My Father Is the Deranged Second Male Lead

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My dad? Hes the quintessential villain, the kind of deranged secondary character you love to hate.

Hed planned to drug the heroine, intending a classic kidnap-and-imprisonment scenario, but ended up being intercepted by a forgotten side charactera woman who secretly adored him.

That woman, my mother, vanished overnight after I was born, leaving me on his doorstep. Naturally, my dad wanted to wring my neck.

Id often hear him loading a gun, muttering, "If it weren't for this burden, Mina and I would be together! One day, I swear, I'm going to finish her off."

The next moment, Id bat my big eyes, piping up in my baby voice, "Dada."

His menacing scowl would freeze solid.

Hed grumble about me being bad luck, yet still make me the best formula, kicking a bodyguard when the water was too hot.

His murderous intent never truly wavered.

Until I was six. Thats when Mina, the heroine whod been using my dad as a backup, finally showed up. "Just get rid of this bastard, and I'll agree to be with you."

My dad was crouched on the floor, assembling a Lego castle for me. He didnt even pause, just let out a dismissive scoff. "You? Don't flatter yourself."

The moment I woke up in this new body, things were dire.

I realized I was an infant, dangled upside down in mid-air.

The bodyguard holding me was on his knees, trembling.

On the plush leather sofa in front of us sat a man. He was undeniably handsome, but in a darkly charismatic way, with eyes like shards of ice that could give you chills with a single glance.

This was my dear, utterly unhinged father, Victor Howard.

"Since that woman fled, this thing is useless. Dispose of it."

His voice was devoid of warmth, as if he were discussing a bag of trash.

I was terrified, desperate to scream for help, but only whimpers and cries escaped my throat.

It was then that the system, in its usual slow manner, finally came online and briefed me on the plot.

Victor Howard. The storys unhinged secondary villain, madly in love with the heroine, Mina Vance.

Seeing Mina about to marry Ethan Thorne, the penniless hero with a brood of younger siblings, Victor spiraled into darkness.

He prepared sedatives, chains, and a secluded room, planning one last, desperate act.

But despite all his meticulous planning, he hadn't accounted for being waylaid by Elara Miller, a forgotten side character whod secretly harbored feelings for him.

Elara was a ruthless one herself. Mimicking Minas style, she slept with Victor, then disappeared, only to drop me, still a newborn, at the gates of the Howard Estate a year later.

Tucked into my swaddling was a note: Shes yours. Get a DNA test if you dont believe me.

The plot was so ludicrous it made my head throb.

Before I could internally curse out the systems entire lineage, Victors gaze swept over me. My crying made his brow furrow into a knot of annoyance.

"Too noisy."

The kneeling bodyguard tentatively asked, "Mr. Howard, shall we take care of the child now?"

No! Please, no!

Id just gotten this new life, dont cancel my account already!

Seeing Victor about to nod, my survival instincts flared, and I choked back my cries.

The system had told me I looked remarkably like Victor. Especially these eyes, a spitting image of his. Even a blind man could tell I was his biological child without a DNA test.

So, I blinked furiously, tears welling in my eyes but not quite falling, my nose bright red, trying my hardest to be adorable.

Sure enough, when Victor saw my eyes, he paused. The murderous intent in his gaze softened ever so slightly.

After a long moment, I heard him scoff coldly:

"Keep her for now."

"Once I find that woman, we'll settle everything together."

My heart, which had been lodged in my throat, finally settled back into my chest.

"Keeping her" basically meant tossing me into a guest room and leaving me to my own devices.

Victors grand estate was eerily quiet, not even a nanny in sight.

I was a baby, for heaven's sake! I had my pride, but more importantly, I needed to eat!

No one paid me any mind, so I cried. From morning till night, until my throat was raw and I nearly fainted from hunger.

Finally, Victor got fed up with my incessant wailing.

He stomped in, face dark, and summoned a line of bodyguards. In a fit of exasperation, he hired eight nannies for me.

Money really did solve everything.

In less than two months, I transformed from a scrawny monkey into a plump, smiling little dumpling, happy to greet everyone.

One day, Victor was passing by the nursery.

My sharp eyes spotted him instantly. I dont know where I found the courage, but I stretched out my two chubby little hands in his direction, giggling, wiggling in the nannys arms, desperate to get to him.

The nanny, ever quick to please, quickly chimed in, "Look, Mr. Howard, how much the baby adores you!"

"Who told you to call her the baby?"

Victor shot back, his face stone cold. The nannys face went white, terrified shed be thrown to the dogs the next second.

Victor glanced at me. Just as everyone expected him to erupt, he took off his chilled overcoat, tossing it carelessly to a nearby aide.

Then, he walked over and took me into his arms.

It was the first time my father had held me. His posture was stiff, as if he were cradling a bomb. His chest was hard and unyielding, uncomfortable against me, but I didn't dare move.

I forced a wide smile, showing off my two tiny front teeth, and snuggled my head into his chest.

In that instant, I felt Victors body tense. The scent of baby formula drifted into his nose.

He didn't even realize it, but the harsh lines on his face softened considerably.

He frowned and asked the nanny, "Didn't she eat today? She feels so light, all bones."

I glanced down at my arms, which looked like Michelin tires.

Ah, the classic "you're skinny because my dad thinks you're skinny" syndrome.

The nanny wiped a bead of cold sweat. "Mr. Howard, the child well, eating too much can cause indigestion. Her current weight is perfectly healthy."

Victor grunted in response, then disdainfully handed me back to the nanny.

He turned and walked away.

Watching his distant, aloof figure, the nannies huddled together, whispering:

"Does Mr. Howard like her or not?"

"I doubt it. You know Mr. Howard's temper. This child is just an accident. Who knows, she might be sent away any day."

"I heard the mother really messed with Mr. Howard. The fact he even let the child live is a miracle. Expecting fatherly affection is pushing it."

"Oh, poor thing. She's so adorable"

My head ached from their chatter, so I simply closed my eyes and pretended to sleep.

As long as he didnt kill me, I could survive. Victor was already willing to hold me; that was the first step to victory.

First, secure the powerful protector.

My progress was faster than I'd anticipated.

One day, Victor, for reasons unknown, decided to personally feed me. He held the bottle, gravely attempting to shove it into my mouth.

I stared in horror at the temperature indicator on the bottle: 70 degrees Celsius!

Dad, are you trying to scald me to death so you can inherit my diapers?

I shook my head violently, but hed put a woolen hat on me, wrapping my head like a ball, making it impossible to move. I tried to push his hand away, but my hands were tightly swaddled.

My eyes were wide as saucers, but Victor, mistaking it for coquettishness, curved his lips into what he thought was a gentle, yet chilling, smile. "Good girl, drink up."

Good girl, my ass!

I frantically called for the system in my mind.

Just as disaster was about to strike, the doorbell rang.

A woman's voice drifted in: "Victor, it's me."

Mina Vance. The heroine who had driven Victor to madness.

They hadn't seen each other since their last falling out. Victors hand twitched, nearly dropping the bottle. He shoved it into the nearest nannys hand, his expression instantly darkening.

The nanny, taking the bottle, winced as the heat seared her hand. She looked at me, and I looked at her.

Our eyes met, a shared moment of narrowly averted catastrophe.

The nanny whispered, "This poor child, without a mother, it's truly sad."

Another nanny leaned in. "Miss Vance is here; Mr. Howard will definitely send the child away. We'll all be out of a job."

"Shhh, quiet. We need to protect the baby."

My heart warmed at their words, but my ears were perked up, listening intently to the commotion outside.

"Mr. Howard, this is the wedding invitation for Julian and me."

Minas voice sounded delicate, almost tearful. "I still hope for your blessing."

"Get out."

My dad was succinct, not even glancing at the invitation.

Mina, undeterred,s eyes immediately welled up. "Victor, you know I grew up without parents. Ive always seen you as an older brother. For the most important moment of my life, I truly hope you can be there."

With that, she again offered the crimson invitation.

Victor stared intensely at the card. His fists clenched, knuckles cracking, veins bulging on the back of his hand. It was clear he was holding back. Holding back from strangling Mina, or perhaps dismembering the man named Julian.

Mina truly was ruthless. She knew Victor was unhinged, yet she was practically dancing on his landmines. Making him watch the woman he loved marry someone else? Wasn't this just pushing him further into madness?

According to the original plot, if Victor actually went to the wedding, he'd surely cause a fatality, leading to a grim ending behind bars. If he went to prison, my support system would collapse.

My days of luxury and abundance had barely lasted a year! No, I absolutely couldn't let my dad go to jail.

I took a deep breath, gathered my energy, and spat out my pacifier.

Under the nannies astonished gazes, I faced the living room and, with all my might, shouted:

"Da...da!"

"Dada...!"

"Dada dada!!!"

The living room fell into a deathly silence.

The invitation slipped from Mina's hand, hitting the floor with a soft thud.

Victor abruptly turned his head. He didn't even spare a glance for the aghast Mina, stumbling into the room. His amber eyes were filled with shock and panic.

He rushed to me, his hands trembling. "You... what did you just call me?"

I again extended my little arms, like lotus roots, struggling to reach his neck.

This time, Victor didn't hesitate, scooping me up. His movements were surprisingly fluid, almost painfully so.

I hugged his neck, rubbing my face against his, deploying every trick in my tiny arsenal, smiling as sweetly as I possibly could.

I kept calling out in his ear: "Da...da."

"Giggles, da...da..."

The corners of Victors eyes reddened. He looked at me, his gaze complex and unreadable.

Finally, he held me tight against his chest, his voice hoarse:

"Daddy's here."