Road To Revenge: Obtaining a villain system

012. The Offer

Niccolo sat in the large, elegantly decorated living room, the kind of place that still made him feel slightly out of place even though it wasn't his first time there. The room had high ceilings, velvet curtains, and crystal chandeliers that glittered even in daylight. Ariana sat close beside him on the long leather couch, her hand folded neatly over her lap. Across from them, the Mayor and his wife sat side by side, watching Niccolo with heavy gazes that carried more weight than words.

The silence stretched uncomfortably until Ariana’s father finally cleared his throat. His voice was deep, commanding, the kind that made people instinctively sit straighter.

“Niccolo,” he said, “I assume you’ve seen the articles spreading online.”

Niccolo gave a small nod. “Yes, sir. I’ve seen them.”

The Mayor leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. “Then I’ll ask you directly. What do you intend to do about it?”

Niccolo blinked, caught off guard by the question. His brows furrowed. “What do you mean, sir? I… I don’t understand.”

“You must take responsibility,” the Mayor said, his tone leaving no room for debate. “Ariana is having these rumors spread about her because of you. This is affecting her image, and by extension, my family’s image. That is something I cannot overlook.”

Niccolo’s jaw tightened. He had lived his whole life being blamed for things, accused, belittled —but this situation was different. Ariana wasn’t just some passerby.

She had chosen to pull him close when Kimberly tried to humiliate him, and she had shielded him from the raging storm within his heart. He glanced at her, searching her expression for a clue about what her father really wanted from him.

“What am I supposed to do?” he asked finally, his voice flat, though there was a faint edge of defiance hidden beneath it.

To his surprise, it wasn’t the Mayor who answered— it was Ariana. Her voice was soft, but steady. “You could keep acting….. as my boyfriend.”

Niccolo turned sharply toward her, stunned. “What?”

She clasped her hands together nervously, but her eyes didn’t waver from his. “Think about it. If we deny the rumors, people won’t believe us. The press feeds on speculation, and the more we deny it, the more they’ll keep digging. But if we just admit to it, if we say we’re dating, then everything will settle down. They’ll lose interest.”

Her father nodded in approval. “She’s right. It’s the cleanest solution.”

Niccolo’s thoughts raced. Dating the mayor’s daughter wasn’t something he had ever imagined, not even in his wildest dreams. It sounded absurd, like stepping into someone else’s life. He opened his mouth to protest, but Ariana spoke again, and this time her words left him completely speechless.

“You know, I’ve liked you from the very first day we met,” she said softly, a small smile tugging at her lips. “and I’ve been hoping that one day… maybe we could be a couple. This might be sudden, but it’s not a lie. It’s how I feel.”

Niccolo’s heart thudded in his chest. He stared at her, searching for a hint of mockery or exaggeration, but found none. Ariana’s gaze was earnest, almost vulnerable. She wasn’t saying this for the sake of her family or the public. She was saying it for him.

Silence hung thick in the air until the Mayor leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “If you agree to this, Niccolo, I’m willing to grant you two wishes.”

Niccolo turned his gaze to him. “Two wishes?”

“Yes,” the Mayor confirmed. “No matter what they are, if they are within my power, I’ll grant them. Whether it’s financial security, a business opportunity, or something else entirely —you’ll have my word. But in return, I expect you to take this seriously. Protect Ariana’s reputation. Protect her heart.”

Niccolo sat back, his mind a storm. He thought about the years he had spent cleaning floors, the humiliation of being treated like he was less than dirt, the bitter taste of betrayal from Kimberly. He thought about the thirty million dollars he had already received —money that gave him freedom but no direction. And now here he was, offered not only security but something far more dangerous: the chance at something real with a woman who actually looked at him as if he mattered.

He looked at Ariana again. Her hand was trembling slightly on her lap, but her eyes held his with quiet determination.

For the first time in a long while, Niccolo felt the ground shift beneath his feet —not because someone was trying to pull it out from under him, but because life was offering him a chance to step onto a new path.

He took a slow breath. “You’re serious about this?”

Ariana nodded. “I am.”

Niccolo’s lips pressed into a thin line. He wasn’t sure if this was the beginning of salvation or the start of another trap. But one thing was clear: if he said yes, his life would never be the same again.