INDY

The first thing Rome did was gently grab Clara and pull her into his arms. Lucio straightened and cleared his throat, turning to the side and crossing his arms in front of his chest. 

Rome inspected Clara's wound carefully before turning to me with a sharp glare. I had the urge to raise both hands to claim my innocence, but I couldn't even do that. I-this character-had done this to Clara. 

"Lucio," he started off, his voice deeper than what I had imagined. No wonder he was the most wanted man in this country. I shook my head. I was getting distracted again. 

"Take Clara to the hospital."

"Yes, brother," Lucio said, bowing his head slightly.

Clara tried to counter his request. "It's really alright, Alpha. Lady Lucindabella didn't mean to do-"

Rome cut her right away. "No arguments."

Lucio took Clara's arm and pulled her in the direction of the clinic, glaring at me one last time.

Goodness, I may get cooked alive with how heated all of these people were staring at me-especially Rome. As soon as Clara was out of the room, his eyes stayed on me, burning. I looked around, evading his gaze. However, it was near impossible to ignore. His eyes were really piercing.

Curse me for writing him to be so handsome! 

"Everyone... leave."

There was a collective gasp heard inside the manor, one of them including mine. I didn't even realize I had done so. Rome truly had the aura of the main character.

Everyone scrambled, looking to be both satisfied and fearful at the same time.

Heck, I wrote this character from the inside and out, and he, too, was scaring me!

I turned around, preparing to bolt although I didn't know where, when I felt a strong hold on my arm. I flinched in pain and tried to jerk my arm away from his hold. However, it was no use. He pinned me down with a single hand and pulled me closer to him.

I could see his face more clearly from this angle, and I really did write him to be my ideal man in terms of looks. I tried to evade his gaze, but he held onto my chin with his free hand and forced me to look into his eyes. 

It was the gaze of a man who loathed me.

"What did you do this time?"

I opened my mouth to argue it wasn't me, but I couldn't even do that. I knew that I was the one who did it even though I technically did not.

"I know this might sound crazy-"

He scoffed, not letting me finish. "You can give me all the reasons in the world, but I still wouldn't believe you. Just because I went to another city for some business, you think I didn't hear about what you've been doing to Clara?"

I followed his words inside my head. He really spoke just as I wrote him to say.

"That was because you invited her to dinner! You've never invited me. Don't think that I didn't see you kiss her right after! She deserves everything I'm doing to her!"

Fuck. 

I covered my mouth once I realized those words came from me. I wasn't even aware of it. It seemed that this universe wanted to follow the script at all costs. 

His eyes darkened as his disdain increased further.

"Is that so?"

He chuckled without humor, pulling me even closer to him until his lips were just a breath against mine. I couldn't breathe properly, but even then, the minty scent of his hot breath filled my senses. 

"You've always tormented me for my kiss," he continued. "Is that all you want in order to leave me alone?"

My eyes widened. Right-I nearly forgot. This was the part where Rome finally kisses Lucinda to appease her obsessions. It was the scene right before asking her to break off the engagement, but Lucinda becomes even more obsessed right after and does everything within her power to stay with Rome! 

I needed to stop this before it happened.

However, before I could even react, I felt heat against my lips-a rough, wet sensation that left me gasping for air. My eyes widened even more before they closed when he held tighter onto my jaw.  

Rome kissed me fervently, and although all I could feel was hatred, the sparks that went through my body were also undeniable. I had been kissed in my older body, but it never felt like this. I guess the mate bond really doesn't lie.  

It felt so good that I found myself letting out a small sound against his lips despite my reluctance. He deepened the kiss even more, massaging my tongue with his, making me release another moan.  

"Rome," I said his name unconsciously.  

With my utterance, he pushed me away, making me feel more lightheaded than I already was. I couldn't comprehend anything for a couple of seconds, so I merely looked at his lips, which were red and bitten. However, the moment I looked into his eyes, I snapped back to reality.  

"You finally got your long-awaited kiss," he smirked. "That's what you wanted all along, right?"  

"Now, stop holding onto me."  

I looked down and saw that I was still holding onto his collar. I was about to pull away, but he didn't give me the opportunity to do so. He pushed my shoulder forcefully until I fell ass-first to the ground.  

"Ouch," I muttered, looking up at him.  

"That's just a fraction of what you did to Clara. I have been enduring until now because you are my mate, and we have been arranged by your father and mine. However, at this point, I cannot lie anymore."  

"I loathe you with all of my heart, and I will gladly die first rather than marry you in this lifetime."  

I felt a sharp ache inside my chest despite only having personally known this man for a couple of minutes. I clutched my chest, right where my heart was, and felt heat rise in the back of my eyes. I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried my hardest not to cry.  

Gosh. This mate bond was truly a pain in the ass. It was forcing me to feel things I didn't even feel!  

"You have stopped every attempt to break off this engagement, but this time, I'll make sure you won't succeed."  

He stepped closer and kneeled down, looking deep into my eyes, causing a tear to fall from my own.  

"If I could reject you at this moment, I would."

INDY

I sprinted upstairs where I knew my designated room was located. I hadn't been here before, but I knew the layout in the back of my mind-naturally, I was the one who wrote it. Pausing in the hallways, I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself after the intense interaction. 

It took a while before I finally calmed down. Then, the moment everything became clear, I slapped my cheeks multiple times, hoping to transport myself back to my small apartment. 

"This truly can't be real," I muttered, shaking my head while pacing back and forth. 

However, everything felt so vivid! Since the slap on the cheek didn't work, I proceeded to slam my head against the wall. That should do the trick, right? 

"Have you lost your mind?" 

I turned to the side and saw Lucio, the second Windsor, around the same age as Lucinda. In fact, the two of them were childhood friends before having a massive fall-out when Lucinda's uncle assassinated the Queen Windsor, their mother. 

Their whole lore was quite complex, but the gist was that Lucio also hated Lucinda. Well, everyone hated Lucinda. 

"I mean, you've already been crazy for a long time," he continued, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he stared condescendingly at me. "However, this just takes it up a notch." 

As he continued speaking, I took the time to study his features. He was as handsome as I had written him. He had a friendlier face than his brother, but his eyes also showed a lot of depth and pain. 

"Can you slap me?" I asked, hoping for this to be the final straw. 

An incredulous look crossed his face. "You've really lost your mind. What kind of scheme are you plotting now? Do you want us to pity you after you pulled that stunt? No-that crime?" 

I bit my lip as he continued to lecture me. 

"Clara is an omega. She needs more nurturing. She is working in our household because she needs money to raise her brothers. She hasn't done anything wrong, but you've tormented her. You used your power as the daughter of the Lord Justiciar to bring about injustice in this household." 

"If it weren't for the fact that you and my brother are mates and that my father isn't indebted to your grandfather, then you would have been kicked out long ago. You wouldn't even be able to step into this household." 

"I wish you would just disappear." 

"Trust me," I whispered. "I do too." 

I said it quietly, but with his heightened senses, he must have heard me. 

"What?" he asked, appearing in disbelief at what he had just heard. 

I ran my fingers through my hair. "Trust me," I repeated, looking into his eyes. "I also want to get out of this place." 

He was stunned for a couple of seconds before a humorous chuckle escaped his lips. "Well, that's the first time you said something like that. Reverse psychology, is that it? That won't work this time around." 

"You nearly killed Clara. If it weren't for me finding the situation early, then you would have succeeded in your evil plan." 

I waved him off, feeling my head ache even more. 

The longer I stayed here, the more real everything felt. 

"See?" he exclaimed. "You don't even care about what you did. That's the kind of person you are." 

"My brother has been through a lot," he continued. "You're making it harder for him to live his life peacefully." 

I looked into his eyes and saw the sincerity in them. I knew how much Lucio admired his older brother, and a big part was because Rome was the one who comforted Lucio when their mother died. Their father, the Wolf King, had always been busy, so Rome acted like a father to his brothers, especially to Lucio. 

"Don't worry," I said right away. "I won't bother him from now on." 

He scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Like I'm going to believe that. I best be on my toes from now on. You must be planning something even grander." 

He walked past me, bumping against my shoulder forcefully in the process. I stumbled to the wall, hitting my head. I closed my eyes once more and massaged my temples. 

"Well, I really do feel the love," I muttered sarcastically. 

Observing my surroundings, I recognized the colorful door at the very end of the hallway. I knew it was mine because it was painted gold-a stark contrast to the natural wood color of the other doors. Lucinda had always been extra in many ways, and she made sure to make it known to everyone. 

I walked briskly to the room, slamming the door shut once I arrived. I flinched the moment I saw the interior. It was even worse than I had imagined. I also loved color, but this was just too much. All of the bright colors were uneasy on the eyes, and they made my head hurt even more. 

Still, I went to the bed and closed my eyes, processing everything that was happening. One moment, my mom was telling me to die, and the next second, I felt like I actually did. However, instead of spawning in the afterlife, I was in my book-the one that had been the subject of my curses. 

Was the universe taking revenge on me for making the main characters suffer so much before they could achieve a happy ending? Or did my readers succeed in their black magic and successfully transform me to become the most cruel character in my story? 

Either way, I already knew that I wasn't dreaming. I opened my eyes again and went to the windows, opening them slightly. I gasped in amazement the moment the view revealed itself. The sun was just about to set, casting a magical glow on the garden and the overlooking view of the entirety of the city. 

At that moment, I realized that I didn't have the luxury of looking outside of my window. It had been a long time since I had done so. In fact, I didn't remember a time when I felt this relaxed. The world, which was so beautiful, appeared bland in my eyes because I was stuck in a mundane routine. 

I placed my hands on the ledge of the window and closed my eyes, inhaling the late afternoon breeze. I didn't know if the universe was playing a cruel joke on me or if it had taken pity on my older body. 

Back then, it felt impossible to live for myself. 

However, with this chance, I might be able to live peacefully as I wanted.

INDY  

"Okay, so this is really happening," I muttered, finally coming to accept everything. I realized I hadn't looked at myself just yet, so I went to the bathroom, which once again felt larger than my past apartment, and turned on the lights.  

A figure stared back at me, making me flinch instantly.  

The girl staring back at me had big, artificially curly hair, dark makeup, and a very ill-fitting gown. Seriously! No wonder I was getting lightheaded. Who wears a corset indoors?  

Still, her striking features couldn't be hidden. She had a button nose, big light brown eyes, and plump, pink lips. Her skin was more on the olive side, and her hair appeared to have natural highlights.  

Reaching for my back, I quickly unraveled the corset, sighing in relief when I could finally breathe properly. Then, I went to the shower and turned on the heater to its full capacity, making sure to wash everything off. I didn't mind how the water slightly scalded my skin. I felt like I needed to go through a deep cleanse.  

A couple of minutes later, I emerged from the shower and wiped off the fog that had accumulated on the mirrors. The girl stared back at me again, and this time, I couldn't help but smile.  

"Better," I muttered.  

Despite Lucinda having a sharp personality, her face was anything but. She had rounder features and was more on the cute side, so she used dark makeup and loud hair to match her personality. However, she looked much better like this. Or maybe it was because I actually saw my past self in her image.  

I wrapped my hair in a towel and went to the closet, once again flinching at the choice of clothing. My eyes scanned for the simplest pair of pajamas and quickly placed them on my body.  

Once I was completely dressed, I rummaged through the drawers until I found what I was looking for.  

"Aha," I smiled, grabbing a notebook and a pen. I opened it quickly but stopped when I saw the poems that Lucinda had written. I paused for a while and read the contents.  

"They're all about Rome," I muttered, shaking my head.  

Yeah, this girl was completely obsessed. I quickly ripped out the pages and threw them in the trash. That obsession needs to change from now on.  

With that, I wrote something on the top of the blank page-The Wolf Prince and the White Rose.  

The idea came to me like a fever dream. I was literally running a fever when I wrote it. Werewolf tropes were still trending, and I decided to try out my luck once more.  

On the same evening, Romanov Windsor and Clara Saint were born.  

Their story was set in the werewolf country of Algard, where the royal family Windsor ruled. Algard was composed of multiple packs; however, they all bowed to the royal family of Windsor. They were given that title because they were a family of True Alphas. The Windsors were born leaders-the chosen ones by the Moon Goddess. Their strength was instinctive, making their authority unquestioned. Even when they married into other packs, their children were always Alphas. It was written into the world itself.  

Below the royals were the packs, divided into Alphas, Betas, and Omegas. I'd written Alphas as powerful and respected, Omegas as cherished and protected. Betas... Betas were ordinary. They were useful but replaceable. It was cruel, looking back, but at the time, I was tired of stories where only Omegas suffered. I made Betas the overlooked ones instead.  

Lucindabella Pendragon was a Beta.  

She belonged to one of the most important families in the country, second only to the royal house itself. The Court of the Justiciar, the COJ, existed to keep the royal family and the packs in check. They oversaw laws, disputes, and abuses of power.  

Lucinda's grandfather, Dragon Pendragon, had been legendary. It was already evident in his name. He was the one who had introduced the Wolf King and Queen in the first place, a match that had turned into genuine love. Because of that, the Windsors owed the Pendragons a debt they never quite repaid.

When Dragon died, Lucinda's father, Gideon Pendragon, took his place. He was just as capable and admired. His children were powerful too-gifted with sharp senses and dominant auras.  

Lucinda was the odd one out.  

She was born a Beta with ordinary senses and no natural authority. She grew up knowing she wasn't enough, no matter how important her last name was. And when she met Romanov Windsor for the first time, that insecurity latched onto him like a lifeline.  

Rome was powerful and destined to rule. In Lucinda's mind, Rome was the perfect man for her. She fell in love at first sight and hadn't turned back since.  

Rome never saw her that way. In fact, he hated how obsessive she was and how hard she tried to get his attention.  

That resentment only deepened after his mother died. Queen Faith Windsor was killed by Bronson Pendragon-Lucinda's uncle, the family's disgrace. Dragon Pendragon had exiled him himself, but it didn't matter. Blood was blood. Rome was young when it happened but old enough to remember the grief and learn hatred.  

From that moment on, the Pendragon name was tainted in his eyes.  

Lucinda, desperate and stubborn, only pushed harder.  

When she turned twenty-one, she discovered their mate bond. Fate itself had tied her to Rome. Rome was twenty-five then. The bond felt like another trap to him.  

However, Lucinda was quickly arranged to marry Rome, spearheaded by her father. The Wolf King agreed, cornered by his debt to the late Pendragon. Although Rome never consented, he endured the mandate of his father.  

That was when the story truly turned dark.  

Lucinda tried everything to win him over through pressure and manipulation. Eventually, she became even more obsessive. I didn't shy away from it when I wrote it. I made her cruel, obsessive, and impossible to defend. I needed a villain, and I made sure she earned the role.  

Then Clara Saint arrived three months into their engagement.  

Clara was poor, gentle, and burdened with responsibility far too young. She was the same age as Lucinda but was much wiser. She worked to support her younger brothers and never asked for more than she needed. I wrote her as warmth in a cold world. She didn't fall into Rome's arms immediately. Their love grew slowly, and Lucinda stood in the way of all of it.  

The story revolved around Rome and Clara trying to escape her influence, her family, and the power of the Court of the Justiciar. It was painful and full of longing and angst. 

No wonder the readers complained constantly. It was truly a frustrating read. Just when they thought everything would finally get resolved, I found a way for the main characters to suffer again.  

I closed my eyes and exhaled.  

"Yeah," I muttered. "I deserve every curse."  

Now that I was here, knowing all of this, one thing was clear-if I followed the original path, I would die a painful death.  

However, that didn't have to be the case.  

I know the challenges that Rome and Clara would face, and I can help them avoid it. I'll make sure that they have the sweetest love story by staying as far as possible.  

I nodded to myself, determined with this resolution.  

With that, I need to accomplish the first step.  

Breaking off the engagement.