Owned By The Psychotic Billionaire (Mafia BL)

Chapter 89: A Clash Of Vipers

ORION’S POVThe stone steps feel cold beneath my boots as I stand at the bottom, looking up at the two older women who think they rule my world.

Lady Dimitra— Aunt— rests her weight on her silver-topped walking stick, her spine straight and her chin held high. Beside her, Alice Dubois wears a gown that costs more than a small house, her face smooth and painted with a perfect, artificial smile.

She looks flawless, a picture of high-society elegance, but I know what lies beneath that expensive fabric and heavy makeup. She’s a cruel, calculating creature who has spent years poisoning everything she touches.

As I look at Alice, my thoughts immediately drift back to my little duckling.

I wonder how Adrien managed to grow up in the same house as this woman without completely losing his mind. I wonder how he kept that stubborn, fierce spark in his eyes after living under the thumb of a stepmother who treats him worse than a dog.

It’s a miracle that he still has even a tiny shred of innocence left in him, a small piece of purity that he guards with everything he has. He grew up surrounded by these people, people who breathe lies and trade in human lives, yet he somehow remained distinct from them.

I have to give credit to the sheer strength of Adrien’s character. Anyone else would have broken long ago. Anyone else would have become a hollow, obedient ghost or simply died.

But Adrien didn’t. He fought, he ran, and he held onto his pride even when his father’s boots were breaking his ribs. That resilience is exactly what makes him so interesting.

It’s exactly what makes me want to pull him into my arms and never let him go. His strength is a quiet, stubborn thing that refuses to bend to their whims, and that makes him more valuable than all the gold in this courtyard.

Alice notices me staring, and her artificial smile tightens just a fraction at the corners. She raises her champagne glass toward me in a slow, mock toast, her eyes glittering with a false warmth that doesn’t fool me for a second.

"Orion," she greets me, her voice smooth, polite, and free of any real warmth. "You look quite striking tonight. I must say, the ceremony went exactly as we planned, despite your usual brooding presence. We have solidified a foundation that will elevate both our families to heights we have only dreamed of."

I don’t even look at her when she speaks. I ignore her greeting, turning my gaze directly to my aunt instead. Alice is a nuisance, a bug to be crushed later, but Aunt is the one who actually holds the keys to the Vassilis resources in this courtyard right now.

I refuse to give Alice the satisfaction of an acknowledgment, treating her words like empty wind passing through the trees.

"Old Lady," I say, my voice calm and perfectly steady, cutting right through Alice’s lingering words. "I have a question for you."

Aunt’s eyes narrow delightfully.

"Why are you so incredibly willing to tie your only son to a family of backstabbers and vultures? Aren’t you worried about what might happen to Leon? What if he dies because of these grand plans you are cooking up with the Dubois? You seem to forget that alliances built on greed are the first to collapse when blood starts to flow."

Aunt’s sharp eyes narrow even more. Her fingers tighten around the silver handle of her walking stick, the metal clicking against the stone step as she shifts her weight.

She looks down her nose at me, her expression hardening into a mask of pure aristocratic disapproval that I have seen a thousand times before.

"Orion, that is enough," Aunt responds coldly, her voice sharp enough to cut through the distant chatter of the guests. "It is incredibly rude of you to speak this way about your soon-to-be in-laws. You are a Vassilis, and you should start showing more respect to the Dubois family. They are our partners now, whether you like it or not. This merger is the reward of years of negotiation, and I will not have you ruin it with your childish arrogance."

She takes a small step forward, her shoes clicking against the stone, throwing the metaphorical gauntlet down right at my feet.

"Though I suppose respect is a foreign concept to you," Aunt continues, her voice dripping with quiet venom as she stares me down. "Did you ever show Louise a single ounce of respect during your entire relationship? Perhaps that is why everything is so messy now. You treat people like toys, Orion. You think because you’ve inherited the name, you’ve inherited the right to disregard the feelings of everyone around you."

A slow, dark smile spreads across my face. I lean my head back slightly, looking up at her with a calm, dangerous amusement that makes her jaw tighten even further.

They think they can lecture me on respect, yet they spend their days tearing down the very people they are supposed to protect.

"You are wrong, Aunt," I reply softly, making sure my voice carries just enough weight to make the air between us grow heavy and still. "I already show an immense amount of respect to the Dubois I am in a relationship with. In fact, I think about him every single second of the day. My every thought is occupied by his existence."

Alice interjects before Aunt can speak, her voice sliding into the conversation like a slick blade, desperate to regain control of the narrative. She steps closer to the edge of the stairs, her sharp eyes scanning my face for any sign of weakness or hesitation.

"Oh? Is that so?" Alice asks slyly, a cruel glint dancing in her eyes as she rests her hand on the stone balustrade. "Are you truly dating Adrien because of your former feelings for him? I seem to remember a time when the two of you could barely stand to be in the same room. You used to watch him like a hawk, Orion. One might think you are simply trying to finish what you started years ago. Is this just a continuation of your little high school games?"

She’s trying to test me. She’s trying to bring up the past, reminding me of the dark, rough dynamic that Adrien and I shared when we were seventeen, hoping it will make me uncomfortable in front of the old lady.

She thinks she can use my obsession against me, using it as a weapon to make me back down or lose my temper in this public setting.

Instead of getting angry, I let out a low, pleasant sound. I feel a sudden, manic energy bubbling up beneath my skin, a hot, thrilling sensation that always comes when people talk about my little duckling.

The mere mention of his name makes my pulse quicken, filling me with a chaotic joy that these dull people could never understand.

"So, you are truly aware of my feelings for him, Alice," I say, my voice dropping into a strange, rhythmic tone that draws their attention entirely. I don’t call her Lady Alice anymore. I strip away the title completely, stepping closer to the base of the stairs until I am standing just inches away from the bottom step, looking up at them with unblinking eyes.

"You have no idea how much I want him," I continue, my eyes widening slightly as the thoughts pour out of my mouth, raw, unfiltered, and entirely uncensored. "I want to tie Adrien down to my bed. I want to break his beautiful little legs so he can never run away from me again."

"I want to keep him locked in my room forever, where no one else can ever look at him or touch him. He belongs in my room, hidden away from the world. I want to see him cry, Alice. I want to watch the tears well up in his eyes, and then I want to lean down and drink every single drop straight from his eyelashes."

The silence that follows my words is raw, heavy, and suffocating.

Alice’s false smile completely vanishes from her face. She takes a half-step back, her fingers trembling slightly against her champagne glass as the liquid inside ripples.

Beside her, Aunt looks thoroughly disturbed, her straight posture faltering for a split second as she stares at me as if I’m a complete madman who has lost all touch with reality.

The casual mask I usually wear has totally shattered, leaving behind the raw reality of my true nature. I don’t care that they see it. In fact, I want them to see just how deep my obsession runs.

Aunt recovers first, though her voice is noticeably tighter and more strained than before, her knuckles turning white around her walking stick.

"You are sick, Orion," she whispers, her eyes darting around the crowded courtyard to see if any of the nearby guests heard my little speech. "Is that the only reason you are with that boy? Is the reason why you are with Adrien so that you can torture him in place of Louise? Are you simply using him to satisfy your twisted, violent urges because you cannot have the sister?"

I throw my head back and laugh.