The Male Lead isn't Following the Script!
Chapter 253: Strengthened Resolve

Chapter 253: Strengthened Resolve

"Shouldn’t someone go after her?" Isabelle asked, glancing toward the doors Adeline had disappeared through. She could not shake the unease settling in her chest.

Layla turned to her friend, understanding the meaning behind her words. Isabelle was perceptive.

She knew how deeply Adeline wrestled with her feelings regarding Cassian. And now, he had ignored her entirely and chosen to stand beside Annora instead. If Alaric ever did something like that, Isabelle would make sure to teach him a lesson.

"I don’t think she would like that," Layla finally responded. "She probably needs some time to calm down."

She knew Adeline well. Layla had seen this side of her before—this storm of emotions that burned hot but eventually settled. It reminded her of their academy days. Adeline had been fiery, stubborn, and quick to anger back then.

She had mellowed out in the last year, but in those first few years... oh boy. Layla could still recall the many times she had to keep Adeline from acting impulsively.

Aaron smirked, watching the exchange. "You know her well."

Layla returned the smirk. "Naturally."

Meanwhile, Victoria remained silent. She had been listening to their conversation, but unlike the others, she had no intention of lingering in the ballroom any longer.

The stifling atmosphere, the whispers, the judgment—it was all too much. She had no interest in being part of it.

She decided to use the current situation to her advantage. "I’ll go look for Adeline," she announced, excusing herself swiftly before anyone could stop her.

She needed to breathe.

Victoria slipped away from the grand ballroom, her heels clicking lightly against the marble floor as she made her way toward the garden.

She welcomed the cool night air as she stepped outside. The scent of roses and fresh grass filled her senses, a sharp contrast to the oppressive air inside.

As she wandered further down the path, she was startled by a sudden presence.

A young boy.

He had been walking briskly, as if eager to leave, and neither of them had noticed the other until it was too late. They bumped into each other, both stopping abruptly.

"I—" Victoria began, startled.

The boy looked up at her in surprise. His dark hair and bright blue eyes were unmistakable. There was a resemblance, though it was much softer, much younger.

"I’m sorry, Lady—" He hesitated, clearly unsure of who she was.

Victoria tilted her head slightly, taking in his features. She quickly pieced it together.

"Victoria Griffin," she introduced herself. "And you must be... The Crown Prince."

The boy, Marcus, took a deep breath before nodding. He looked nervous. She could tell he had not expected to run into someone.

Victoria gave him a polite smile before elegantly curtsying. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Your Highness."

She turned to leave, and as she walked away, Marcus’ eyes lingered on her retreating figure. He stood there for a moment, deep in thought.

Then, without another word, he continued on his way, disappearing into the night.

Victoria found Adeline sitting exactly where she had expected—still on the same garden bench, unmoving. She kept staring at the moonlight with a sense of longing.

Victoria said nothing as she approached. She simply sat down beside Adeline, not bothering to ask for permission. Adeline did not react at first, only letting out a slow breath as she continued staring ahead.

She did not want to talk about it.

And Victoria was not going to ask her to.

The silence stretched between them, but it was not uncomfortable. It was the kind of silence that spoke of understanding—of knowing when words were unnecessary.

Adeline finally broke it. "You’re not here to interrogate me? Ask me why I acted that way?"

Victoria shook her head. "Sometimes people do irrational things."

Adeline gave a wry smile. "So you think it was irrational."

Victoria shrugged, her expression calm. "It certainly did not look rational..."

Adeline chuckled at that.

It eased her heart just a little. The anger inside her had not completely settled, but at least it wasn’t suffocating her as much anymore.

She had vented some of her emotions on Annora. It wasn’t enough. Not even close. But at least she had done something.

And, more importantly, she had noticed something.

When she hurt Annora—when she played the villainess—Cassian seemed to wake up a little. It had been brief, a flicker of something in his usually lifeless eyes, but she had seen it. It was not her imagination.

So it was not a total loss, was it?

She tucked that thought away, hiding it deep inside her. This was only the beginning. If she had to fight Annora, if she had to go against whoever was backing her, then she needed to be stronger. She could not afford to let her emotions get the best of her.

Drowning in self-pity, as Edward had so bluntly put it, was not going to help.

Victoria remained quiet by her side. She was not one for unnecessary words, and for that, Adeline was grateful.

For a while, they just sat there, letting the night air cool their tempers.

Eventually, Victoria spoke again, her voice even. "Are you going to go back inside?"

Adeline let out a sigh, leaning back against the bench. "I probably should. Will you be joining me?"

Victoria shook her head again, "I just escaped, I’m not going back in."

Adeline sighed, she had no escape did she? She needed to go back in there and be the proud villainess. With confidence, discarding the gloom that consumed her, she entered the banquet hall.

With quick strides, she made her way to her family members and friends who looked at her with concern. She gave them a reassuring smile. She sensed the gazes on her and decided to address them.

She turned her head sharply and gave them a fierce stare, that was enough to get them to stop. She was Adeline Kendrick, the Marquess’s pampered sister, and the only one who could wield lightning.

Annora did not mind Adeline’s outburst. In fact, she expected it. Once a villainess, always a villainess. Adeline could pretend all she wanted, but deep down, she would always be the same cruel, entitled noblewoman who looked down on others.

Annora had no doubt that Adeline’s true nature would eventually surface again, and when it did, everyone would turn against her. She did not have to bother with using magic and turning everyone against her.

For now, Annora had other plans.

She turned her attention to Benedict, offering him a soft, grateful smile as he checked on her. He was already hooked, whether he realised it or not.

His concern, his anger at Adeline—these were signs of his growing attachment. And Annora would nurture that attachment until it became something deeper, something unshakable.

Because of the forbidden magic, they were infatuated with her, now all she has to do is to let it grow. She would care for them, she would make them believe that she loved them... She would have them wrapped around her fingers...

She was going to make them all fall for her. Cassian, Benedict and Dimitri whom Adeline loved so dearly... She would not let him go. In her past life... He distanced himself the moment she chose Cassian... In this life, he will be with her.

He was hers... The only man who ever looked at her with kindness until she threw it all away... She loved Cassian back then. No, that was a lie... She loved the attention and power, she loved how they called her and Cassian the perfect couple...

This time she was going to choose love... This time Dimitri was hers.

As for Cassian and Benedict, they would love her, and cherish her, and when they were at their most vulnerable, she would abandon them just as they had abandoned her.

She would make them fight for her affection, make them turn against each other. And the best part? She would enjoy watching Adeline suffer as her friends and allies slowly started to hate her.

As for Edward... He was the only one who still sent a chill down her spine.

Annora did not want to admit it, but she feared him. Even now, when she had been given a second chance, that fear lingered like a shadow.

She had seen what he was capable of. Her people had cast powerful forbidden magic on him, magic that should have bound him completely. And yet, he resisted. No, he did more than resist—he annihilated them. Every single one. They had no chance of escaping.

How? How had he survived? What tricks had he hidden up his sleeve? Annora had no idea, and that was what frightened her the most. There was something unnatural about Edward, something beyond even the power of the Holy Temple. He was a force she could not yet understand.

But she refused to let fear control her. No, she had been given another chance for a reason. Her benefactor—her true ally—was just as powerful as she believed. With his help, she would succeed where she had failed before.

Edward would not get away with what he did. No matter how strong he was, she would break him. He would suffer for what he did to her.

She would not let him die so easily—no, that would be mercy. She wanted him to beg for death, to plead for the sweet release of the grave. And when he did, she would deny him.

This was her purpose. This was why she was reborn. To exact her revenge, no matter how long it took.

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