope.

Alina watched me, eyes wide.

The rope began to fray.

One strand.

Then another.

My pulse steadied, cold and precise. I tightened my grip, forcing the bracelet deeper, ignoring the pain as fibers snapped one by one.

Just a little more...

Outside, somewhere far away, engines hummed. Doors opened. Men laughed. The world kept moving.

But in this warehouse—The real game begins.