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EPISODE 1 (Continued): "Enemies?"
It was supposed to be a simple assassination. Yuzuki Ayanami, a Krypton-Lotus-Citrix top killer, was sent to Monaco to eliminate Dante Valente, the idiotic yet dangerously well-connected heir to the Italian Quota for Rosa Marcia, one of the most notorious mafia families in Europe. A bullet to the head. A quick getaway. In and out. Simple.
Instead, here they were—locked in an absurd situation of forced union, with fire everywhere, half the casino in flames, and the two most powerful crime families in the world watching them from above like puppet masters.
Yuzuki stood in her ruined wedding dress, staring at Dante with a growing sense of disbelief.
“You signed a contract!” Don Hiroshi Ayanami, her cold-blooded father and mafia leader, boomed from above. His image flickered in the hologram like a stern, no-nonsense apparition.
“Yuzuki, you don’t have a choice!” Don Lorenzo Valente, Dante’s dramatic father, chimed in, his face illuminated by a golden halo of chaos. “We’ve already filed everything. Everything.”
“I DID NOT SIGN ANYTHING!” Yuzuki yelled back, her voice cutting through the confusion. “I didn’t even agree to this!”
“You did. In blood. At your birthday party,” Don Hiroshi answered coldly, the hologram’s eyes flashing. “We’ve been planning this for months. You signed on the dotted line before you could even spell your own name.”
Dante, still holding the kitten as if his life depended on it, looked like he might faint. “Wait. Wait. This is a marriage contract?!”
Yuzuki clenched her fists, her gun now dangerously aimed at Dante’s forehead.
“This is a disaster!” she snapped. “I’ve been sent here to kill you—and now I’m supposed to marry you to stop some war?!”
Dante blinked, eyes wide and suddenly gleaming with that ridiculous sense of over-the-top optimism that always managed to get on her last nerve.
“Well, if I’m gonna die,” he said dramatically, “I may as well go out with style. Maybe we could honeymoon in Venice? You know… I’m an excellent gondolier. You’ll love it.”
“I’ll love it?” Yuzuki’s voice rose. “You’re delusional! I can’t even stand to look at you—let alone marry you!”
Dante, unfazed by her threats, suddenly brightened. “Is that… is that a challenge?”
Before Yuzuki could retort, a cacophony of gunshots rang out across the casino, followed by the deafening sound of an explosion. More flames licked at the walls, and the hotel shook beneath their feet.
A voice, smooth and cultured, called out from the wreckage: “Now, now, darling, no need to get violent.”
A new figure stepped into view, wearing an all-black suit and a long, flowing coat—a woman with striking, pale blue eyes and fiery red hair. She held a sleek black umbrella, even though it wasn’t raining, and there was a sort of calm elegance to her despite the chaos surrounding them.
Yuzuki’s eyes narrowed. She recognized this woman—Elara Vesper, the heir to the rival mafia syndicate Azure Hawk, and someone who was not exactly friendly to the Valentes. She had more than one reason to hate both Dante and Yuzuki, and right now, it seemed she was here to stir up trouble.
“You’ve made a real mess of things, haven’t you?” Elara said, her voice dripping with disdain as she strolled toward them. “A marriage between the Valente and Ayanami families? A real masterpiece, I must say.” She looked up at the holograms of their respective fathers, her lips curling into a mocking smile.
“No one asked you, Elara,” Yuzuki spat.
Elara ignored her, turning to Dante with a wicked grin. “So, this is how it ends, huh? Betrothed to a killer. How… poetic.”
Dante, ever the optimist, blinked at her. “Well, it’s not so bad. I mean, Yuzuki doesn’t seem that bad. She’s tough. And fiery. She could probably—”
“I WILL KILL YOU IF YOU DON’T SHUT UP RIGHT NOW.”
Elara raised an eyebrow. “Touchy, aren’t we?”
Yuzuki’s gun was back in her hand, cocked and ready to fire, but just as she was about to take the shot, the entire casino shook once more as another explosion rang out. This time, it was closer—way too close.
“WE REALLY NEED TO LEAVE, DON’T YOU THINK?!” Dante shouted, his face panic-stricken.
Yuzuki’s mind raced as the smoke began to clear. It wasn’t just their families who were involved in this mess. There was something bigger at play—something that was threatening to swallow them all.
Without thinking, she grabbed Dante by the collar, yanked him behind her, and shoved him toward the exit.
“We’re leaving now,” she snapped. “We’ll talk about your ridiculous wedding later.”
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EPISODE 2: "Fake Marriage, Real Murder"
Location: Valente-Ayanami Neutral Mansion, Somewhere in the Swiss Alps
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The mansion loomed in the distance like a fortress, a sprawling structure perched on the side of a snow-capped mountain, surrounded by high walls and the ever-present sense of impending doom. It was a place meant for the important, the powerful, and, most importantly, the untouchable.
Yuzuki stared at the mansion, the weight of her new reality pressing down on her.
“Welcome to the honeymoon suite, darling,” Dante said sarcastically, as he opened the door to the grand entryway. “Let me show you to our love nest.”
“I’d rather die,” Yuzuki muttered under her breath.
As they entered, Yuzuki immediately noticed the weirdest, most absurd thing about the mansion. It wasn’t the ornate paintings of Don Lorenzo Valente posing heroically with golden rifles, or the lavish crystal chandeliers that seemed too fancy for anyone’s good. No. It was the pillows. Heart-shaped, pink, absurdly large pillows arranged everywhere.
“Why are there so many?” she asked, her hand twitching for her knife.
“We’re married now, you know. This is what married couples do, right?” Dante asked, wide-eyed and utterly serious. “I thought I’d start with a pillow fort—it’s a symbol of trust.”
“Trust?” Yuzuki repeated incredulously. “What the hell are you talking about?”
But before she could throw a pillow at his head, the sound of the mansion’s massive doors opening interrupted them. A group of suited butlers stepped inside, each carrying a variety of gifts—wine, chocolates, and a towering stack of paperwork.
Yuzuki didn’t need to ask what the paperwork was for. It was the marriage contract, ready to be signed.
Dante’s face brightened as if he’d been given an early Christmas gift. “Let’s sign it, bella,” he said, grinning.
“I’d rather sign my death warrant,” Yuzuki replied darkly, her eyes narrowed.
The butlers exchanged uncomfortable glances. One of them cleared his throat.
“It’s non-negotiable, Ms. Ayanami,” he said nervously.
Yuzuki turned to Dante. “This is what you do, huh? You just sign contracts and hope everyone believes this charade?”
“No, no. I’m very good at it,” Dante responded, raising his hand as if to reassure her. “Watch.”
He reached for a pen, and just as he was about to sign his name, there was a loud crash from behind the mansion. A truck with Azure Hawk branding had rammed through the gates, its engines roaring as it plowed toward them.
“You have got to be kidding me!” Yuzuki growled.
Dante stepped in front of her with a dramatic flair, as if he were the last line of defense.
“Get behind me, amore.”
Yuzuki rolled her eyes. “You’ve got to be joking.”
The truck screeched to a halt just outside, and the doors flung open. Several heavily armed Azure Hawk mercenaries stepped out, led by none other than Elara Vesper, who smirked from the front.
“Did you really think you could hide behind a marriage to avoid my wrath?” she called out, grinning like a cat that had just found a mouse.
Yuzuki felt the cold steel of her knives in her hands. Dante, meanwhile, was wiping his palms on his trousers and looking nervously at his new wife.
“Looks like the honeymoon’s over.”
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TO BE CONTINUED…
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