Taming the Villain's Obsession

[So tragic! Our dark, obsessive boy is getting brutalized!

Someone please save him!] I strolled past a narrow alleyway and caught sight of a few street thugs relentlessly kicking a boy curled up on the ground.

That was when the bizarre, floating text suddenly appeared right in front of my eyes. [Ahhh, our baby girl female lead is here! She's definitely going to save him!] Female lead?

Are they talking about me? I stepped into the shadows of the alley. The floating text instantly exploded into a frenzy. [Oh my god, who is this random girl popping out of nowhere?

Is she insane? Those street thugs have knives! Doesn't she know how to dial 911?!] [What the hell is she doing?!] What am I doing?

Didn't they just call me the female lead and beg someone to save this guy? Wait, am I not the female lead? I glanced over my shoulder and saw Elara walking in our direction.

Chapter 1 The floating text drifted across my vision again. [Ahhh, our baby girl female lead, hurry up!!

Your dark obsession second male lead is about to get snatched!] I ground my teeth, a sour taste pooling in my mouth. If I wasn't the female lead, what the hell was I?

I stared down at the bruised and battered boy. Since I was already here, I might as well kidnap the dark, obsessive second male lead.

If I took him, wouldn't I figure out who I was eventually? "Stop right there!" I yelled at the thugs. [Oh my god, who is this random girl popping out of nowhere? Is she insane?

Those street thugs have knives! Doesn't she know how to dial 911?!] [Probably just some random NPC.

It's fine, those thugs will definitely scare her off, and then our female lead can make her entrance.] [But our baby girl female lead didn't even notice what was happening here.

She already left…] The thugs paused, turning toward me with filthy smirks plastered across their faces. "What do you think you're doing, little girl?

Playing the hero?" "Tsk, you're pretty cute. Why don't you come play with us instead?" They started advancing on me, their steps heavy with malice. [I can't even.

This girl is too bold. Why isn't she running for her life?] [I can't watch.

This level of stupidity is physically painful.] Seeing that filthy hand reaching for me, I didn't hesitate.

I pulled a highvoltage stun gun straight out of my Birkin bag and jammed it right into his neck.

With a harsh crackle of electricity, he shrieked and collapsed, convulsing on the pavement.

I dug the pointed toe of my redbottomed Louboutin heel into his cheek, pinning his face to the dirt, and sneered at the remaining thugs. "Who's next?

One at a time, or all at once?" [Holy crap, she's a badass.] [Damn. I take back everything I just said.] The other thugs hesitated, clearly considering rushing me.

But then, three black Cadillac Escalades slammed on their brakes at the mouth of the alley.

Seven or eight massive men in sharp black suits and earpieces spilled out, instantly surrounding the narrow space.

The thugs froze, the blood draining from their faces. "We're sorry! We messed up!" they stammered, scrambling backward. I scoffed and lifted my heel off their buddy's face.

They practically dragged the twitching guy away as they bolted out of the alley. [Wait, what kind of background does this girl have?!] [Don't tell me all those bodyguards are here for her…] "Throw him in my car." "Yes, ma'am." [Holy shit, 'ma'am'?] [Who the hell is she?

I've never seen her in the book before!] Who am I? I'm Vivienne. Just your average fiction addict with a massive soft spot for dark romance and obsessive male leads.

Today, I finally realized that my entire world was just a book, and I was apparently nothing more than a nameless NPC. I refused to accept that.

So, I kidnapped the dark, obsessive second male lead. You know what they say—if you want to survive, stick close to the main characters and soak up their plot armor.

Plus, let's be real. As an absolute sucker for the dark romance trope, I wanted to see what it actually felt like to be the center of a psychopath's obsession.

Besides, he was the second male lead, wasn't he? Second male leads belonged to the readers. And as a reader, he belonged to me.

The floating text kept buzzing in my peripheral vision. [What is this NPC going to do to our Cassius?!] [As a shipper for the female lead and the second male lead, I'm literally shattered right now.

That was supposed to be their perfect first meeting!] [But the female lead and the male lead are endgame anyway.

If it wasn't for all the twisted shit this second male lead does later, our main couple would've gotten together way sooner.] Well, the male lead could belong to Elara.

The second male lead was mine now. Staring at the boy's bruised, stunningly handsome profile, a wicked smirk crept onto my lips. An obsessive psychopath.

An actual walking, breathing red flag right out of a dark romance novel. What exactly did I need to do to make him fall for me and trigger his unhinged obsession?

Cassius shifted uncomfortably under my intense gaze, the tips of his ears flushing a faint, angry red. I had just brought him to a private clinic to get patched up.

Now, he was looking at me with those damp, heavy eyes. "Thank you. I'll pay you back for the medical bills." Not bad at all.

He had the looks, and his raspy voice was incredibly easy on the ears. He just didn't scream 'psycho' yet. But that was fine. I had plenty of time to mold him. "Keep your money.

Why were they beating you?" Cassius frowned. Silence stretched for a few long seconds before his rough voice finally broke the quiet. "I have no idea." Chapter 2 [Poor Cassius!

Those thugs always jump him for cash. They literally just robbed him of his scholarship money.] [He's so broke right now.

His family has zero money, and his adoptive mother is sick.] [Then why didn't he just tell the truth?] [He probably doesn't want this girl to think he's a pathetic loser.] A pathetic loser?

Absolutely not. How could an obsessive psychopath ever think he was pathetic?

Weren't dark romance male leads supposed to act like untouchable gods? "I actually saw them take your money." Cassius flinched.

He averted his gaze, pressing his lips into a tight line as the tips of his ears burned a darker shade of red. "But I didn't get it back for you.

Do you know why?" I snatched his phone right out of his hand, my fingers brushing against the severely cracked screen. "Because I can give you so much more." Truth be told, I hadn't seen a damn thing.

But how could a dark romance male lead be broke? The trope strictly required them to be insanely hot and filthy rich.

So I pulled a limitfree American Express Black Card straight from my bag and shoved it into his scarred, calloused hand. [My God, is that an Amex Black Card?!

Is this the legendary ultimate sugar mommy throwing money for a salvation arc?!] [Seriously, what is this girl's background?!] [Look at me, Queen!

I'm broke too!!] Cassius stared at the heavy metal card, his eyes widening slightly. "I don't want your money." I gripped his wrist, pushing his hand back when he tried to return it.

Way too much moral integrity. Definitely not psycho enough. "Drop the pride. You've worn that shirt for years. It's faded and two sizes too small.

Your shoe heels are worn down to an uneven slant.

Let me guess—your family is dirt poor, and you need cash right now." Cassius kept his head down, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the Black Card. He didn't say a word.

The floating text buzzed back to life. [That was way too harsh.] [But she's not wrong.

His adoptive mom can't even afford medical bills, and he's out here playing the proud martyr.] [Shut up. We get it, you hate our second male lead.] "Of course, this isn't charity.

You're coming home with me, and you'll do exactly as I say." Perfect. I didn't have any ulterior motives. I just wanted to bond with him.

Speed up the process. "Okay." The heavy silence broke as he finally agreed. Looks like my words hit the right nerve.

I took Cassius to pick up a few sets of clothes and drove him straight to my estate. [Holy crap, she lives in a massive mansion!

She even has maids and a butler.] [This estate has to be over five thousand square feet. Insane wealth.] The barrage of compliments hit my ego exactly right. Keep it lowkey.

I had way bigger properties under my name. Cassius stood rigidly at the grand entrance, his knuckles white as he gripped the hem of his faded shirt.

I grabbed his arm, dragged him inside, and tossed him over to a maid. "Get him cleaned up." When Cassius stepped back out, dressed in clean, highend casual wear, he stood silently in front of me like a welltrained puppy.

Not bad. He truly lived up to the second male lead title. The boy was gorgeous. But he was still miles away from becoming an obsessive psychopath.

How could I drag that darkness out of him? "My name is Vivienne. From now on, you're my personal bodyguard.

I'll put you on a fixed monthly retainer." "Your only job is to take care of me, keep me company, keep me entertained, and be on call 24/7." I held my hand out toward him.

He stared at my palm, his jaw tight with uncertainty. "Memorize this. Whenever I hold out my hand, no matter what you're doing, you take it.

Those are the rules in my house." There was absolutely no such rule. I just wanted to force physical contact to make him imprint on me faster. Exactly as planned.

Cassius hesitated, his jaw tight. Slowly, he reached out and wrapped his long fingers around mine.

The tips of his ears burned red again. "Your hands are freezing." I stood up, leaned in, and breathed a puff of warm air over his knuckles.

He snatched his hand back like he'd been burned. He snapped his head away, refusing to meet my eyes. Now his entire ear was crimson.

Holy crap, he was adorable. [What the hell is she doing to him?! My sweet boy!!] [Stop calling her 'this girl'.

She literally just gave her name.] [Guys, why am I suddenly shipping this? Arrogant heiress vs. gloomy obsessive bodyguard. The tension is real.] Honestly? I agreed.

Chapter 3 I could get behind that trope. Arrogant and obsessive—we were a match made in hell.

He just didn't look very 'gloomy and dangerous' yet. "I'll let it slide this time," I added, leaning in. "But if you ever pull your hand away first again, you'll have to get on your knees and beg for forgiveness." I let that sink in. "That's how things work in my house.

We have a lot of rules. You'd better get used to them fast." There were absolutely zero rules like that. I just loved messing with his head.

He pressed his lips together, his dark, heavy eyes staring at me before he whispered a soft, "I'm sorry." I held my hand out again. He took it.

Purposely, I traced slow, wicked circles into the palm of his hand with my fingertip. His frame locked into stiff lines. But this time, he didn't dare pull away. Good boy.

I transferred high schools, dropping right into Cassius's district. Originally, I wanted to drag him to my elite prep school.

But then it hit me—we weren't the actual main couple of this book. If we stayed offscreen, we'd just fade back into NPC territory. Hell no. I just gained selfawareness.

I needed screen time. On my first day, another transfer student walked into the admin office with me. I took one look at her. Wasn't that the pretty girl from the alley? Elara.

The floating text predictably exploded. [Noooo, our baby girl Elara! Why did you transfer so late? Your second male lead got snatched!] [What do you mean 'her' second male lead?

The main male lead belongs to her!] [Exactly! Cassius belongs to our Vivienne now!] Lord have mercy. Cassius and I already had our own shippers.

I walked into the classroom alongside the legendary female lead. My eyes immediately locked onto Cassius, slouched in the back corner row. Perfect.

There was an empty desk right next to him. Catching my gaze, he gave a stiff, uncomfortable twitch of his lips. Ugh, still so shy.

This was the exact moment he was supposed to boldly claim his territory. Wait… did he just fall in love with the female lead at first sight?! I looked at him, then at Elara.

Damn it, they were making eye contact! I shot him a lethal, deadeyed glare. Cassius instantly dropped his head, breaking the connection. "There are only three open seats left.

Pick wherever you like," the teacher said after we finished our generic introductions. I glanced at Cassius.

He had his head down, but the moment the teacher spoke, he looked up, those damp, intense eyes tracking our every move. "I'll take the third row," Elara said.

The floating text wailed in disappointment. [Ahhh no! Why didn't she pick the seat next to Cassius?!] [I'm actually crying.

My heart is shattered.] [I am so sick of these secondlead shippers.

Can you guys stop making everything about you?] That left the seat next to Cassius and one other random spot. "I'll sit there." I pointed straight at Cassius.

A weird, collective smirk rippled through the classroom the second I made my choice.

I slung my bag over my shoulder, dropped into the chair beside him, and leaned in. "Hey there, seatmate." He gripped his pen in a whiteknuckled hold, refusing to meet my eyes as he mumbled a barely audible, "Hi." The text drifted back across my vision. [Vivienne totally doesn't know our boy is being ostracized by the whole class.] [Sobbing.

In the original timeline, Elara only helped him in secret. Now Vivienne just casually sat right next to him.] [I'm dying, I am shipping them so hard right now.] Are you kidding me?

My gorgeous little psychopath was getting bullied? The moment the bell rang, a group of overly accessorized, sneering preppies circled my desk. "Hey, new girl.

I highly recommend you switch seats." I raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" "You'd better stay away from that freak they dug out of a dumpster.

He literally can't even afford a cup of Starbucks. Be careful, his pathetic brokeboy stench might be contagious." I stared at them, genuinely confused. "That's weird.

I literally watched him take a shower last night." The entire room went dead silent. You could hear a pin drop.

One of the Mean Girls finally snapped out of her shock, her jaw dropping. "Wait… what exactly is your relationship with him?" Chapter 4 "He's my newly hired personal bodyguard." They erupted into obnoxious, shrieking laughter. "Are you for real?

Who even has a personal bodyguard in this century?" I scoffed, looking at them like they were dirt on my shoe. "What's the big deal? I don't just have one bodyguard.

I have an entire security detail. My mom has one. My dad has one. Even my older sister has one." The laughter died in their throats.

They exchanged uneasy, calculating glances. "What exactly does your family do?" I arched an eyebrow. "Take a wild guess." The blood drained from their faces as my last name finally registered. "Wait, her last name… Don't tell me she's from the Jiang family…" "Holy shit.

Let's get out of here, now." The floating text materialized in my vision again. [What?!

She's a daughter of the Jiang family?!] [The same Jiang dynasty that has generationdeep ties with the Wen family?!] [Does that mean, if the second male lead hadn't been kidnapped as a kid, they would have been childhood sweethearts?!] [I am dying, I am shipping this so hard!] What did that mean?

The Wen family? The second male lead wasn't kidnapped? The sheer amount of information dumped by the text left me stunned for a second. I stared at Cassius.

Could it be… Cassius was the longlost heir of the Wen dynasty? It was highly possible. From what I knew, the woman raising him was his adoptive mother.

It was true that the older generation of my family and the Wens were close, but by my parents' generation, it was all just surfacelevel pleasantries.

If I just went and told them out of nowhere, would they even believe me? "Why are you… staring at me?" Cassius, who hadn't made a sound since he sat down, cautiously met my gaze.

I snapped back to reality, a surge of irritation hitting me. "Have they always isolated you like this?" He hesitated, his jaw working before he let out a low "Mm." I let out a heavy breath, pressing my knuckles against my forehead.

It gave me a literal migraine. How did this soft, obedient boy ever turn into a terrifying, unhinged psychopath? "You're too weak.

How can you be my bodyguard if you're this fragile? You don't fight back, you don't talk back, and you need me to protect you.

If someone tries to bully me later, are you just going to stand there and watch?" I fully expected him to keep his mouth shut again.

Instead, he raised his heavy eyes. "I won't." "Won't what?" He bit down on his lower lip.

Those damp, dark eyes were suddenly burning with a strange intensity. "I won't let anyone bully you." My breath hitched.

A slow smirk curled my lips as I reached out and wrapped my hand around his. "Good boy." The flush instantly crawled all the way up his neck to his face.

From that day on, Cassius spent every single day training with my elite security detail, diving into mixed martial arts and extremely dangerous underground blackmarket boxing.

Over the next few weeks, that pathetic submissiveness began to fade, and he grew increasingly obedient.

That was great and all, but he was drifting further and further away from the dangerous psychopath I had in mind. This wasn't right.

I decided to humiliate him a little, just to see if I could trigger that dark potential. "Cassius, my new heels are digging into my skin.

Take them off for me." He obediently dropped to one knee right in front of me. Cupping my ankle in his large hands, he carefully slipped off the astronomically expensive stiletto.

The rough pads of his thumbs began to softly knead the arch of my foot, his lowered eyelashes hiding a suffocating, terrifying obsession. The floating text drifted across my vision.

I leaned back, enjoying the gorgeous boy's service while I read. [Sobbing! Look at what she's trained our second male lead to do!] [Why are you crying for him?

If it wasn't for our Vivienne, how would his adoptive mom afford her medical bills?] [Exactly! Besides, Cassius looks like he's totally enjoying it.

He literally refuses to take his hands off her foot.] Enjoying it?! I shot Cassius a sharp look.

I was deliberately trying to humiliate him to trigger his dark obsession, and he was actually enjoying it?

I jerked my foot back, the sharp movement breaking his trance. "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" He looked up, a sharp tremor running through his fingers as his pupils blew wide.

The tension bled out of my shoulders at the sight of that pathetic, overly obedient puppydog look. "No.

Just take a break." He immediately picked up a fork, piercing a piece of freshly cut fruit, and held it to my lips. It was an obvious attempt to coax me into a better mood.

I opened my mouth and ate it. I saw the corner of his lips curl into a faint smile.

I had absolutely no idea what he was smiling about. [Compared to all the endless misunderstandings happening with the main couple, these two are living in an entirely different genre.] Chapter 5 [Damn it, is Vivienne enjoying this?

If she's done, tag me in so I can have a turn.] I smirked, raising an eyebrow.

In your dreams. "Vivienne, I'd like to request a day off this weekend to visit my mother at the hospital." He had been with me for about six months now, and this was the very first time he had asked for anything.

I obviously had no reason to say no. I transferred another lump sum of cash directly into his account. "Go ahead.

Buy your mom whatever she needs." [My god, another hundred grand?!] [Sobbing! I'm so jealous. Queen, look at me!

I can be your most loyal dog!] But when Cassius saw the transfer notification, a troubled expression crossed his face. "You've already given me more than enough.

You don't need to send any more." For some reason, his refusal to accept my goodwill pissed me off. "Cassius, we've been together for half a year now, and you're still treating me like an outsider?" He immediately denied it, his jaw tight.

But his reaction only fueled my irritation. "Or do you just think that the more of my money you take, the harder it will be for you to walk away from me with a clear conscience?" At the end of the day, he still hadn't fallen for me.

The dark calm in Cassius's eyes fractured. He opened his mouth to explain, but I cut him off. "If you want to leave, the door is wide open. I won't stop you.

I have an entire security detail anyway. I won't miss one bodyguard." I spun on my heel, stormed back into my bedroom, and slammed the door shut behind me.

The floating text began flying frantically across my vision. [What's going on?

I just said they were in a different genre, and now they're fighting?] [Baby Vivienne, is there any possibility that Cassius doesn't want to leave you at all?

He just feels guilty taking so much from you!] [Yeah, seriously! Stop torturing our Cassius!] I scoffed. Who the hell knew what was actually going through that guy's head?

I ignored the chattering floating text, opened the reading app on my phone, and found a wildly popular Mafia dark romance novel to read. That was a mistake.

I got instantly hooked and stayed up swiping through chapters until the middle of the night. Just as I was about to finally go to sleep, I heard a faint noise outside my door.

I figured it was just one of the maids getting up to use the bathroom, so I didn't pay it any mind.

But as I drifted into a halfasleep daze, I distinctly felt someone step into my room.

Through my heavy eyelids, I saw a blurry silhouette that looked exactly like Cassius. "What are you doing…" I mumbled groggily. He didn't answer.

He just stood there, staring down at me with a heavy, piercing intensity. When he remained silent, I let my eyes fall shut and drifted back to sleep.

In the hazy darkness, I felt the rough pads of his fingers gently brushing against my lips, carrying a thrilling, dangerous edge of aggression, followed by the heat of his rapid breathing brushing against my ear.

When I woke up the next morning, the memory flooded back, and I shot straight up in bed. Hadn't I locked my door last night? How the hell could Cassius have gotten into my room?

I scrambled out of bed and checked the door lock. It was still perfectly secured. I let out a heavy sigh of relief. And then immediately sucked in a sharp breath. Oh God.

Cassius hadn't even fallen for me yet, and I was already having wet dreams about him? Still… the version of him in my dream nailed the psychotic obsession perfectly.

That dark, penetrating stare was enough to make my knees go weak. I pulled up my Mafia dark romance novel and went right back to reading.

By the time Cassius returned, I was so engrossed in the plot that I couldn't pull myself away. He said something to me, but the words didn't register.

I just waved him off dismissively. For the next few days, the book swallowed all my attention. [Seriously, is this book really that good?

Is it better looking than our second male lead?] [Vivienne, please pay attention to Cassius!

He's literally shattering over here.] [Oh my god, he keeps staring at Vivienne so pitifully, like a puppy abandoned by its owner.] [Our Vivienne IS the owner.] I hadn't looked at the floating text in days.

When did I become his 'owner'? I definitely wasn't into that kind of kink.

I was just about to head back to my room when a large hand suddenly clamped around my wrist. "Why are you ignoring me?" I turned around and clashed with his dark, gloomy eyes, my gaze dropping to his fingers wrapped tightly around my skin.

My pulse spiked, skipping a violent beat. It had been over six months, and this was the very first time he had initiated physical contact! The tension was finally here!

The dark obsession was here! Ahhhh! Chapter 6 The floating text was even more frantic than I was. [Oh my god, oh my god!

Is Cassius finally about to show his true colors?!] [I thought Vivienne's kindness had completely tamed him by now.] [Are you kidding?

He's just trying desperately to repress his feelings for her. One good push and he's going to completely snap.] [It's over.

The female lead and the second male lead are officially a dead ship.] It finally clicked in my brain. You couldn't just shower a psychopath with endless kindness.

You had to push them to the edge to trigger them, right? "I think you know the answer to that better than I do." I ripped my wrist out of his grip. "I don't need a bodyguard who's constantly got one foot out the door." I spun on my heel to leave, but his hand clamped around my wrist again, tighter this time. "I never wanted to leave." He closed the distance between us, his chest almost brushing my shoulder.

The heavy, dark look in his eyes held none of his usual obedience. A feral hunger bled through the cracks, twisted and raw. My pulse hammered wildly against my ribs. Ahhh!

Please, just be a little more aggressive. I grabbed the lapels of his shirt, yanking him down to my eye level. "Then prove it.

Because if you ever walk away from me, I will never forgive you," I spat out. [I'm dying! The tension is lethal!] [Wait, this is really bad.

From what I remember in the lore, Cassius's adoptive mother is about to pass away.] [Ahhhh we're doomed! Right after his mom dies, the Wen dynasty is going to track him down.

Are they going to get separated?!] The floating text made my breath hitch. What? Cassius's mom was going to die?!

We were going to be separated?! "How's your mother's condition?" I demanded, dropping his collar. I vaguely remembered that she had cancer, but it was supposed to be in remission.

A faint, reassuring smile touched his lips. "The doctors said it's well under control." Before I could even exhale, new text drifted across my vision. [Too bad her condition completely deteriorates in just a few days.] [Our poor, sweet Cassius.] I wasn't about to let that happen.

I immediately made a call, pulling strings to get his mother airlifted to the top private oncology center in the state. "Thank you," he murmured.

This time, he didn't try to reject my money. Cassius's mother died anyway. The cancer metastasized too fast.

Even throwing endless money at the best private hospital couldn't pull her back from the brink. A heavy, suffocating block of lead settled deep in my chest.

Cassius handled the funeral arrangements, and I dispatched my elite security team to assist with the logistics. It was pouring rain on the day of the burial.

He stood out in the freezing downpour, clutching the dark mahogany urn tightly against his chest. Rain mingled with the tears streaking down his face.

I stepped forward, intending to pull him out of the cold, but my path was abruptly cut off by an older, impeccably dressed couple approaching him. [Oh my god, his biological parents actually found him!] [Why is this happening so fast?!

I swear it took way longer in the original novel.] [I think it's because Vivienne transferred his mom to that elite private hospital.

His biological parents were there for a checkup and happened to run into him in the halls.] Talk about a ridiculous coincidence.

But this wasn't necessarily a bad thing for Cassius. He had just lost the only family he ever knew. Now, he finally had a chance to return to a complete one.

After exchanging a few tense words with the couple, Cassius turned and walked toward me. "Who are they?" I asked, though I already knew. "My biological parents," he replied, his jaw clamped shut as a muscle feathered along his cheek. "I know exactly who they are.

They're the board directors of the Wen Financial Group.

My parents run in the same circles," I said, giving his drenched shoulder a firm pat. "Congratulations on finding your family.

You don't have to come back to my estate anymore." "Are you throwing me away?" His stoic mask shattered, exposing a raw, bleeding desperation.

I didn't know what was wrong with me either. My last shred of rationality snapped. "You have a family now, an entire empire waiting for you!

How am I supposed to keep you?" I shot back. "Or what?

Do you genuinely want to throw away your title as the heir to the Wen dynasty, just to stay by my side and play the role of my loyal dog?" [What is wrong with Vivienne?

Why is she being so incredibly cruel