𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃

Outplayed

My mind races, torn between two strategies. Should I play the naive fool or lay my cards on the table? At this point, it’s glaringly obvious that my mission has been compromised. Somehow, some way, he knows. As the car pulls up to the deserted rogue lab, the realization solidifies in my chest like a lead weight.

And when I find out who ratted me out, I swear—I’ll make them regret it. Morals be damned.

I bite the inside of my cheek, forcing myself to stay quiet as he parks the car with maddening ease. The lab is far removed from the city, surrounded by vast, empty land—precisely why I chose this location. The last thing I wanted was to risk innocent people being exposed to the virus. Now, that precaution feels like my undoing.

He steps out of the car with his usual unhurried grace, every movement calculated, like a predator fully aware that his prey has nowhere to run. For a fleeting moment, my survival instincts kick in, screaming at me to jump into the driver’s seat and floor it. Leave this place. Leave him. Leave everything.

But no. That’s too cowardly, even for me.

Before I can dwell on the thought, my door swings open. He’s there, his silhouette sharp against the muted light of the setting sun. His hand extends towards me, palm up, patient but expectant.

For a second, I hesitate, my gaze flickering between his face and his outstretched hand. There’s no mockery in his expression, no smugness—just that damn unreadable calm that makes my skin crawl.

I swallow hard, pushing down the surge of unease threatening to bubble over, and place my hand in his. His grip is firm, warm, and steady, a stark contrast to the storm raging inside me.

The moment our hands connect, a single thought pounds in my mind: This isn't going to end well.

He guides me into the structure, each step measured and deliberate, as if he owns the place. I know this lab better than anyone—the sterile zones, the layers of protection, the reinforced doors designed to keep the world safe from what’s inside. And yet, he opens each door with effortless precision, as though the building itself bends to his will.

It’s disorienting. Infuriating.

I expected to find the lab deserted, abandoned after my careful planning. But when the final door opens, I freeze.

The room isn’t empty.

My team of rogue scientists is here, bustling behind the glass panels, working with the precision I once admired. My stomach twists as they sense our presence and turn to face us. One by one, they bow—not just to me, but to him. To Wilde.

Rage surges through me, hot and bitter.

I’ve been outplayed.

The weight of it settles in my chest, heavy and suffocating. I don’t like losing. I don’t lose. And yet, here I am, standing in the ruins of my carefully laid plans.

Through the glass, one of the scientists raises a vial, the same one I’ve only seen in schematics and diagrams. They add a chemical, and I watch as the liquid inside shifts colors, a subtle reaction that confirms my worst fear.

The virus is gone.

There’s no relief in this revelation, no sense of triumph that the threat has been neutralized. Just a gnawing emptiness and the bitter taste of betrayal.

Who sold me out?

A low buzzing fills my ears, the world tilting for a moment as fury and disbelief collide inside me. I’m only dimly aware of Wilde stepping in front of me, his broad frame blocking my view of the scientists and their treacherous bows.

“Are you happy now?”

His voice is calm, steady, but there’s an edge beneath it, a challenge I can’t ignore. My fists clench at my sides, nails digging into my palms as I force myself to meet his gaze.

Happy? He took away my satisfaction and is asking me if I’m happy? No, I’m far from it. But I have to be practical. The danger has been neutralized, and my mission—technically—is complete. That should be enough.

Yet, when I try to speak, my throat tightens, the words lodging there like jagged stones. I can’t risk my voice cracking, betraying the storm of emotions roiling beneath my carefully composed mask. So I nod instead, a single, stiff movement.

A part of my rational mind screams that I should feel relief. After all, whatever his motives, Villain Sama has dismantled his own apocalypse plans. That means I’ve succeeded, right? I’ve stopped the virus. The logical side of me insists this is a victory, one that should be celebrated.

But emotions drown that voice out, leaving frustration, confusion, and anger to churn in their place, hot and relentless.

“Will you stay with me now?”

The question hangs in the air, almost unreal, as Wilde cups my face in his hands.

His voice is softer this time, disarming in its tenderness, and the unexpected shift jolts me. My breath catches, and my eyes snap to his, searching his dark gaze for answers. Stay with him? The words don’t make sense. What does he mean? Does he know I'm going to leave soon? How?

As if he can sense the turmoil behind my silence, Wilde continues. His lashes tremble, betraying a rare moment of vulnerability I never thought I’d witness. “Isn’t this why you got close to me?” he murmurs, his voice raw with an emotion I can’t quite name. “But I’ll do whatever you want me to do, so… can you not leave?”

My chest tightens. The unspoken plea in his tone, the crack in his otherwise unshakable demeanor—it roots me in place, rendering me motionless. I try to summon a response, to demand clarity, but the weight of the moment presses down on me, stealing my words.

Then, just as quickly as it appeared, the softness in his expression evaporates. It’s replaced by a sharp, familiar determination, the iron will I’ve come to associate with him. His hands drop away, leaving my skin cold, and his voice hardens, slicing through the tension like a blade.

“If you don’t,” he declares, his tone unyielding, “I’ll just make it again. It’s very easy for me.”

The air in the room shifts, heavy with the unspoken threat, the finality of his words slamming into me like a punch. My pulse roars in my ears, and my mind races as the meaning sinks in.

This isn’t over. It was never over.

It’s a chess match, and he’s just made his move, cornering me with an impossible choice.

Stay… or watch him rebuild the very thing I’ve sacrificed everything to destroy.

~VOTE, COMMENT, SHARE AND FOLLOW🩷~

A/N: It sucks that I can't put up a poll on wattpad.

But uh LEMME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS WHAT YOU GUYS THINK WILL HAPPEN
1. SHE STAYS WITH HIM
2. SHE LEAVES
Thank you for reading!