The Villain Who Stole Hearts
Chapter 123: Sierra’s Rage and Joy

Chapter 123: Sierra’s Rage and Joy

Evening. Veyport. The villa district. Living room.

Veil sat back on the couch with his legs crossed, letting out a long, steady breath.

Funny thing was, ever since he arrived in this world, he’d been living in this villa. And now, after all this time, it actually started to feel a bit like home.

"Tea," said a soft, melodic voice.

Sierra walked in, dressed like a belly dancer. A sheer veil of purple silk wrapped her figure, giving her a sultry, exotic allure.

She carried the tea set with a practiced grace, the tiny bells on her hips jingling sweetly with every step.

Veil might have been away for a while, but they’d stayed in touch—especially with Sierra. Whenever Alice was tied up with work at the orphanage, Sierra would come over to handle things around the house.

Didn’t matter if anyone was home or not. The chores still needed doing. And her outfit of the day? Always personally selected by him.

Today’s theme: belly dancer cosplay.

Veil reached out and pulled her onto his lap.

The bells rang again as she landed lightly against him. Sierra tensed up, visibly uncomfortable, resisting just enough to make her displeasure clear.

Veil chuckled.

"What, we’ve been apart for a little while and suddenly all the chemistry we built up just disappeared?"

Sierra played dumb.

"What chemistry? I don’t know what you’re talking about."

Veil gestured with his chin toward the coffee table.

What did she think he meant?

She brought the tea—what, now she wasn’t even going to feed it to him?

Sierra stood, picked up the cup, and silently offered it to him. No words. No expression. And when Veil tried to pull her back onto his lap, she resisted again—firmly, this time.

What the hell?

Even Veil was thrown for a moment.

Was she still stuck in that damn bunny-girl roleplay? Just because she wasn’t wearing ears anymore didn’t mean she wasn’t still acting out the whole "pretend I don’t want it" thing?

"The housework’s done. I cleaned up your bedroom, too. Can I leave now?" Sierra asked coldly, standing a safe distance away.

"No," Veil said flatly.

Sierra’s brows furrowed.

"Why not? When you’re home, I have to follow your every little command. When you’re gone, you only contact me when it’s convenient for you. When it’s not, you just ignore me like I’m not even here. What do you think I am? Some kind of tool you can just pick up and put down whenever you feel like it?"

Her voice was rising, sharp now—accusatory.

Sure, she needed something from Veil. She wasn’t going to pretend otherwise.

But still—was this really how little she mattered to him?

When he was around, he played with her like a toy. When he wasn’t, she could text him for days and not get a single reply. And after a while, it stopped feeling like he was just busy. It started to feel like she’d been tossed aside—discarded.

That kind of emotional silence, that neglect, hurt more than any physical punishment.

"Oh? And what exactly are you then?" Veil shot back, voice low and cold. "Some highborn princess from the Davenport family? Did you forget who you are?"

He sneered.

No wonder she’d been so moody lately. So touchy.

Of course. She was still a spoiled, arrogant rich girl at heart.

She couldn’t even hide her feelings—every thought spilled right out of her mouth.

Not that Veil believed for a second she was acting out of jealousy.

He wasn’t that delusional.

No—this wasn’t about love. This was about pride. About the sharp sting of being needed... and then not. Of being sought after... and then forgotten.

It was just like those stories—some poor sap writing love letters to a gorgeous girl day after day, even when she turned him down again and again.

But then one day... he stops.

And suddenly, the one who’s upset isn’t him—it’s her. Because deep down, she’d gotten used to that attention. Used to being wanted. And when it disappeared, so did something else she didn’t even realize she’d started depending on.

The specifics were different, sure. But the emotional math? It was exactly the same.

Some women hide that feeling.

Others lash out.

Sierra was clearly the second kind.

"Remember who you are," Veil said, his voice sharp enough to cut steel.

"If I tell you to come, you come.

If I say you can leave, then you leave.

Not happy about it?

Too bad.

This is your first warning. Next time you act like this—you don’t get to come back at all."

He stared at her coldly, no hint of comfort or compassion in his eyes.

That feeling of distance?

If Sierra wanted to play that game—he could play it better.

It’s all a game anyway, right?

And he knew the rules just fine.

...

"Lancaster Master..."

A young woman in a light blue knitted top and a flimsy, ultra-short skirt stepped through the doorway, her long legs moving gracefully as she walked into the room.

"Sit."

Veil gestured toward the sofa opposite him.

The girl wasn’t a stranger. She was a second-tier actress who had shown up as soon as he announced casting for the new project.

With a seductive smile on her face, the girl said, "Mr. Lancaster, my name is Madison. I’ve starred in Leaving You, Doll Tales, and a few other films. I have solid acting experience—I’m confident I can meet your expectations."

Veil shot a glance at Sierra, who was still standing off to the side, and let out a quiet, contemptuous laugh. He looked back at Madison and sneered, "A few trashy films that gained attention by pushing boundaries. You really think that’s enough to land you a role in my production?"

He had never heard of Madison before this. But Kai had done his job.

A little digging had revealed the whole story—Madison was just another actress who had made a name for herself through risqué roles. Her only noteworthy feature was her chest.

Madison, however, wasn’t the least bit offended. In fact, she was secretly delighted.

When she first walked in and saw Sierra, she was stunned. She hadn’t expected anyone to get here ahead of her—let alone dressed to kill in a sultry dancer outfit.

That shook her.

The casting news for Legend of Heroes had made it clear: the female lead was already locked in—Anna. And Anna’s massive popularity meant one thing—this show was going to be big. Guaranteed.

Even a supporting role, second or third lead, could be a career-defining opportunity.

She couldn’t afford to screw this up.

With Sierra in the room, Madison kept her approach polite and professional, introducing herself properly. But inside, she was fuming with jealousy—and just a little bit intimidated.

Still, Veil’s eyes never strayed far from her chest.

Typical man.

She knew exactly how to play this game.

Madison straightened her back, pushing her chest out just a little more. Then, pouting slightly, she said in a soft voice, "Mr. Lancaster, I’ve been looking for a project where I can show off my true acting abilities, but I’ve never gotten the chance. I want to be famous, to be a star like Miss Anna. I only took those other roles out of desperation. I’m not proud of them. They’re not who I am."

She leaned forward, growing more animated. Then, standing up from the sofa, she brushed past Sierra—intentionally bumping her shoulder—before sitting down right next to Veil and grabbing his hand with both of hers.

"Please, Mr. Lancaster. Just give me a chance. I do have talent. I have so much potential. Whatever kind of actress you’re looking for, I can be her."

She took his hand and placed it firmly against the left side of her chest, as if daring him to feel how fiercely her heart was beating for this dream.

Veil, ever the professional, believed it was essential for a director to understand the motivations behind every aspiring actor.

So even if he wasn’t moved, he was willing to listen.

But as Madison poured her heart out and Veil’s fingers adjusted slightly, he suddenly felt something...off.

Before he could frown or react, Sierra had already snapped.

"Are you blind?! There’s someone else in the room—you don’t feel even a shred of shame?"

Madison glanced at Veil and, seeing his expression darken slightly, seized the opportunity.

She stood and fired back at Sierra, pointing a finger at her face. "And who the hell are you? Do you think anyone wants to hear what you have to say? You’re lucky I don’t throw you out myself. Are you seriously accusing me of disrespecting Mr. Lancaster?"

Sierra had already been simmering. From childhood, she’d never known humiliation—until Veil. Since meeting him, she’d endured insult after insult. And now, threatened and powerless, she couldn’t even walk out on her own terms.

The anger that had built up finally exploded.

"And what are you? A D-list actress who spreads her legs to get a headline. You’re disgusting. Don’t you feel the slightest bit of shame parading around like this in front of me?"

Madison laughed, amused by the outburst.

To her, Sierra was just another jealous woman losing her grip.

She sneered, "Can’t handle the heat? Then leave."

"You want me to leave?" Sierra barked back. "What gives you the right?"

Madison sat back down on the sofa, curled up against Veil’s side, and with a sugary sweet voice said, "Mr. Lancaster, please make her leave. Didn’t you say you wanted to see some acting? I can show you. Right here, right now."

She leaned in even closer, slipping Veil’s arm around her chest, practically pressing herself against him.

Sierra looked at Veil, her eyes still burning with anger, but suddenly filled with uncertainty.

Was he... really going to throw her out?

Yes, she had wanted to leave—but not like this. Not because some two-bit starlet managed to weasel her way into the room and push her out. That would be humiliating.

She would rather stay and be scolded by Veil than be cast aside by Madison’s manipulations.

But what could she do?

She’d already crossed the line with Veil. And now, she was just in the way.

She had no leverage, no move left to make.

She clenched her fists, biting her lip as her vision blurred with emotion. Her eyes shut tight, bracing herself for what she knew was coming.

"Get out."

The command dropped like a guillotine.

Sierra’s heart sank. The shame hit her like a tidal wave. She almost burst into tears on the spot.

She spun on her heel, desperate to flee—not wanting to see Veil’s cold expression, not wanting to give Madison the satisfaction of watching her fall apart.

But just as she turned, she heard Madison let out a startled gasp.

Sierra instinctively looked back.

Madison was on the floor, having been shoved off the couch. She stared up at Veil in shock, her voice trembling, "Mr. Lancaster... what are you doing?"

"I said get out. Are you deaf?"

Veil’s face was stone-cold.

His disgust was real.

Madison had always just been a pawn—a prop meant to provoke Sierra.

But what he didn’t expect was that Madison’s chest, her supposed best feature, wasn’t even real.

The moment his fingers touched it, he realized the truth.

The revulsion was instant. It was like stepping in bird shit barefoot.

He wanted to scrub his hands raw.

Madison fled in panic.

She knew exactly what kind of power it took to bring someone like Anna on board—and she knew she didn’t have it.

No amount of seduction was going to save her now.

She didn’t just leave the house. She left Veyport City.

Behind her, Sierra remained frozen in place, watching Veil’s side profile with wide, stunned eyes.

There was no way to describe what she was feeling.

But deep down... buried beneath the confusion and uncertainty...

There was a flicker of something else.

Joy.