THE VILLAIN I LOVED

CHAPTER ONE Evan Hart hated the ending. He stared at the last page of The Black Crown with a frown, his thumb resting against the corner of the book. "No. No, no, no." He read the final paragraph again. It didn't change. Lucian Vale was dead. After everything—the schemes, the betrayals, the countless attempts to destroy Adrian Blackwood—his story ended with his body lying cold on the marble floor of the royal palace. Adrian stood over him. The hero had won. The villain had lost. The end. Evan slowly lowered the book onto his chest. "That is such a stupid ending." His bedroom was dark except for the weak light from his bedside lamp. It was well past midnight, but he had refused to sleep until he finished the novel. And now he regretted it. Not because the book was bad. The book was ridiculously good. He'd stayed up far too many nights for it, ignoring assignments, ignoring sleep, ignoring everything except the next chapter. That was the problem. He had spent three days reading about Adrian and Lucian, watching their relationship turn from rivalry into hatred, and somehow the character he had become most attached to was the villain. Lucian was arrogant. Manipulative. Possessive. He was also intelligent, fiercely loyal, and strangely lonely. Evan had never believed Lucian was completely evil. "He could have just talked to Adrian," he muttered. Instead, Lucian had spent the entire novel making one terrible decision after another. And now he was dead. Evan picked up his phone and opened the reader app again. The comments beneath the final chapter were filled with crying emojis and people celebrating Adrian's victory. Finally! Lucian got what he deserved. Adrian is free! The villain is dead! Best ending ever. Evan rolled his eyes. "None of you understand him." He tossed his phone aside. Tomorrow, he would probably forget about the novel. At least, that was what he thought. He closed his eyes. And everything went black. --- The first thing Evan noticed was the smell. Something sweet. Floral. Expensive. His brows pulled together. He shifted beneath what felt like an enormous blanket. Why was his bed so soft? He opened his eyes. A chandelier glittered above him. Evan stared. He blinked. Then blinked again. "What...?" He sat upright. This wasn't his bedroom. The walls were covered in dark green wallpaper. Heavy curtains framed enormous windows. A fireplace stood across the room, surrounded by carved marble. Beside the bed was a table holding a silver tray, a crystal glass, and a vase filled with fresh white roses. The air smelled faintly of wax and perfume, expensive in a way his own apartment never had been. Evan slowly looked down at himself. He was wearing a white sleeping shirt. Not his. He threw the blanket aside and climbed out of bed. His bare feet touched a thick carpet. "This isn't funny." He searched the room for his phone. Nothing. His heart began beating faster. Then he noticed the mirror. It stood near the wardrobe, framed in gold. Evan walked toward it. One step. Then another. He stopped. The man staring back at him was not Evan Hart. He was young. Beautiful. Pale. His black hair fell messily across his forehead, and his sharp features looked like they belonged on the cover of an expensive fashion magazine. Evan touched his face. The reflection did the same. His breathing stopped. "No." He stepped closer. "No, no, no." He knew that face. He knew it better than he wanted to. His fingers trembled as they touched the mirror. "Lucian?" A knock suddenly sounded at the door. Evan jumped. Before he could answer, the door opened. A young maid stepped inside carrying fresh clothes. She stopped when she saw him standing in front of the mirror. "Good morning, Young Master." Evan stared at her. His pulse hadn't slowed since he opened his eyes, and it showed no sign of doing so now. The maid smiled politely. "Your bath is ready." He couldn't speak. She placed the clothes on the chair. "Lord Vale also asked me to remind you that you have an appointment this afternoon." Evan finally found his voice. "With who?" The maid looked confused. "With Lord Adrian Blackwood." The room seemed to shrink around him. Evan's stomach dropped. Adrian. Blackwood. The male lead. The man who killed Lucian. He turned back toward the mirror. The beautiful face staring at him suddenly looked like a death sentence. "No." The maid frowned. "Young Master?" "When did I..." His voice cracked. "When did I meet Adrian?" "You have known Lord Adrian since childhood." Evan's heart sank even further. Of course. He wasn't arriving at the beginning of the novel. He had entered the story at the worst possible time. He remembered this part. Lucian's obsession with Adrian had already begun. There was supposed to be a private meeting that afternoon. Lucian had planned to give Adrian an expensive watch and confess his feelings. Adrian would reject him. Lucian would become furious. Then, over the next few months, his behavior would become increasingly destructive. Evan closed his eyes. He remembered the ending. The palace. The blood. Adrian standing over Lucian's body. He opened his eyes again. "No." The maid looked even more confused. "Master?" "I need you to cancel the meeting." She hesitated. "Cancel... Lord Blackwood's visit?" "Yes." "May I ask why?" "Because I don't want to see him." The words left his mouth before he could stop them. The maid stared at him as though he had suddenly grown another head. Evan didn't blame her. Apparently, Lucian Vale would rather set himself on fire than willingly miss an opportunity to see Adrian Blackwood. He walked toward the wardrobe, still trying to process everything. He had read this story. He knew what happened. He knew everyone who would betray him. He knew which choices would lead to his downfall. He knew, too, exactly how little any of that had mattered in the end. Most importantly, he knew the man who would eventually kill him. Evan looked at his reflection one more time. "I'm not dying." He pointed at the mirror. "I don't care what the story says." Then he remembered something. The original Lucian had been given a chance to meet Adrian that afternoon. He had accepted. He had smiled. He had prepared a gift. And that single meeting had been the beginning of everything. Evan immediately turned toward the maid. "Listen carefully." "Yes, Young Master?" "Cancel the meeting." "But Lord Blackwood is already on his way." Evan froze. "What?" The maid lowered her head. "He left Blackwood Estate an hour ago." Evan stared at her. Outside the window, the gates of Vale Manor opened. A black carriage rolled through. His blood ran cold. The carriage stopped in front of the house. A man stepped out. Tall. Dark-haired. Dressed entirely in black. Evan knew that face. Adrian Blackwood had arrived. And judging by the expression on his face... the story had already begun. Back