Chapter 16

There will be some sexual content in this chapter, though nothing too graphic. You've been warned. Tags and ratings will also be updated, by the way.

March, 1990

Dallimore Estate, London

It had been a month, and yet Monica hadn't returned.

Noah organized a search, even if he knew the chances of finding her were close to zero. She didn't tell where she was going, or what she was investigating.

Her friend and contact—Kyle—had also vanished. Noah knew the man to a degree; he was a private investigator who often handled missing persons cases around southern England, friendly and smart, and a proud family man.

He ruled out adultery from the beginning. Monica was a devout Catholic, and it wasn't in her personality to flirt with men. Some would say she didn't like men at all, a fact that Noah proved false after Isabel was conceived.

No, it had to be related to her investigation. She hadn't left anything except for that letter, but it was evidence enough.

Her absence left a hole in the house that Noah was desperately trying to fill. Isabel rarely talked since her mother went missing, and there were times when she would avoid speaking to him. Elisa, for her part, did her best to act as a surrogate. But Noah knew that his daughter blamed him.

He blamed himself too, and he was atoning for his sin by keeping the search active, utilizing every power and influence he possessed to find his missing wife. He didn't care if it was a corpse; he had long accepted her fate after three weeks had passed.

Noah just wanted her back.

Police called off the search one month later. They said it was most likely adultery, and that Noah was just unlucky to have wed a secretive wife. He never believed it; they barely found any leads to arrive at that conclusion. Kyle's wife even protested against the same decision for her husband's case; they were a happy family for him to run away with another woman.

When Noah told Isabel, his daughter was silent. There was no protest, not even a single reaction from her. He didn't think she was listening at all. She just got up and locked herself inside her room.

The next morning, Noah was awakened with another devastating news from Elisa: Isabel had left without a word.

It seemed as if fate was playing a cruel joke on him. Another missing family member, another search that he knew wouldn't bear fruit. For two weeks he looked for her. When the third passed and there wasn't any progress, he was ready to sail to the sea and never return.

On the fourth week, his daughter called.

It was night time. He was drowning himself in liquor at the dining room, writing his last will, when the phone rang. He decided to let it ring—he had no desire to hear another condolence—but somehow he picked up the phone nonetheless.

"Hello? Dad? Dad! It's me!"

It was Isabel.

All the drunken stupor he had vanished in an instant. "Isabel? Isabel, where are you?" he yelled at the phone, not caring if the Talbots hear him across the street. His daughter was alive. She was safe.

To his frustration, the line was garbled. "—ey found out about me! I'm at… 7 Baker Street…" Her voice was frantic, which made her words harder to understand, but Noah tried to write the address down as best as he could.

"Jonathan!" Isabel was now yelling, and he could hear… he could hear a loud pounding in the background. "Look for Jonathan MacQ—"

The line went dead.

He couldn't remember much of what he did after that. He must have roared to the phone for minutes, and he knew he grabbed his grandfather's revolver that same night. There was an argument between him and a sobbing Elisa, but that was all he could remember in his drunken and grieving mind.

One week later, police found a house on 7 Baker Street near the border of Wales, burnt to the last wood, and a broken pink bike a hundred yards from it, hidden in a bush.

They didn't find the corpse.

###

Present Day

Noah took a gentle sip of his black tea. It was sweet and creamy, a perfect match for the waffle and eggs he ordered.

If only it also matched his attire.

He shifted on his seat, scratching the fake beard Brian had bought for him. The tip extended three inches below his chin, making him look like a bloody leprechaun, but he couldn't deny that it did its job well. No one would recognize him in this café, especially with his baseball cap and sunglasses.

It did, however, made him look utterly ridiculous. The girls were disciplined enough to not laugh in front of him, but Elisa was not so kind.

At least it was working. He knew the Admiralty still watched over him; the two men they sent today wasn't entirely subtle, and it was easy to lose them in London's midday crowd.

And he needed his disguise to work for his meeting.

Noah checked his watch, then the tables around him. His contact said he would be wearing a leather jacket and wraparound sunglasses, but there was no one around him matching that appearance. They agreed to meet at 10 AM. It was already thirty minutes past that.

The swinging doors opened, and he sighed in relief as Edward Loughty finally entered looking exactly as he promised he would. The Portsmouth's commander swiveled his head, searching. Noah raised his hand and waved.

When Edward settled his bulk onto the seat, he stared at Noah for a moment. "You look funny, mate."

"So are you." Noah nodded at the thick envelope his friend placed on the table. "Are those everything you can find?"

Edward shook his head. "No, not everything. Some of the cases were confidential. I had to bribe a few people just to get copies of half of these files."

Noah expected as much, and his suspicion only grew with that. He grabbed the envelope, taking out its contents while Edward ordered food. It was a miracle they could collect these in just a week. He had been prepared to wait for another month.

His own investigation was less fruitful than Edward's. There were a lot of missing ships and people in the last ten years, but very few people were willing to let him see the documents pertaining to those cases. And fewer still who weren't caused by accidents or other factors.

When he brought the files home and laid them out on a table, Noah knew it was going to be a difficult task making sense out of them. The kidnappings, the sea accidents, the bankrupted companies. They may seem irrelevant to each other, but Noah knew that they held the clue to his wife's and daughter's deaths.

Thumbing the papers, Noah scanned one. It was a report of a missing yacht. Eight person on board, mostly girls below the age of 20, just vanished 50 miles off the mouth of the English Channel's west end. The yacht was found 20 nautical miles further away in an alcove, but there was no sign of what might have happened. All the passengers' belongings were intact—even clothes were untouched.

And there were more. Mostly cargo ships, their crews missing or dead, but many were also private ships. All of them happened around the British Isles in the last ten years.

"How are the girls?" Edward asked.

"Doing better everyday, considering their circumstances." Noah read another report, this one of a missing fishing boat near the western shores. A typical occurrence, but one he wouldn't pass on.

"Do you think it's more than piracy?"

Noah looked at him. Edward was a good commander with a level head on his shoulders, but he also possessed a great tactical mind. He had to have suspected it as well. "You tell me. What do you think of all these?"

"Well, if it's piracy, they wouldn't target private vessels as well. They would be too much of a bother, being small boats and all. Cargo ships are more viable."

"That's true." Noah's mind raced. He still had yet to read all of the files, but an idea was already starting to form in his mind. A horrifying idea. "Have you increased patrols?"

"Just a little that the Navy Board wouldn't find it unusual."

Noah nodded. They couldn't do anything that would draw attention nor bypass the Navy Board's authority. "That would have to suffice for now. But these incidents keep rising, we'd have to request more authority the Admiralty."

He soon left after a few minutes, paying the bill and telling Edward to keep him informed of anything he would find unusual. Noah wanted to stay longer to discuss the situation with his fellow commander, but he didn't trust his surroundings and the people around him, innocent they may seem.

When he returned to the house, Drake and some of the girls were already waiting in the library. The Erebus sisters were absent, likely sleeping in their room.

"You have it?" Drake asked as he entered the room. The conversation stopped, all eyes turning to him.

Noah nodded and sat on an empty chair. The table they were using was nearly full with newspaper clippings and notes they had collected over the last two weeks.

The Revenge and Renown sisters were highly thorough, he mused silently as he opened the envelope and scattered the contents along the surface.

"Let us begin," he said.

It was a painstaking job recording everything on paper, or it would have been if he was alone. But the girls, just like Elizabeth, soaked up information faster than any person he knew.

In just an hour, they had compiled a list of legitimate incidents that could be tied to piracy. The rest were discarded as mere accidents or unrelated crimes.

Noah stared at the list, grasping at the threads that connected them. At first glance, it would seem that they were unrelated. But he soon began to see it; the dates, the companies owning the ships, the swift rise of Tempest Shipping after Jonathan MacQuaid took over.

Valiant concluded it for him. "Most of those ships were owned by companies who were rivals with Tempest Shipping."

It couldn't be a coincidence. "Of those ships, how many were confirmed to be attacked by pirates?"

She glanced at her notes. "Two-thirds reported boarding parties on their final radio transmission. For the rest, there were no logs before their disappearances."

Noah scanned his notes. All of it started happening five years ago. And there was a pattern. He furrowed his brows, comparing the details of each ship's manifest. The cargos varied, but for most, they carried similar items.

High-grade steel and wood, copper wires, lead, cloth and fabrics. Sometimes, electronics were included, but those were few.

"What do you all make of this?" He showed them the manifests.

The girls stared. After a few moments, Renown spoke. "I would say someone is building something."

"A base?" Glorious wondered.

"I don't think so. Otherwise, there should be cements."

Royal Oak slowly raised her hand. "Um, what about a ship?"

They all looked at her in surprise. Royal Oak rarely spoke during their previous meetings, few as they were. "What do you mean?" Noah asked.

The battleship fidgeted under his intense gaze. "W-Well, judging by those shipments, it could only be a ship or something similar."

"Shipbuilding no longer requires a large amount of wood nowadays," Royal Sovereign said. She tapped a record. "Here we've got several tons of wood missing. Unless they're building ships from the 1700s, you won't need this much."

"Maybe the wood is being used to build houses for the workers?" Revenge suggested.

Royal Sovereign paused. "That's possible."

"Also, you've forgotten the steel," Valiant said. "More than 500 tons were stolen in the last three years. And what else would you need copper and lead for?"

"Not to mention the electronics," Warspite added. "There are even radar equipment here; materials required to build a modern warship."

"All right. Let's say it is indeed a ship." Royal Sovereign swept her gaze around the table. "Why would pirates build one? They are pirates. They don't need it."

"No, they don't," Noah said, his arms resting on the table. Piracy didn't need that much firepower. "Which means it is being built for someone else, assuming that it is indeed a ship."

Silence descended upon the table, the implication too great to be said aloud. Noah closed his eyes and sighed. What had they gotten themselves into?

Glorious spoke. "It's illegal and costly. Would a country really do that?"

Renown nodded. "And they're doing it through piracy. It would be easier to simply buy materials from the market without anyone being the wiser."

Both girls got a point, but Noah couldn't exclude that possibility, either. "Whoever it is, there's a chance the MacQuaids are connected."

Warspite snapped her fingers, her eyes wide. "So that's it!" They stared at her in confusion as she rummaged through the files. It was a minute before she finally found what she was looking for and handed it to Noah. "Take a look."

Noah frowned as he read it. His gaze sharpened. The ships belonging to Tempest Shipping were intact after being raided, the others were either sunk or missing. He shook his head. "There is a possibility, but this is no hard evidence."

"I know. But it's a start. If we can somehow find a log of their communication or—"

"I doubt they would have that," Drake said. "The agreement would be verbal or through a proxy."

"That's true, I suppose. Which means we need to have someone from the inside to find the proxy or witness a meeting." Warspite looked conflicted. "It can't be my sister, though."

Noah understood very well what Warspite meant. "No. We will not place this burden upon her. Besides, we need someone whom they won't recognize."

The options were limited. All the girls were in the party, so Evans would recognize them if they infiltrated the company or even his house. Neither could he just hire some people; the mission was too sensitive, and there was a chance they could be bribed.

"We could use a disguise," Repulse suggested.

Noah furrowed his brows in contemplation. "It could work, but we would still need to be careful in case the Admiralty is watching us."

"They are not as watchful as before," Drake said. "But I agree. The question now is, who will go?"

It was Warspite and Valiant who raised their hands first. Not surprising, but Noah shook his head. "The Admiralty knows about you, Warspite. And since all three of you are adopted into the family, they should know about Valiant too. I can't let the both of you go."

They looked disappointed, but they nodded. "We need someone whom they won't suspect easily," Valiant said. "Someone unfamiliar."

"Someone new," Noah said.

As one, their heads slowly turned toward the Renown sisters.

###

Elizabeth felt as if her heart was going to explode.

Jonathan stood by the doorway, surprise crossing his face. "Elizabeth?" he asked. "What are you doing here in the kitchen at this hour?"

Her reply was immediate. "I was looking for something to eat." She smiled, hoping it would make her less suspicious. "And judging by your presence here, I assume you are hungry as well."

He laughed. "I always eat at night. Less people." He moved to the fridge. "Do you want something? I can prepare a sandwich. It won't be on par with Beatrice's, but it should taste fine."

She shook her head, skirting around him without breaking eye contact. His gaze followed her like a cat's. "I don't want to be a bother. Besides, I forgot that I kept some cookies in my bag."

"Ah, cookies! Of course." His eyes gleamed. "Well, it's better to eat lightly, I suppose."

"Yes, it is." She was by the door now, her hand on the knob. "Have a good night, John."

"A good night to you, Elizabeth. See you in the morning."

And then she was out the door, her feet carrying her back to her room.

###

The next morning dawned bright and clear, and the preparations were still under way.

Elizabeth knew she couldn't just sit idly. There was this nagging feeling in her mind that something was terribly wrong—that Jonathan was hiding a secret inside the castle.

But she couldn't act rashly; not without more information. She only had a week left. Two if she requested another week to stay here with Evans, which he would certainly grant, but that was her last resort if she couldn't find anything during the week.

The party would be held in three days, so she would be spending two days preparing for it. The event was the right opportunity to sneak around the castle. While the others were mingling in the great hall, she would search the key to the cellar in Jonathan's office or bedroom. Failing that, she could just break it down long after everyone else had retired for the night.

For now, though, the maids should be a viable source of information. And without anything else to do in the castle, she decided to help them.

They refused at first, especially Alina. She was a guest, after all, and one of their employers' girlfriend. She shouldn't doing the work of maids.

With a smile and several clever choice of words, however, she won them over. Elizabeth was glad for the experience she acquired working in Samson's bistro. The kitchen was like a familiar friend to her at this point, and she easily settled in with the cooks.

"You're good at this, ma'am," Alina said, watching in awe as Elizabeth worked on a steak. Beside her, Anastasia's black curls bounced as she nodded.

"Now I know why Master Evans fell in love with you," Anastasia said.

Elizabeth chuckled. "It's the other way around, honestly. I didn't cook for him until a month after we started dating." There was a brief silence as she prodded the steak with a fork. Satisfied at its softness, she transferred it to a plate. "This is for Blanc, right?"

"Yes. He likes his steak medium-rare." Anastasia stirred a pot of stew. "He's a strange man, I won't lie," she murmured.

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked, her eyes narrowing a little.

"Well, I once overheard him talking with Marissa. He was asking if any of us provide, er, massages."

"Massages?"

"Yes. Marissa told him we don't, and he seemed annoyed to hear that."

"That's indeed strange," Elizabeth muttered. Not even Alina offered her a massage, though she did ask if Elizabeth wanted help in bathing. She refused, naturally.

Anastasia sighed. "He's not the first one, I'm afraid. Master Jonathan has had even stranger guests in the past. I remember last year. There was a man large enough to block the doorway, and he refused to eat unless Ava was serving him."

Ava was one of the maids taking care of the gardens, Elizabeth recalled. "How long have you been working for the MacQuaids?"

"Ever since I turned 18 three years ago."

18. It seemed Jonathan only hired girls around that age. "Don't you have a plan to change careers?"

"Oh, certainly. I want to be a fashion designer. I just took this job to earn my tuition fee for the designing school. But I have enough now thanks to Master Jonathan's generosity. In fact, I'll be leaving next week."

Elizabeth whipped her head to the side, looking at her. "Next week?"

Anastasia nodded. "Yes. After the party. Master Jonathan never lets anyone stay for more than three years. He said we should expand our horizons."

Somehow, Elizabeth found that unsettling. But she didn't say anything as she went back to mincing the garlic for the steak sauce.

Lunch was ready soon. Evans expected her to join, so she thanked the maids for allowing her to help then went back to her room to prepare.

Anastasia's words still rang in her mind as Elizabeth changed into a simple dress. Jonathan didn't want any of the maids to stay working for him for long? Why? And did that mean Beatrice would be leaving soon as well?

As always, Blanc ate with them. Unlike before, he spoke in plain English, and he seemed to be in a good mood, recounting to Jonathan his adventures all over Europe and Asia.

Elizabeth still didn't know what to make of the French. He was clearly involved in something with Jonathan, though whether it was connected to that locked door or not was still a mystery to her.

She would have to find out.

The next day, two days before the party, she and Evans went out for shopping. Alina and another maid accompanied them, exchanging their maid uniforms for casual attires.

It was the first time in a while that they could be together, and Elizabeth sighed in contentment as she leaned on his shoulder, savoring his warmth. Evans had been busy for the past few days that he only saw her during meal times and rare occasions in between, and while the castle didn't lack entertainment, she truly missed his presence.

"Sorry," he said as they drove past the town and into the highway. "I'll make it up to you."

She smiled, shivering in delight as his hand cupped her knee, an act of intimacy he rarely did. "You better buy me a cake."

There was no shopping centre near the castle, so they had to drive to Colwyn Bay. As the Irish sea came into view, Elizabeth noticed the boats and yachts along Victoria Pier. There seemed more of them today, perhaps guests for the party.

Her guess was confirmed when Evans said, "My brother invited a lot of people this time."

She expected to encounter some of them during their shopping, so she wasn't surprise when a middle-aged British man greeted them while they were searching for a place to eat. It was only a brief conversation, thankfully, and the man soon left.

"Come on," Evans said, grabbing her hand and leading her toward a seaside restaurant. "Before more of them shows up."

Elizabeth was glad they could have lunch in peace, and that they could talk about their plans for the next school year. Evans would soon graduate, but he promised to see her often, certain that he would be managing his own restaurant in London.

It was refreshing to just talk about ordinary topics for once with her boyfriend, and she knew Evans savored this moment as well. They talked nothing but business whenever they ate with Jonathan, something that was getting tiresome.

After lunch, it was time to look for party dresses. The one that Noah had bought two years ago, to Elizabeth's lament, wouldn't fit in with the atmosphere of Jonathan's party. She needed something more elegant and refined.

Dresses were a little hard to come by in Colwyn Bay, but that didn't mean no shop was selling it. They found a good boutique from recommendations, and Elizabeth soon began her search. While Evans sat at the waiting area, a saleslady led Elizabeth to a rack of dresses.

"These ones are new," the woman said. "They arrived from London just last week."

Elizabeth scanned the selections. They were a variety of colors—-dark red, midnight blue, silver—but none caught her interest. They were either too long, too short, or had a low-cut neck line that she would just embarrass herself.

She sighed, running her hand along one of the dresses. The fabric,was of high-quality, she would admit, but the design was just lacking for her. "What do you think, Alina?" she asked.

"Perhaps there are other options?" she suggested, her expression even more dismayed. The saleslady didn't seem to mind, thankfully.

"Of course. Right this way, please."

She led them to a different rack. This one had better designs, though quite dull in color variation, being all black. Elizabeth inspected a dress with a nice bodice and a frilly skirt. It would fit her nicely.

"That looks good on you, ma'am," Alina said.

"Indeed. But it would look even better if my hair is silver or white." She wouldn't dye it, however.

After telling her maids to wait, Elizabeth went to the fitting room. There were few customers, so there was not much foot traffic along the way.

She still bumped onto someone despite that. "Oh, my apologies," she said.

"It's all right, m—uh, ma'am?"

Elizabeth spun at the familiar voice. The young woman was dressed in shirt and jeans, browsing the casual attire section. The large shades concealed her eyes, but Elizabeth would recognize that ponytail anywhere.

"Rep—Wilma?"

Repulse grinned. "Ma'am! Fancy seeing you here!"

"What are you doing here?" Elizabeth whispered, casting a quick look around the vicinity for Evans or the maids. As far as she knew, Repulse should be taking lessons from Drake. Wait, was she alone? Or did she bring the others?

"I'm just, uh, sightseeing and shopping." Repulse's tone was evasive, nervous even.

"Bollocks. Noah sent you, am I right?" She already had an inkling of the reason why Repulse was here, and she hoped she was wrong.

Despite their height differences, Repulse visibly withered under her intense gaze. She nodded weakly. "Y-Yeah. My sister and I."

Elizabeth scanned the vicinity again, trying to catch a glimpse of a blonde. Not that she would recognize Renown if she were wearing a disguise as well.

She dragged Repulse to a secluded corner. Once she was certain no one would see them, she said, "All right, tell me why you two are here."

In a low voice, Repulse told her about the recent developments in Noah's investigation. "We were supposed to infiltrate Jonathan Macquaid's company and look for evidences."

"You can't. They're not hiring at the moment."

"Oh." Repulse scratched her head. "Well, that's a bugger."

Elizabeth sighed. Somehow, she knew her brother would do something like this. And she couldn't blame him either. If Jonathan was truly involved with the disappearances of Noah's wife and their daughter, he would do everything to find out the truth.

The truth… Elizabeth looked at Repulse. She couldn't just send her and Renown back. And if she was to get into that locked cellar door, she would need all the help she could get.

She scanned Repulse from head to toe. She was certainly pretty, and Renown as well. Elizabeth had no doubt they could find work in the castle; some of the maids had been complaining that there were too many guests, and the Renown sisters could provide a great help.

"Ma'am?" Repulse asked.

Elizabeth pursed her lips. She didn't like to put them into danger, but it was necessary if Jonathan was indeed doing something illegal. "Forget the company. I've got an idea."

With a curious expression, Repulse listened as Elizabeth told her the plan.

###

The day before the party was the busiest. With so many things to prepare, the maids barely had time for other chores, let alone attending to Elizabeth.

Not that she minded. She was allowed to freely roam the castle, and after more than two weeks here, she already memorized most of the twisting passages and the rooms they led to.

She immediately noticed from the start that no one was entering that locked door even though it led to the wine cellar, which only strengthened her suspicion that something was down there. Something that Jonathan didn't want anyone discovering.

Her plan was simple. While everyone reveled during the party, she would sneak into the cellar with the Renown sisters' help, who would search the key beforehand. One of them would stay behind as sentry—they even bought a two-way radio just for the mission—while the other would accompany Elizabeth down into the cellar.

It was simple, but a lot of things could go awry if they weren't cautious. The timing had to be right.

For the rest of the day, she smoothed any wrinkles that may jeopardize her hastily thrown plan. That included any alibi she and the Renown sisters would say if they were discovered by anyone, especially Jonathan. God forbid that it would be Evans. Elizabeth wouldn't dare proceed with the mission if he found out what she was doing.

It was 9pm when she finished everything. Yawning, Elizabeth stretched her arms and got up from her chair, rubbing her eyes. She had been scribbling on her notebook since the afternoon, and while dinner was over two hours ago, she hadn't joined them.

Her stomach grumbled in protest. The maids were still working, so there should be some food in the kitchen.

It was quite a long walk from her room, but she was really hungry. Besides, she had been sitting for too long. Stretching her legs for a while would do her some good.

As she passed the indoor pool, she heard the sloshing of water. Elizabeth paused. Who could be taking a bath at this late hour? The only people allowed to use the pool were her, Jonathan, and…

Her throat had gone dry. The door was slightly ajar, a couple of inches at most, letting out a sliver of light. Slowly, Elizabeth approached, then hesitated. This was inappropriate. She should just go on ahead and find food, not be a voyeur.

She moistened her lips as she crept closer. This wasn't voyeurism; he was her boyfriend, and being intimate was only natural. Besides, she was just going to see if he was doing all right.

Her heart hammering, Elizabeth peered inside.

She had only used the pool once, preferring her own bath tub, and the size of it still impressed her. It spanned the entirety of the room—nearly twice her own bedroom—and it was constructed like a natural spring. Elizabeth once heard Jonathan boasting that the rocks were taken from the nearest mountain.

That information barely echoed in her mind, focused as it was with the beauty that was in front of her. Evans leaned at the edge of the pool, his broad shoulders facing her. He was partially submerged onto the water, so Elizabeth couldn't see much of him. But then he slowly rose, and moonlight glistened on his skin. He wasn't muscular, but he was fit and strong, unlike Jonathan.

Elizabeth's gaze drifted lower. Her boyfriend possessed a nice… well, if he was a ship, stern would be the best term. She could feel the heat suffusing her cheeks. She didn't know he bathed in the nude.

Evans turned to his side, and Elizabeth's mouth parted as she received a glorious view of the thing she only fantasized about in her dream. She spun around in an instant, pressing herself against the wall.

It was soft, and yet it was big.

Suddenly, the nightgown she wore was too thin, and there was a burning sensation between her legs.

Without thought, she scampered back to her room and dove under the security of her woolen blanket, her hunger all but forgotten, replaced by a different sort of hunger… No, she couldn't be distracted. She loved Evans, and if the situation was different, she might have joined him on that water and indulged herself. But things had changed ever since she heard that noise during her first night here.

She tried to clear her mind, she really did, but sleep eluded her. Who could even sleep after seeing that?

Biting her lip, Elizabeth ignored the heat between her legs. Or tried to. That image refused to leave her mind, as if they had been seared into her memory.

A memory she kept replaying as her hand finally crawled below her navel and beyond.

###

Soft melody played in the background, accompanied by conversation and merriment in the great hall.

Elizabeth furrowed as she sipped her wine, staring at it with suspicion. She would be glad if this came from behind that locked door, and that she had simply jumped to conclusion. She could enjoy the party if that were the case.

But to her despair, it wasn't the case. Renown had seen the boxes; they certainly didn't come from anywhere in the castle, and now more than ever did she want to break down that door at last.

It was thirty minutes past 7PM. Dinner was still ongoing, but she was alone at the table. Evans was busy entertaining the guests, leaving her to ponder what she was about to commit. She was essentially betraying his trust, and if she was wrong, he would certainly break up with her.

She gripped her glass, careful not to break it. Last night's incident only left her with indecisive and indecent thoughts throughout the night and for most of today. If her plan didn't involve Noah's missing family, she would have already dragged Evans into her bedroom.

Taking another sip, she glanced around the packed hall. With over 300 guests, she doubt if she could find either of the Renown sisters, especially with their disguises.

"More wine, ma'am?" a familiar voice said.

Elizabeth turned to look at Repulse smiling at her, one hand balancing a small silver platter with wine glasses, her maid uniform fitting her nicely. She had dyed her hair crimson, matching Renown's, and her brown contact lenses definitely suited her. It wasn't a perfect disguise, however, and though Evans had only seen her once, Elizabeth still told her not to interact with Evans as much as she could.

"Yes, please," Elizabeth said, holding her glass for Repulse to replace. As Repulse retrieved the empty glass, she leaned forward and said in a low voice, "Renown says no one has entered the door since the party started. Do we proceed?"

"Yes. Thank you." Elizabeth smiled. She splayed her fingers on her free hand, tucked beside her, then continued with three fingers. Eight. They would proceed by 8PM, when the guests were still full and content.

"I'll be roaming around, ma'am," Repulse said. "Just give me a holler if you need anything." With that, she left to entertain a guest.

Loneliness got the better of Elizabeth, so she got up from her seat and wandered throughout the great hall, looking for Evans. She caught a glimpse of Jonathan and Blanc on one table, surrounded by men and women in fine suits and dresses. Business partners, no doubt.

Her eyes drifted to the hallway that led to the cellar. There were no guards, and no one was coming from that direction or going through it. It was far enough and partially obstructed by a suit of armor that she could easily pass through without being noticed.

Hesitation filled her heart, but she pushed it away. If she waited when everyone else was asleep, the higher the chance she would be discovered. Renown and Repulse would have to leave, forcing Elizabeth to proceed alone with the plan.

No, she had to do this while the people were distracted.

"Liz?"

Elizabeth nearly jumped out of her dress. She turned around with a smile. "I've been looking for you, love. Where have you been?"

Evans returned her smile, making Elizabeth's skipped a beat. The suit was splendid on him, his shirt hugging his body in all the delicious ways. Elizabeth briefly imagined her hands sliding the suit off his strong arms while—

"Sorry. Mr. Pattinson refused to let me leave until I heard the bizarre story of his great granduncle finding a giant alien in the ice." Evans sighed.

Elizabeth giggled. "Is it as bizarre as your brother's story?"

"Oh, please no. Mr. Pattinson's was bizarre, my brother's was just crazy."

She laughed softly, and she felt his hand finding its way to hers, their fingers locking. "Having a good time?" he asked.

"Not without you."

"I'm sorry. But I promise I'll stay with you from now on until the party is over."

Pain stabbed through Elizabeth's heart. She glanced at Evans' silver wristwatch. 7:38PM. Shit.

Her grip on his hand tightened, making him frown. Repulse was nowhere to be seen, but she and Renown were probably preparing to join her. Elizabeth had to meet them soon.

"Liz, are you all right?" Evans's eyes flashed with concern.

She stared at him. He said he would stay with her until the party is over, and she had no doubt about that. Other than that time they went shopping together and her first week here, they hadn't spent much time with each other. This was his way of making up for those days.

"I am," she said. 7:41PM. Renown passed them by, and Elizabeth caught her gaze. Renown asked a silent question: Proceed? But Elizabeth didn't respond. She couldn't respond. The door was there, silent and waiting, but Evans blocked the way. And he wouldn't leave.

Indecision wrapped its icy fingers around her heart. Ignoring Evans would make hurt him and make him suspect, but indulging his promise would mean letting an opportunity go to waste.

Choose, a voice whispered in Elizabeth's ears—her own. Her love or her family? It shouldn't be difficult; she had known Evans for only less than a year, while her family was there longer. But she couldn't bring herself to make a choice between him and what she needed to do.

Perhaps she didn't have to. All she needed was to get him out of the way. "Remember what you told me earlier when you saw me in my dress?"

"You look ravishing," he murmured, sending shivers up her spine.

"Do you mean it?"

"Of course!"

She stared into his eyes. "Then prove it."

He blinked. "What?"

"I saw you taking a bath last night."

He stood frozen for a few heartbeats. Elizabeth could feel her cheeks heating up with the implications of what she had said, but she fought to calm her nerves. There was no going back.

When Evans spoke again, his voice was soft. "What else did you see?"

"Everything."

A feral light shone in his eyes, and before Elizabeth knew it, Evans was already tugging at her hand, guiding her away from the cacophony of the party, away from the stunned expressions of Renown and Repulse, away from Jonathan's amused gaze.

He guided her up the staircase, where she took the lead and headed for her room, the heat between her legs almost unbearable. Her hands were trembling, but Evans's warmth comforted her.

They barely reached the door before his mouth was upon hers. They stumbled inside, Evans locking the door while she kicked off her high-heeled shoes, and then their hands were roaming over each other's bodies, tracing and remembering every detail. She could feel the bulge in his trousers, and he hissed in her mouth as her fingers brushed against it.

His suit and tie were the first items to fall to the floor, followed by his shirt that bared the torso Elizabeth had always wanted to see in all its muscled glory. She reached for his belt, but he stopped her fingers from going further.

"Are you sure about this?" The desire was still in his eyes, but there was concern in them as well, a kindness that Elizabeth loved since she met him.

She did stop, and she stepped back as her lips curved upwards. She didn't take her eyes off him even when she reached behind her and pulled down the zipper of her dress, sliding the dress off her body along with her underwear.

Evans sucked a breath as she finally bared herself to him. The night was cool, but the warmth on Elizabeth's skin staved off the coldness. And she knew it would only get even more warmer.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, she leaned back on her arms and looked up at his looming form with a smirk.

Evans pounced on her.

###

The rumble of thunder woke her up.

For a moment, Elizabeth stared into Evans's face, serene in his sleep, her hand placed atop his heart. His warmth seeped into her skin, reminding her of the heat she felt only a few hours ago, when their limbs were entangled and only their names and passionate voices spilled from each other's lips.

She smiled, though her heart ached as she extricated herself from his embrace with utmost care and sat up, the blanket falling off her naked shoulders. She didn't want to think she just used him; if not for the situation, she would remain here until the morning, when they would both wake up and indulge themselves with one another once more.

I love you, she thought before gently climbing off the bed to get dressed. It was already past 2AM. The Renown sisters had left by now, and with no way to contact them without drawing attention, she would have to proceed alone.

Within minutes, she left the room, closing the door silently. Darkness blanketed the corridor, but her eyes were quick to adjust. There were no other sounds save for her breath and the muffled pitter-patter of rain.

She took a step, and sighed as her legs wobbled. Evans hadn't been completely gentle throughout their lovemaking, and she could still feel the soreness both in her throat and between her legs.

When she reached the corridor that led to the locked door, she stopped for a moment to listen. The castle might as well have been a tomb for its unnerving silence. She scanned her surroundings. No guards. Good.

Taking a deep breath, she approached the door. She couldn't search for the key—Jonathan always locked his office at night—so she would need to break the knob. It was risky, but considering no one knew about her strength, she needed to take chances.

She was halfway toward the door when two masked figures detached themselves from the wall. Elizabeth barely caught her shriek before she heard Renown whispering, "Ma'am, it's us!" She took off her mask, as did Repulse.

Elizabeth retracted her step, clutching her heart and glaring at the siblings. "You two almost gave me a heart attack!" she hissed. "I thought you've already left!"

Repulse shrugged. "You've never told us what to do if we couldn't proceed as planned. So when you went with your boyfriend, we just waited outside."

"Right. And what are you two wearing?"

The Renown sisters glanced down at themselves, then shrugged. They looked like ninjas, black suits and masks and all. "We thought these would be apt disguises," Repulse said. "We got past the guards because of them."

"They are apt disguises, but you also look silly," Elizabeth said dryly. Then she frowned. "Hang on. How did you enter? They locked the front entrance."

Renown blinked. "We scaled the walls."

"Of course," Elizabeth muttered. Only a few months since the two were reborn, and they were already scaling fifty-feet walls. Wonderful. She shook her head. "Well, since you are both here, we might as well do this together."

They nodded. Renown produced a set of keys from a pocket. "I've found this earlier in Jonathan MacQuaid's office. I don't know if any of them is the key to that door."

"We'll find out, then," Elizabeth said, taking the keys and approaching the door. The Renown sisters trailed after her.

It took three tries before she heard a satisfying click. Elizabeth twisted the knob, then stopped. Whatever they would find beyond the door, she hoped it was all worth the trouble of sneaking around like burglars.

The door swung inward without a sound, revealing a long flight of stairs that extended beyond their sight, swallowed by the darkness. "Does anyone have a torch?" she asked.

"I've brought some." Repulse pulled out a small torch from a bag and handed it to Elizabeth. She switched it on, illuminating the steps before them in a bright white beam.

"Close the door." As Renown did, Elizabeth began their descent. "Listen. We'll only need to find out what's being kept here. If something happens and there's a risk of being discovered, we abort the mission. Am I clear?"

"Aye, ma'am."

The stairs burrowed deep, and almost two minutes passed before Elizabeth saw the end. The walls on either side were built of the same stones used in the castle, and they were almost crumbling with age. This tunnel must have been constructed at the same time as the keep.

It was definitely not a cellar. As soon as her feet touched the floor, Elizabeth shone the torch around. The corridor ran straight ahead before branching in three directions.

They stopped. Elizabeth illuminated each corridor, but they looked too identical that it was impossible to determine where they led. "Which way do you reckon we should go?" she asked.

"Left," Renown said.

"Right," Repulse suggested.

"No, we're not splitting up," Elizabeth said. She needed to decide swiftly; every second they spent here increased the chance of Jonathan discovering their intrusion.

"That way," she said at last, shining her torch ahead. The Renown sisters didn't protest her decision, and they followed her into the gloom.

A short walk later, the seemingly endless walls to the right were broken by a door.

"Ma'am," Renown said. Elizabeth nodded.

"I know." She handed the torch to Repulse on her right while Renown positioned herself to the left, ready to intervene at the slightest hint of danger. Elizabeth tried the doorknob. It was locked, so she inserted one of the keys. There was a click. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door.

It was dark inside, but there was no mistaking the empty bed and a tiny section at the corner with a toilet bowl. Both looked like they had been used recently, the blankets and pillows on the bed arranged neatly.

She sniffed. The air smelled clean. Too clean, and it didn't take long before she recognized the scent as belonging to an absurd amount of soap and disinfectant.

"Ma'am, look at the floor," Repulse whispered.

Elizabeth looked. The stains were fading, almost as if the floor had been scrubbed repeatedly, but they were unmistakably red.

It was definitely not paint.

"Let's check the other rooms," Elizabeth said, her throat dry. There were nine more doors down the hall.

Four of them weren't locked, and they were identical to the first room, though the floors were spotless and it seemed they hadn't been used for quite some time. But the sixth room was locked. Elizabeth inserted another key.

It didn't open.

Frowning, she tried the first key, and it clicked. Jonathan probably used a master key for all rooms here.

As the door swung inward and she entered, she felt the rush of air to her left, and instinct took over. Something glinted in the dark, accompanied by a hiss. Elizabeth's arm shot forward, grabbing whatever was coming her way.

"Ma'am!" Repulse shouted, then stopped.

Elizabeth stared, griping the torch just as tightly as the wrist she was holding back. The bony fingers held a knife, and while it wouldn't have done anything to her, she admired the woman's bravery. And not just any woman. Though her hair was encrusted with grime and dirt and fell past her waist, Elizabeth recognized her facial structures all too well, even if the eyes were filled with mad desperation.

It was, after all, similar to Noah's and his wife.

"Isabel?"

Well, that happened.

To be completely honest, Isabel was actually supposed to be dead in my previous drafts. I had four drafts, with this version being the fourth. However, considering some plot points that will happen way into the future, I decided to keep her alive.

Regarding the sexual content, those scenes are already part of the first three drafts. I removed them in the fourth because I thought they didn't fit. In fact, I still think they don't fit. But I also thought, what the heck? This is Azure Lane. And this is my story. I'll add sex because it wouldn't be Azure Lane without some sexual content.

Now, I have some good news, bad news, and worse news.

The good news, I have a new job starting next week. Fingers crossed that I can properly do it and I can stay.

The bad news is, it's 3-4 hours a day, taking up some of my time that I always use to write this fic.

The worse news, then, is to expect a very slow update schedule. Maybe every 6 weeks if I'm lucky.

But I will try to keep my regular schedule. I can't poromise anything, but I will try. And rest assured that this story will be finished.

Once again, thank you for the support!