Assistant to the Villain, #3
Accomplice to the Villain
by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Contents
Chapter 2
Overview
Trystan tortures himself by keeping distance from Evie after a destiny monster foretold they would ruin each other. Unable to shut her out, he watches her cross the office and formally approach him. Their brittle reunion is interrupted when Trystan notices Evie’s hands are smeared with blood, escalating concern and tension.
Summary
Trystan, determined to protect his bond with Evie by staying away, endures two agonizing weeks of forced distance. He keeps his office door ajar just to hear Evie humming, while recalling the destiny monster’s pronouncement that they would be each other’s downfall and undoing. He clings to the plan that distance might avert fate.
As the office buzz swells, Evie enters the main workspace and walks toward him, drawing unwelcome stares. Trystan fights to remain impassive, simmering when a finance worker briefly stops Evie with a suggestive whisper. He resolves petty, protective thoughts even as he refuses to close himself off from her completely.
Evie greets Trystan formally for the first time in nearly a fortnight and hands him a small bundle of notes. Their restraint strains under buried feeling—his voice rough, her expression cool in response to his stoicism—as they attempt a professional exchange.
Trystan breaks the facade by pointing out what Evie seems to hide: her hands are covered in blood. The discovery shatters the careful distance he hoped to maintain, shifting their interaction from avoidance to immediate concern and raising urgent, unanswered questions about what happened to Evie.
Who Appears
- Trystan Arthur MaverineThe Villain; avoids Evie due to a ruinous prophecy, yet confronts her after spotting blood on her hands.
- Evie SageApproaches Trystan with notes after two weeks of distance; remains formal; her hands are unexpectedly bloodied.
- Finance workerLeers and whispers to Evie as she passes, provoking Trystan’s protective anger.