Dark Romance: A Cruel Obsession

Just as Vivian was able to obtain the guest list for this gathering, Shelley also knew who would be attending. She saw Vivian’s name; she had come for Vivian. She came seeking Vivian’s help, rather than Vivian seeking her out.

Alajos knew nothing, yet he still held the upper hand for Vivian.

“Perhaps attending gatherings is the best way to dispel loneliness, but if you don’t make changes yourself, you will always be lonely,” Shelley said, supporting her head with her hand. Her meticulously groomed, shiny, long hair cascaded from her shoulders. “Work with me, Vivian. You will get what you want.”

“Do you know what I want?” Vivian asked, looking at her.

Shelley looked back at her, not concealing her ambition. “Freedom, money, power.”

No, Vivian replied in her mind. Perhaps she had once desired freedom, but money and power were never her pursuit. But now, she didn’t even want freedom; she wanted self-preservation. She wanted to protect her child. If freedom, money, and power were the paths to self-preservation, she was willing to make an attempt. What’s the worst that could happen? At least it wouldn’t be worse than it is now.

“What can I offer you?” Vivian knew she stood alone, with nothing.

“I want to become the leader of the Benoist family,” Shelley said firmly, looking at her.

“The family matriarch?” Vivian’s eyes widened. “That has never happened…”

“Then it will start with me,” Shelley seemed to radiate with the sun, shining as she had never before. “I don’t want to be a gift of the family, a mere appendage of a father, husband, or son. I am Shelley Benoist, and I want to control my own destiny.”

Vivian stared blankly at Shelley, her hand rising to cover the left side of her chest, feeling her thumping heart in her palm.

Vivian didn’t know why she was trembling, why her nose felt tingly, why she wanted to cry. She only knew… she was moved.

She was moved by the vision Shelley had depicted for the future. No longer a gift, no longer an appendage. Just herself.

Once, Vivian was a dreamy girl, but now her dreams had awakened. “Alajos won’t change his mind because of me.”

“Then change him,” Shelley said. “Make him fall in love with you, make him compromise for you.”

“No,” Vivian shook her head. “I have tried. Alajos is a strong man, resolute in his heart, with clear goals. He adheres to the duties of a Capo, and he has said he will not love any woman.”

“If he hasn’t fallen in love with you, it means your efforts haven’t been enough,” Shelley’s fingertips lightly brushed Vivian’s face.

She had once been jealous, resentful. This beautiful face had taken away the man she loved the most. But now, this face had become her weapon. “Your beauty is enough to captivate any man, be confident, Vivian.”

Vivian pushed away her hand. “You have also tried, but you haven’t made Alajos fall in love with you.”

“You’re quite harsh,” Shelley shrugged, seemingly unfazed by Vivian’s sarcasm. “I admit, I have encountered failure with Alajos. He’s a tough nut to crack.”

“You are the one who is a dog,” Vivian glared at her.

Shelley laughed twice, “Collaborate?”

“If Alajos falls in love with me, he will be very dangerous, and I will be very dangerous,” Vivian walked into the rose garden. “I have paid the price of my safety, what’s your price?”

Shelley followed behind Vivian, maintaining a distance of 2 feet between them. This distance was enough for them to hear each other’s whispers, and the rose garden was spacious, with low plants offering no hiding places, no risk of eavesdropping. There was no better place for a conversation.

Vivian was satisfied.

“The Benoist family will always be loyal to you,” Shelley said. “You should know, in the Mafia, loyalty always lies with the Capo, not the Capo’s wife. As long as you help me, you will have the support of a powerful family. Even if Alajos wants to do something to you, he will have to consider the wishes of the Benoist family.”

Vivian shook her head.

Shelley frowned, “You don’t want to?”

“Your bargaining chip isn’t enough,” Vivian said. “I admit, the support of the Benoist family is very important to me, but your father Charles isn’t a fool. As long as he holds power, the support of the Benfamily will only be for Alajos, and I may not live to see the day when you control the Benoist family.”Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

“The price you pay is in the future, it’s an advance payment. But I am paying my price now, or every moment,” It’s not worth it for me,” Shelley frowned. “If that’s how you see it, then this collaboration may not continue.”

“Not necessarily,” Vivian said.

“So it seems you do want something,” Shelley looked excitedly at Vivian. Wanting something meant their collaboration had hope.

“I heard that the Benoist family operates several shooting clubs,” Shelley looked surprised at Vivian. She was a clever girl, immediately guessing Vivian’s need. “Do you want to learn shooting?”

Vivian nodded.

Shelley didn’t quite agree, “That’s not a ladylike pursuit.”

“Ladylike has to die,” Vivian gained permission to pick the best roses in the rose garden. “Ladylike pursuits won’t protect me, they will only put me in deadly danger. If I want to live, I have to abandon them.”

Her father sent her to a private girls’ high school, using money and etiquette to shape her into an obedient lady, making her lose the ability to protect herself, and then threw her into a den of wolves, crushing all her hopes of escape.

Yes, all hopes.

From the moment Vivian found out that Bryson had concealed the fact that she needed contraception, she knew she had no way out. She was bound to Alajos; she could only live if Alajos lived. If Bryson’s conspiracy succeeded one day, if Alajos died, she would become a widow with a child. Houston would no longer be her sanctuary, and there would be no place in Los Angeles that could accommodate her.

This child was not only Alajos’s weakness but also Vivian’s death knell.

Getting rid of him was the best way to protect herself.

But Vivian loved him.

So, she had to find another way. Like shooting.

“Can you help me?” Vivian looked at Shelley.

“Uh…” Shelley truly hadn’t expected Vivian to make such a request. “Do you know that Alajos’s marksmanship is better than the shooting club’s instructors? He never misses.”

“I know,” she had seen it.

“Then why don’t you let Alajos teach you, or let Mare teach you?” Shelley looked toward Mare outside the rose garden, he and Shelley’s two bodyguards stood apart on either side, at a distance, but his eyes were always on Vivian.

“No,” Vivian shook her head. “It’s too conspicuous, I need secrecy.”

“Huh?” Shelley didn’t understand.

“I am weak, and I may not learn shooting well, so I need the element of surprise,” Vivian explained to Shelley, “So I can’t let anyone know that I am learning shooting. I need to maintain the image of weakness in the eyes of others.”