Roman and Julienne's heart desire

Chapter 213: Next plan: MALICE

"My dear, please have a seat," Damiano said, his voice smooth with satisfaction as a wide, almost celebratory smile stretched across his face.

Laila, his wife, glanced at him with a slow, knowing look before lowering herself onto the bed beside him.

"What is with that big smile, baby?" she asked, adjusting her dress as she sat, her tone calm but curious.

Damiano leaned slightly forward, elbows resting on his knees, his fingers loosely clasped as though he was holding back excitement.

"Take a guess," he said lightly.

Laila tilted her head, studying him for a moment. Then she lifted one shoulder in a careless shrug before letting it fall.

"The bridge collapsed... with the right person on it?" she said, a faint smirk forming at the corner of her lips.

That was enough.

Damiano’s expression lit up instantly. He straightened sharply, almost rising from his seat in excitement before catching himself.

"Exactly," he said, his voice lowering with satisfaction. "I was beginning to think the plan wouldn’t work, that he would be late or miss it entirely. But whatever he did..." he paused, his smile widening, "he was there. And now—"

His words stopped abruptly.

The sound of footsteps entered the room.

Both Damiano and Laila turned their heads at the same time.

Their daughter, Vivian, walked in casually, her presence unbothered as she moved toward the sofa.

She sat down without hesitation and reached for the remote on the table, switching on the wall-mounted TV.

The screen flickered to life.

A breaking news channel filled the room instantly.

Vivian’s brows lifted slightly as she watched.

"The bridge in X City has collapsed," the news reporter announced, footage flashing across the screen showing the broken structure and chaotic scene below. "Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the incident."

Vivian leaned back slightly, her expression tightening into concern.

"Oh my God," she said softly, eyes fixed on the screen. "Mom, Dad, look at this bridge. It collapsed. I hope no one was injured."

She turned her head slightly toward them—

And froze.

The atmosphere in the room had changed completely.

Damiano and Laila were both staring at her.

Their eyes were cold, sharp, and unmoving, fixed on her like she had walked into the wrong moment.

Vivian’s throat tightened slightly.

She slowly turned her gaze back to the television, pretending not to notice the shift in energy.

In her mind, her thoughts ran quickly.

"Both of them like this... I should leave. Maybe they don’t want to be disturbed."

Without another word, she stood up from the sofa.

"I’ll just go upstairs," she said lightly, avoiding their eyes as she moved. "I’ll watch the rest on my phone."

Her footsteps softened as she walked toward the stairs, her presence fading out of the room.

Damiano watched her go for a moment, his expression still tense, before exhaling slowly.

"Hmm," he said at last, his earlier restraint slipping back into satisfaction. "Now we can continue."

The smile returned to his face like it had never left.

Laila reached forward calmly, picked up the remote from the sofa where Vivian had left it, and pressed the red button.

The television screen went dark instantly.

"Now we can continue properly," she said, placing the remote back down as she returned to her seat beside him.

Damiano relaxed again, leaning back into the couch.

A servant quietly entered the room at the corner and placed a tray nearby, but neither of them paid attention.

Damiano reached for a glass of wine from the side table and handed it to Laila.

"We should celebrate together," he said softly, raising his own glass.

Laila accepted it without hesitation, her fingers curling elegantly around the stem.

"Victory," they said in unison.

The glasses clinked softly.

A deep, satisfied silence followed, filled only by the faint sound of ice shifting inside the glasses.

Damiano swirled his drink slowly, watching the liquid reflect the dim light.

"Now," he said, his voice lower, more controlled, "all I will be waiting for is Father to react... and then ask to ascend the throne."

Laila took a slow sip before smiling faintly.

"That is something worth looking forward to," she replied, her eyes glinting with quiet satisfaction.

Damiano leaned closer slightly, lowering his voice as if sharing something personal and cruelly amused.

"And once that is settled," he said, "I should start looking for a wealthy, suitable young man for Vivian. She is getting too old to waste time."

Laila let out a small scoff, shaking her head as she placed her glass down.

"Vivian is a headache," she said bluntly. "Men are already interested in her, but she keeps chasing that one bastard. I am certain she will only realize it when she is forced to mourn him."

Her tone carried annoyance more than emotion, as if the matter was already concluded in her mind.

Damiano hummed in agreement, his fingers tapping lightly against the armrest.

"Yes," he said slowly. "That obsession of hers will become a problem if left unchecked."

A faint pause settled between them.

The room felt calm again, but not peaceful.

Damiano lifted his glass once more, eyes narrowing slightly as the satisfaction returned to his expression.

"Still," he said quietly, "everything is moving exactly as planned."

"What is the next plan," Laila asked and Damiano smirk.

Author’s Note

This Chapter marks a turning point in the shadows of the story, where power, secrets, and consequences begin to quietly tighten around every character involved. While some celebrations are happening in the dark, not everyone is aware of what has truly been set in motion.

As the story unfolds, connections will start to surface, and hidden intentions will slowly become clearer to both the characters and the readers. Nothing is random anymore—every action now carries weight.

Thank you for reading and staying with the story. The next Chapters will begin to pull different threads together, and things will start moving faster from here.

Your humble beautiful author

Midnight_star07