CHAPTER 105: LUST AND LOYALTY

"Good morning, Your Ladyship."

Chief Stille, wearing nothing but his underwear, slips behind the Baroness and presses a slow kiss to her bare shoulder. His mouth trails upward, deliberate and possessive — shoulder, neck, cheek, temple — until he gently turns her face toward him.

Then he kisses her mouth.

Deep. Hungry. Like a man who thinks he owns her.

One hand slides under her robe. The other pulls it open without hesitation. The silk falls from her shoulders, pooling at her waist and exposing thin lingerie that leaves very little to imagination.

The Baroness returns the kiss with the same heat, fingers curling against his skin.

His hand cups her breast, thumb brushing her nipple through the lace. She exhales a soft, content sigh — the kind that tells him he still has her hooked.

This is why she keeps coming back to Arvion.

To Harrison Stille.

He knows how to please her.

Pun absolutely intended.

He sneers inwardly. Horny old witch! I still got you under my thumb and yet you ordering me around?

With one hand he lifts the Baroness into a bear hug and carries her back to the bedroom.

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"He hasn’t contacted you either?" Leila asks Sam. Her voice is thin from exhaustion.

Sam shakes his head. Worry is written all over his face. Arthur has never disappeared like this. He always sends him a message, even if he forgets to inform his parents.

But it has been close to eighteen hours with nothing. No calls. No texts. Nothing.

He drove straight to the Montrose Estate thinking Arthur was still at home, probably wrapped up in conversation with his family.

He did not expect to find Leila like this — hair messy, dark circles under her eyes, looking like she hasn’t slept at all. Maurice, Miranda, and Claudia aren’t any better.

They clearly spent the entire night worrying.

Sam instinctively moves to calm Leila, but she snaps at him.

"Don’t even think about it." She points a finger at him, freezing him mid-step, his mouth still half open.

Sam immediately shuts his mouth and nods. "Then I’ll go find out what’s going on."

He turns and walks straight out of the house.

Leila exhales hard, almost collapsing. "Thank you. Finally someone who’s actually doing something and not just treating me like I’m a lunatic!"

She drops onto the nearest sofa, covers her eyes, and breaks down crying.

Maurice pulls her into his arms, and she sobs into his chest.

Miranda and Claudia exchange a look.

A silent agreement.

Liam is dead when he gets back.

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"You haven’t told any of this to Mr and Mrs Montrose?"

All the lab assistants shake their heads.

One of them adds, "Master Liam told us not to. He said it was Master Arthur’s order. And we believed him because he’s been coming and going from the Montrose Estate quite often lately. Should we not follow his order?"

"No. You should. Master Liam is trustworthy. For something this important, he wouldn’t lie. Thank you for doing what you were asked."

Sam closes his notebook.

He steps outside the lab and thinks.

If I go back to Mrs Montrose, she’ll keep worrying. But if I don’t, she’ll still worry.

He sighs. I’ll update her and continue investigating.

He walks back toward the house and enters again.

He sees Maurice in the living room, smoking in front of the open windows. That alone tells Sam everything. Maurice is just as worried as Leila. He’s simply choosing not to show it in front of her so he doesn’t add fuel to the fire.

Maurice notices Sam instantly and puts out his cigarette.

"Don’t tell Leila. She’ll kill me." He smiles weakly, but the exhaustion is clear. His voice is dry.

"Mr Montrose, I have some clues, but not the whole answer yet. I just want to say... please don’t worry. I’m trying to find out what happened, and I promise I’ll update you as soon as I know more."

Maurice nods. "Thank you, Sam. What do you have now?"

"Master Arthur, Master Liam, and Miss Thea most likely went to join Master Julian. He was missing first, and they were looking for him. He was investigating the missing persons case around the Mt Helene trail and camping ground."

Maurice sighs. "Yeah, I figured as much. I didn’t connect it to Mt Helene, but I knew they weren’t just going out for fun. I just didn’t say it to Leila."

He sighs again. "Thank goodness for Miranda and Claudia. They slipped a sleeping pill into her drink. She should be sleeping now."

Sam nods.

"What will you do next? Go to Mt Helene?"

"Yes. I’m planning to head there. But first I want to inform my friends in the force. They might be able to provide backup if I need it."

Maurice nods again. "Good. Really. Thank you, Sam."

Sam shakes his head. "It’s my pleasure, sir. Master Arthur is my boss. If he’s gone, then I won’t have a job," he says deadpan.

Maurice actually laughs a little, his face lighting up for a second. He breathes out slowly.

"I should probably go, sir. I’ll update you as soon as I have more information."

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"Now, that’s what I call cool and so unfair!"

Julian is somehow both excited and disappointed. "How can I miss something this important?"

Arthur and Liam have just finished giving him the short version of their magic awakening.

"I’m gonna go ask her." Julian springs to his feet with zero trace of last night’s exhaustion.

"Jules, remember. Not everyone has magic resonance," Arthur warns. He doesn’t want Julian walking into disappointment.

"Bull. If you have it, I must have it too. We’re siblings, you know." Julian dismisses Arthur immediately.

"Jules." Arthur levels him with a look.

"I know, I’m joking. Relax. I get it." Julian pats Arthur’s arm like Don’t worry, Dad, and walks off to find Aldriana.

He spots her just finishing a talk with Maeve. She turns at the sound of his quick footsteps.

"Aldriana." Julian beams.

She sighs, crosses her arms, and deadpans, "Let me guess. You want to learn magic too."

Julian nods so fast he looks like a bobblehead.

She sighs. Then chuckles. "Okay. Let’s return to Arthur and Liam. I have something to tell all of you. Then, I’ll teach you."

"Yay!"

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Maeve is sitting here, in complete disbelief.

Me? Really?! She’s not lying, is she? But what’s in it for her for lying to me? Absolutely nothing.

Am I really? A Healer?