It has been one year since the previous chapter was posted, and I apologize for the long wait. I've had to write other stories, but that doesn't mean I've given up on this story completely. With Halloween coming up, Chapter 8 is here! Please enjoy it!

Chapter 8: The Secret Unearthed

In the early morning hours following the horrific attack in the hospital, the bodies of Jenelle and the Malfroy siblings were being hauled away on stretchers, covered in white sheets. The nurses and doctor who discovered them were left in states of shock, and the authorities who were examining the corpses were just as alarmed.

Their friends were left shaken after having each been notified by an officer. They could hardly believe that the lives of Drake, Jenelle and Delilah had been taken away from them, and because of their adolescent ages, they were gone too soon.

Three days after that night, a memorial service was held at the city's cemetery. The sky was a gloomy gray, as everyone was gathered around three large caskets containing their deceased friends. There was nothing but deep melancholy, as they placed flowers onto the caskets one by one. For Mai, it was especially difficult for her to say goodbye to them, as because her sister was close friends with Jenelle and she gazed sympathetically at Aurora sobbing in Selena's arms.

"It's too bad Tristan and Serenity aren't with us," Yugi said to Joey.

"It is, Yuge," Joey replied to his best friend, sounding low. "They're still in da hospital, and I'm worried about them. I'll call da hospital and find out how they're doing when I get home."

"And that's not all," Tèa added. "They'll miss out on seeing Pegasus's masterpiece making its debut at the art museum."

"That's right… We almost forgot," Duke said, holding up a newspaper article with the headline: PEGASUS DEBUTS MASTERPIECE AT LONDON ART MUSEUM. Depicted beneath the headline was a picture of Pegasus proudly presenting his painting to the public, with Croquet by his side.

"It's said to be the most important day of his career, and we're not missing that tonight."

"We'll be going together, although we're going to miss Tristan and Serenity," Yugi said to Duke.

"And the Malfroy siblings and Jenelle too," Tèa added.

"Dat's why dis question's been gettin' to me lately," Joey said to the group. He took a deep breath before finally asking in a grim tone of voice: "What if more of us would be targeted by dat masked creepazoid? What did we ever do to him? Nothin'!"

"Don't let him get to you, Joey," Mai consoled, placing a hand on his shoulder. "The more you worry about the killer, the more stressed you will become. Just stay on guard. Keep your promise to defend me from him."

"I will, Mai."

"Don't you worry," Bakura said to Joey, sounding confident. "I'll make sure to protect Selena, even if it costs me my life."

"Same goes for me, for Tèa's sake," Yugi added.

"Alright. Now let's get ready for Pegasus's debut of his masterpiece," Duke said to the others, in an attempt to distract them from their grief. "The museum will put it on display at seven o'clock tonight and we have to dress up in our formal best."

Everyone nodded in concord, and they soon departed to their homes to get ready for the grand night at the museum. At the Valentine home, Mai slipped on a violet dress with golden embodiments on her chest and the bottom that exposed a pale lavender pleat at the hem. Sleeves in the same golden shade rested lightly on her shoulders, and a pair of lavender gloves added the finishing touch to her look.

The Black Pendant was lying on her dresser, its amethyst gemstone sustaining its mystifying luster as she reached for it and placed it around her neck. She was aware that the masked man (rather, her secret suitor) would strike again, though for his sake, she had to keep her private relationship confidential for the sake of shielding her loved ones from him.

Mai spritzed on some rose-scented perfume and brushed her golden locks before moving onto her vanity. She opened up a golden compact that held a fluffy white powder brush inside, and she dabbed it into a powder foundation and applied it to her face. For the true finishing touch to her look, she applied her signature red lipstick onto her lips and admired her reflection staring directly back at her. Now that she was all set to go, Mai departed her room and headed downstairs, where her sister was waiting eagerly for her. Aurora was dressed in a pale pink dress that had a lace-up corset for the top, and a puffy white petticoat was worn underneath. She also had a pair of white gloves on and a choker with a faux pink rose adorned onto it. Her blonde hair was worn into an elegant bun that was held together by a ribbon matching the dress.

"Joey will be arriving any minute now," she notified her.

Just then, an umber carriage pulled by two brown horses pulled up in front of the Valentine residence, earning a small smile of satisfaction from Mai.

"Well, speak of the devil," she said, as the sisters observed the carriage's door opening up and Joey emerging from it. He was dressed in a black tuxedo with a matching top hat, a crimson vest, a crisp white shirt and a black tie. His shoes were neatly polished, and he could thank a professional shoe shiner for all the hard work put into them.

As soon as he approached the doorstep, the door opened and the sisters emerged from he opening, to his delight.

"Joey! It is so good to see you!" Aurora greeted him warmly.

"You too," Joey replied with a grin.

His eyes then fixated onto Mai's violet orbs, and he gently held onto her gloved hand and lifted it up to his lips. The moment he gave it a gentle kiss, a small blush tinted across Mai's fair-skinned face.

As soon as he pulled away, Joey noticed straight away that the promise ring wasn't on her finger. The sighting left him feeling uneasy, wondering about her faith towards him. What if she wasn't being as loyal to him as she claimed? What if she had found someone else who was better than him? All of these questions were running through his head, and for that reason, he had to speak up to her about the ring not being present on her.

"Hey, Mai…," he said to her, sounding concerned. "Why aren't you wearing da promise ring?"

"I'm leaving it at home tonight," Mai answered him. "Although I do wear this ring on a regular basis, it wouldn't make sense to me if I wear it on a gloved hand. Don't worry, Joey. I still love you."

Joey breathed a small sigh of relief, though his concerning questions remained on his mind. He understood her reason, albeit he had his right to be worried about the love of his life. The worst scenario that could happen to him was getting his heart broken; however, with Mai's love for him still going strong, that possibility wouldn't happen… or would it?

"Alright. Let's get going," he said to the girls, as he held onto Mai's hand and they headed out the door.

London's grand museum was a popular destination for tourists and locals, and on that night, the place was packed due to the excitement of Pegasus debuting his masterpiece. Yugi and his friends had seen it before at his gala, and now they would see it once more when Pegasus would present it to art critics and newspaper reporters who had come to view his magnificent artworks.

While Pegasus was being interviewed by a reporter for the city's newspaper, Joey and the Valentine sisters were the first of the group to arrive at the museum. They didn't realize that there would be this many people attending, from the sight of the large crowds gathering inside the corridors and the main room where all of Pegasus' past paintings were on display. But at the very center of them all, Pegasus' painting of Cecilia was hung up for everyone to see, and a large crowd was gathered around, eager to see it for the first time.

"Wow, I didn't have any idea Pegasus has a fan club dat big!" Joey exclaimed.

"Well, Pegasus is a famous painter, and he's often requested by many wealthy clients, according to the articles we've read about him," Mai said to him.

A smug smile formed across Joey's face, and according to Aurora, she had a feeling that he would have a sly plan to get noticed by Pegasus.

"Maybe you should request him to paint a portrait for you, Mai," he suggested.

"Ahh, I don't know. We're not up to par with his expectations for future clients. He prefers the super wealthy, like Seto Kaiba."

Joey scoffed, disbelieving in Mai's claim as he boasted overconfidently:

"Oh, please! You think he'd go for dat rich boy?! Well, I'll convince him otherwise!"

Mai sighed lowly and shook her head, ignoring Joey's pompous laughter as Aurora smiled awkwardly with an apprehensive chuckle.

Yugi and Tèa were the next pair to arrive, dressed in a red gown with pink ribbons and a navy tuxedo paired with a matching top hat. They were immediately greeted by Joey and Mai, whereas Aurora was waiting for Selena and Bakura to show up.

"You want to convince Pegasus to paint a picture for Mai?" Tèa questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah! What of it?" Joey answered with a grin.

"You do realize that he won't comply that easily, right?" Yugi said with a sigh. "He chooses only the wealthiest clients around, and it's likely that he may choose Kaiba."

"Dat's what Mai told me! If he wants to win da rich boy over, well, I don't think so!"

"You're in over your head, Joey Wheeler!" Mai chided, glaring crossly at him as she placed her hands on his hips.

"Am not!" Joey retorted, glaring right back at his lady.

As the two continued to bicker, Selena and Bakura emerged into the main gallery, both dressed in white and violet. Aurora sighed in relief and headed over to greet them, in an attempt to divert them from the commotion.

"Please, disregard Joey and Mai," she said to them. "They are squabbling over something trivial."

"Like what?" Selena asked, leering at Joey.

"Umm… Joey wants Pegasus to choose him as future client for his paintings, though Pegasus would rather pick one with enormous wealth."

"Such as Seto Kaiba," Bakura pointed out.

"Correct," Aurora replied, nodding to him.

In the midst of the squabbling, Joey's ear could pick up Bakura's mention of Kaiba right away and he darted straight over to him, shouting in his face:

"I HEARD DAT!"

Almost immediately, Bakura could feel his ears ringing due to the strident shouting from Joey, and the others were left in an awkward state of silence. Selena's instincts to defend her man immediately kicked into high gear, and she marched forward to Joey and gave him a glare that was intimidating enough to frighten him.

"Is this how you talk to my man?" she chided, earning a gulp from the blonde.

"Ehehehe… no," Joey replied, chuckling apprehensively.

"Then apologize to him."

With an uneasy gulp, Joey took a deep breath and stared directly at Bakura, as he said to him:

"S-Sorry, Bakura."

"I accept your apology, Joey," Bakura replied, sounding calm. "Just please, never shout in my face. You know that I would get ringing in my ears when people yell at me."

"Hey, guys," Tèa's voice said from across the room, grabbing their attention. "Check out the crowd gathering around Pegasus's newest painting."

The gang headed over toward the crowd amazed by Pegasus' painting of his deceased wife. They were amazed by the impeccable detail he had put into it, from her shimmering eyes to her long flowing locks.

"That's the painting he showed to us at his gala," Bakura pointed out.

Just then, Duke came into the main gallery, dressed in a maroon suit with a black tie. He was panting, indicating that he had been in a hurry.

"Hey! It's Duke!" Tèa exclaimed.

"Sorry I'm late," he breathed. "There was… a bit of carriage traffic on the way over."

"Actually, you're just in time," Yugi corrected him. "Pegasus' masterpiece is on display for everyone to see now. This will score him a front page spread on the newspaper."

"And perhaps an interview too," Bakura added.

All of a sudden, the room became silent as everyone turned to see the silver-haired painter enter the room, after having just finished his interview.

"Well, speak of the devil."

A round of applause was made by the crowds, and Pegasus was basking in all of the fame and glory he had achieved from his masterpieces. With his newest work on display in the museum, it would be a guarantee that he would receive a flood of requests for paintings—and to him, that would mean vast amounts of money he would earn.

"Thank you, thank you," he said to them warmly. "I am thrilled to present my newest masterpiece for the entire world to feast their eyes on. And if my beloved Cecilia were still alive, she would be proud of me."

As the crowd applauded him once more, the Black Pendant began to glow a faint aura, immediately grabbing Mai's attention.

Could it be…? she thought, grasping the gemstone.

In the hallway nearby, a security guard was slumped against the wall, blood oozing from multiple stab wounds on his chest and abdomen. A small droplet of blood cascaded down the corner of his lip, and there was no sign of life as he laid lifeless.

The masked man was scouting the area in search of his woman, just as Mai emerged from the main gallery, the Black Pendant now radiating brighter than before. She gazed deep into his lavender eyes and gradually approached him, reaching out to him.

"I've found you…," she breathed in a soft voice.

"Mai… my woman…," Yami Marik said to her, gently clasping her hand with his own. "It is time once more for a night with me. Come."

Without any hesitation, Mai held onto his hand, and together, they headed down toward the end of the hall, where a gold mirror was hung up on the wall. They were unaware that Aurora was pursuing them in search of her sister, and the moment they stepped through the glass, a gasp of shock escaped Aurora's lips. The sight of her sister with the masked killer that the city had been terrorized by was one she would not let go of, no matter how many times she would try to forget about it. That couldn't be possible! Mai was in love with Joey, and how could she be having an affair without telling him!?

Aurora immediately dashed back to the main gallery and swung the doors open, surprising the crowd.

"Hey, Aurora," Joey said to her, approaching her with concern. "Is somethin' da matta?"

"Joey…!" Aurora answered him, sounding frantic. "Mai has disappeared with the masked man!"

"What!?"

Could Mai's secret affair finally be exposed?! Find out in the next chapter, coming soon!

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