Dark Romance: A Cruel Obsession

“Is it the rumor that Luzia is infertile, or the rumor that she is a ‘cursed widow’?” Alajos was busy with his work, not looking up.

“Do you know?” Vivian knew the situation was unstable, and Alajos was often busy working late into the night, so he had no time to pay attention to these rumors that had nothing to do with him. But these rumors still reached him, indicating how widespread they were.

“Who started these rumors? They are damaging Luzia’s reputation!” Vivian had made up her mind to find out the source of the rumors and demand an apology from them to Luzia.

“But Luzia cannot refute them.” Alajos, perhaps due to staring at the computer for too long, had tired eyes. “She has been married twice, this being her second time as a widow. And in both marriages, she did not have any children.”

“She has had children before.” Vivian argued. “You know the facts better than I do.”

“Yes, she has been pregnant.” Alajos stopped working, rubbing his forehead wearily. “But even until her two husbands passed away, she still wasn’t able to bear a child for them. ‘Being pregnant’ is not enough to dispel the rumors.”

“How can this be!” Vivian’s eyes turned red with anger. “Luzia must be very sad.”

“Luzia will handle it, she is not a child anymore.” Alajos’s reaction was calm. “If she wants something, she must first sacrifice something.”

“What do you mean?” Vivian didn’t understand. “Are you doing something behind my back? Or like Luzia’s father, do you also want to use Luzia for an alliance?”

“If the family needs it, Luzia still has value, so she must make sacrifices for the family’s benefit.” Alajos said.

“Alajos!” Vivian looked horrified. “What if it was our daughter? If the Hargrave family also needs her for an alliance, would you make her make such sacrifices?”

Vivian’s body trembled, and the baby in the nearby chair was awakened by their argument, starting to cry.

Vivian comforted the child, and the argument between the two seemed to quiet down because of the daughter. But Vivian’s tightly pursed lips indicated her lingering anger.

“Hey, what are you thinking, Vivian?” Alajos didn’t miss Vivian’s slight movements, and he chuckled. “Have you forgotten everything I told you, Vivian? Am I someone who doesn’t keep promises for you?”

“I…” Vivian’s fluctuating emotions made her thoughts dull. She told herself to relax but struggled to do so.

“Don’t cry.” Alajos reached out his hand to her.

Did she cry?

Vivian blinked, tears falling from her eyes, wiped away by Alajos’s rough fingertips.

“I have the ability to protect her and prevent her from being a family sacrifice. You have to trust me, Vivian.”

“But…” Vivian whispered, “My father also has the ability to protect me.” Yet she became a tool for family alliances.

“Do you think I’m like Bryson?” Alajos said, reaching across her to pinch their daughter’s cheek, successfully making the baby laugh.

“No!” Vivian grabbed his hand, frantically refuting, “You are not like him. You are my beloved.” I would never fall in love with someone as despicable as my father.

The car slowly stopped in the villa’s parking area. Alajos kissed away the tears at the corner of Vivian’s eyes, helping her carry Dhanna out of the car. Although, as a mafia Capo, holding a baby might damage his dignity, Alajos believed this was what a real man should do.

“Don’t worry about Luzia.” Alajos whispered softly in her ear. “She may be upset about her father’s actions, but she knows what she wants. You have to believe her, Vivian.”Exclusive © material by Nô(/v)elDrama.Org.

“I understand.” Vivian forced herself to focus on her daughter and other guests, but Luzia’s father was too active, even beyond the youth of the family, setting his sights on Noah.

Vivian felt angry and wanted to question why Luzia’s father couldn’t ask for Luzia’s opinion?

But Alajos handed over the child to Vivian, “Dhanna seems hungry, and you’ve had a long day. Why don’t you both rest?”

While Alajos seemed to be asking for Vivian’s opinion, his hand was already on her shoulder, forcefully turning her towards the stairs. Vivian naturally understood the importance of today for Dhanna. Even giving Luzia face, Vivian couldn’t embarrass Luzia’s father publicly.

Alajos was familiar with holding a baby, and Dhanna didn’t cry or fuss in his arms. She was tired, her small eyes barely open.

“You’re so good today.” Vivian couldn’t resist her baby’s needs, crying slightly and taking Dhanna from Alajos’s arms, comforting her softly. Luzia followed her, helping bring the child’s things upstairs.

As soon as they closed the door, Luzia heaved a sigh of relief. “Dhanna is my lucky star, she saved me.”

“It’s really embarrassing, did you see how they looked at me, Vivian?” Luzia shook off the embarrassment downstairs and relaxed again, leaving Vivian puzzled.

“You…” Vivian was a bit slow to react. “Were you pretending?”

“Of course not.” Luzia sighed, her father’s actions also causing her distress. “The rumors outside have spread like that, and my father hasn’t given up his plans for me. He’s very stubborn.” Luzia could understand her father’s behavior because she knew him well.

Her father believed that daughters were tools for alliances. As long as she had no husband, no children, she still had value for alliances, until her husband no longer died, or she bore a child for one of her husbands.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t sad, she had just experienced sadness so many times that it no longer affected her.

“What are you going to do then?” Vivian knew Luzia’s father was also influential in Houston. If he insisted on finding a new husband for Luzia, not even Alajos could stop him.

Vivian unbuttoned her collar, feeding Dhanna and watching her tiny face, able to ignore all worries and anxieties.

She felt more and more capable of being a mother.

“Of course, I will let him know that I am completely devoid of any value to him.” Luzia leaned against Dhanna’s crib, gently poking her chubby cheek with a finger. “She’s so cute.”

Vivian swatted her hand away. “Don’t wake her up.”

Sitting next to Luzia, Vivian asked, “Why don’t you tell him about you and Mare, you like Mare, don’t you?”

“Like is not a necessary condition for everything, Vivian.” Luzia hugged her knees, resting her head. “Not everyone is as lucky as Festus.”

“Why not give it a try?” Vivian encouraged her. “I heard Shelley say that Festus volunteered to marry Shelley in place of Emmert.”

“That was in a situation where the Benoist and Rosente families were of similar status.” Luzia explained to Vivian. “Benoist is the first family after Hargrave, and Rosente is the second family. Their marriage was a result of mutual interest. But don’t forget, I am Luzia Hargrave.”