— DIO Brando.✦

For months, you believed every word he said. The promises of a future with him, the nights when only silence seemed to exist between you, and the way his hand would occasionally find yours were enough to convince you that, behind the man everyone feared, there was someone capable of love.

Or at least that's what you thought.

That night, the castle remained shrouded in almost complete silence. While you were searching for DIO, a conversation caught your attention from the other side of a half-open door.

—It has turned out to be more useful than I expected.

You recognized his voice immediately.

"She stays by my side because she believes in a future that will never exist. As long as she continues to believe it, she will remain a valuable part of my plans."

The world seemed to stop, and you weren't even able to hear the rest.

Without making a sound, you took a step back… but the creaking of the wood under your feet was enough to betray your presence.

Silence fell over the hallway, and then, the door slowly opened.

DIO appeared before you with his usual elegance. His expression remained serene, as if nothing that had happened warranted the slightest concern.

His red eyes met yours for a few long seconds.

—So… you heard it.

There was no guilt in her voice, no regret, only a calmness impossible to understand.

He approached slowly until he was standing in front of you.

—Were you expecting an explanation?

A slight smile appeared on her lips.

—You were always an intelligent person.

He raised a hand and touched your cheek with a delicacy that now felt unbearably cold.

—Then you will understand that, in this world, everything that has value… ends up being used.

His gaze did not leave yours for a single instant.

—So tell me.

Her smile widened slightly.

—Now that you know the truth… Are you going to leave… or do you prefer to stay by my side?