WebNovels

Chapter 16 - The Masquerade Ball part 3. (A mission in the moonlight).

Inside the ballroom, Ariel weaved through the crowd with practiced grace, ascending the staircase toward the ladies' restroom.

Inside, a few noblewomen were touching up their makeup. She joined them, feigning casual conversation, her smile effortless. When they finally left, she slipped into one of the stalls and locked the door.

The transformation began.

The wavy black wig was tossed aside. The pink pearl-encrusted gown, the diamond rose necklace, the delicate heels—all removed and folded neatly. She opened the hidden air vent and retrieved a concealed bag tucked inside.

Inside: a sleek black outfit, a matching mask, and ballet-soft sandals. Beneath them, a compact briefcase.

She dressed swiftly, strapping the gun holster around her waist and sliding the weapon into place. She opened a small vial, dabbed the liquid onto her skin, then slipped on a ring and inserted the earpiece.

The gown, wig, and jewels were stuffed back into the bag and returned to the vent. She sealed it shut.

Ariel crept to the window, opened it silently, and scanned the area. No movement. She pulled out a grappling hook, twirled it once, and launched it toward the roof. It caught.

She climbed out, pulling herself onto the rooftop with quiet strength. The evening breeze kissed her cheeks. The air was sharp and cold.

"Okay, I'm on the roof. Where do I go?" she whispered.

"Move cautiously westward," Raymond's voice crackled through the earpiece.

"You'll see a red ribbon tied at the edge of your destination. Be careful."

"As always," she replied.

She crawled through the shadows, her body low and silent. After a few minutes, she spotted the faint shimmer of a red ribbon fluttering in the moonlight.

She approached the edge and peered down. A balcony. She scanned the area. No movement. She lowered herself slowly, landing with feline grace.

The room beyond was dark.

Her shadow loomed as she picked the lock and slipped inside. Tiny lights,nearly invisible to the naked eyes, danced across the room. Heat detectors. If they stopped moving, she'd been detected and the guards will be alerted of her movements.

Ariel inhaled slowly and moved with measured steps toward the dressing table, eyes locked on the flickering lights. She reached it, removed the ring, and placed it carefully on the table facing the bed. She tapped it once. A tiny red light blinked on.

She turned toward the door and approached it slowly. The lights still danced. Good.

She picked the lock, cracked the door open, and surveyed the hallway. It was dark. No movement. But heat detectors flickered like fireflies, and cameras watched every corner.

"Don't worry," Raymond's voice came through.

"Cameras will freeze in five seconds. You'll have five minutes to reach the other side before they reactivate."

Ariel exhaled and melted into the shadows.

"5… 4… 3… 2… 1. Now go!"

The red flashes on the cameras blinked out.

She slipped through the door, locked it behind her, and sprinted down the hallway. Her footsteps were silent. She reached the other side just as the cameras flickered back on.

"Good job. Now come back to the party," Raymond said, then disconnected.

Ariel removed the earpiece and stared into the darkness.

"Sorry, old man. I won't be joining you just yet. I've got plans of my own."

She tucked the earpiece into her holster and turned toward the East Wing of the palace.

Her mission wasn't over.

It was just beginning.

....

Meanwhile back at the ball.

The music played on, and the crowd continued their joyful chatter, glasses clinking, laughter echoing through the golden hall.

Raymond stood near the refreshment table, a wine glass in hand. He sipped slowly, eyes fixed on the staircase, waiting for Ariel to return.

"Raymond."

A voice rang out behind him.

He froze.

A sigh escaped his lips before he turned slowly to face her.

The Queen Dowager stood before him.

Alicia.

His former best friend.

His first love.

Even after all these years, she still carried herself with grace. Her regal gown hugged her figure with quiet elegance. Time had touched her—but never dimmed her beauty. And for Raymond, the love he once held hadn't faded. If anything, it had deepened into something more painful. More permanent. It was the root of his bitterness toward the world.

Raymond offered a soft smile and bowed slightly.

"Your Majesty. It's good to see you. How are you?"

Alicia returned the smile, gentle and reserved.

"I'm well, thank you. I didn't expect to see you here. It's been… a long time."

"It truly has." Raymond nodded.

"I came with my daughter. She insisted on attending the ball—to mingle with the other noble ladies and enjoy the festivities. I hadn't planned to be here."

Alicia's expression shifted, just slightly.

"Your daughter? That beautiful young woman you arrived with… I didn't know you had a child."

"My apologies for not telling you sooner." Raymond's voice softened.

"She's been… unwell for quite some time. I wasn't ready to introduce her to the world. Not yet."

Alicia's eyes dimmed with sympathy.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's alright. She's better now. The nightmare is over. The Heavens have been merciful."

His gaze dropped for a moment, shadowed with emotion.

"I didn't think I'd have more time with her. But I do. And I'm grateful."

Alicia reached out, her voice tender.

"I'm truly glad, Raymond. She's stunning. Probably the most beautiful belle of the ball. I'd love to meet her properly. Get to know her."

Raymond smiled.

"That would be an honor. Thank you."

Alicia chuckled softly.

"Why thank me? I genuinely want to know her. She seems… intriguing. There's something about her that just jolts the little curiosity in me. And I would love it if she kept me company for a while."

Her gaze swept across the ballroom.

"By the way… where is she? I don't see her anymore."

Raymond's smile faded slightly.

'That's what I'm wondering too…

Where are you, Ariel?'

.....

A door creaked open slowly, and a shadow slipped inside.

Ariel entered the room and closed the door behind her with quiet precision. She moved toward the cabinet—it was a servant's dressing room. She opened it and found a row of male uniforms.

She quickly slipped one on over her stealth suit. The name tag read Bailey Morales. She pinned it to her shirt, then opened a small box tucked inside the cabinet. Inside: an earpiece and a transparent voice modulator.

She placed the earpiece in her ear, affixed the modulator to her neck, and activated it.

"Cody…" she whispered, her voice now low and masculine.

"Yes, Bailey. I'm here," came the reply through the earpiece.

"Operation Solo has begun. Is everyone on standby?"

"Affirmative. Just give us the panic code and we'll pull you out immediately."

"Okay. Just guide me through this thing." She moved toward the door.

"Alright. The camera outside the room is back online. It didn't record you entering, but it will record you leaving. When security reviews the footage, there'll be a glitch—they'll assume the camera malfunctioned. Got it?"

"Got it. Now skip the tech lecture and tell me where to go."

"Step outside and head to the center hallway."

Ariel exited the room, her steps measured, her posture disguised.

"Now go straight to the end, then take a left."

She walked calmly down the hallway, turned left at the end.

"Now head down the left passage."

She followed the direction—until she hit a dead end.

"Are you kidding me? Cody, did you drink some booze before this mission? Why are you leading me into dead ends?"

Footsteps echoed in the hallway.

Ariel pressed herself against the wall, melting into the shadows.

"Relax, baby warts. I've got you covered. Push the third brick on the wall in front of you."

Ariel stepped forward and pressed the third brick.

A soft whirring sound followed by a faint clink—then the wall shifted open.

She dove inside just as the wall sealed shut behind her.

Just then a flashlight beam swept across the hallway where she'd just stood.

A guard appeared.

"What's wrong?" another asked behind him.

"I thought I heard something."

"Probably nothing. Let's patrol the other areas and get back to the party."

The guards walked away.

Inside the chamber, Ariel was swallowed by darkness.

"Cody… where am I?" she whispered.

"Your destination. You'll see once you find the light switch," Cody replied through the earpiece.

"Urrgh… seriously, Cody. Thanks a lot. That totally helps," she whisper-shouted, sarcasm thick in her voice.

She stumbled forward, hands brushing the walls until her fingers found a switch.

She flicked it on.

Light flooded the room, and her eyes took a moment to adjust. Then she saw it.

Towering shelves stretched toward the ceiling, stacked with scrolls, books, and boxes—each meticulously arranged.

"The Royal Archives… I'll be damned," she murmured, running her fingers along the polished wood.

The room smelled regal—like aged parchment and wood polish. Cleaned daily, no doubt.

It would've been the perfect place to disappear into a world of forgotten knowledge. But tonight wasn't for reading.

Ariel got to work.

She moved swiftly from shelf to shelf, scanning labels, opening boxes, searching for something. Anything.

Minutes passed. Nothing.

'Damn it. Where are they?' she thought, frustration mounting. Time was slipping through her fingers.

She was about to give up—until a faint golden glow caught her eye.

Near the far wall, tucked behind a stack of boxes, something shimmered.

Another door.

The door was locked.

'Damn it' She cursed. Before slipping her hand inside the pocket of the uniform and took out a small buttoned key.

She inserted it in the tech lock and pushed the button. After a few moments a soft click was heard and the door opened.

She stepped inside. Only one shelf stood in the room, boxes lining on its shelves. The golden glow illuminated in the middle shelf.

She stepped closer, pushed aside the boxes, and revealed a navy-blue and gold chest. Her breath caught.

Engraved on the lid:

SINCLAIR RECORDS

Ariel gasped.

'Finally… I found you. I finally found you.'

Tears stung her eyes.

She ran her fingers over the engraving, tracing each letter of the name she'd buried three years ago in that cursed field. A name she never thought she'd see again.

She paused, letting the moment wash over her.

Then she examined the lock. It was intricate—unlike anything she'd seen before.

As she studied it, a folded piece of paper slipped out from beneath the box.

She bent down and picked it up.

A letter.

Written by her great-great-grandfather—Duke Maxwell Richard Sinclair.

She held it gently, about to read—

Beep. Beep.

A tiny beeping sound echoed through the room.

"Shit. Damn it." Ariel cursed under her breath.

"Bailey, you need to get out of there now! You just triggered the heat detector alarm. The perfume must've vaporized!" Cody's voice crackled through the earpiece.

Ariel quickly pocketed the letter and reached for the box.

"No—leave it, Bailey! It's too risky. If you take it now, the guards will catch you for sure!"

"But—"

"No. Go, Bailey. Go!"

She hesitated, then placed the box back in its hiding spot. Her fingers lingered on the lid for a moment before she turned and rushed to the wall.

"You can't exit that way anymore," Cody warned.

"Use the key Ricky gave you to open the doors. Fast."

Ariel cursed again and sprinted toward the main doors of the Royal Archives.

She inserted the all-access key and pressed the activation button.

Footsteps echoed.

"Someone's in the Royal Archives!"

"Come on!"

Her heart pounded in her chest like a war drum.

"Come on, come on… hurry up, you stupid key…"

Clink.

A soft mechanical sound. The doors unlocked.

Ariel slipped through, scanned the hallway, and began moving swiftly.

"There! I see a shadow!"

A guard's voice rang out.

Ariel broke into a sprint, her breath shallow, her legs pumping.

"Over there! Don't let the person escape!"

The guards were closing in.

Without thinking, she darted into the nearest room and shut the door behind her.

Silence.

She pressed her back against the wall, barely breathing.

The guards passed by.

She was safe.

She hadn't retrieved the box—her primary target—but she hadn't been caught. That was something.

She leaned against the wall, catching her breath. Her eyes scanned the room.

There—a balcony.

She could use it to climb back onto the roof and return to the restroom. Raymond must be worried sick by now.

She moved toward the balcony.

But then..

"Are you enjoying yourself?"

A low, husky voice echoed through the room.

Ariel froze.

Her blood turned to ice.

'That voice… no. It can't be…'

Then she felt it.

The wall behind her shifted.

She reached out instinctively—and her hand didn't touch brick.

It touched muscle.

She squeezed, just to be sure.

Her heart dropped into her stomach.

She turned slowly.

And there he was.

The monster of her nightmares.

The same red glowing eyes stared back at her.

"You're in some serious trouble…"

Ariel swallowed hard.

'Oh dear…'

...

Spoiler alert!

The candlelights danced meticulously in the room being flickered by the breeze brushing through the windows.

In the middle of the room a big luxurious bath tub engrafted with gold lay.

Inside...Daniel laid, his black hair cascading down his face like silk. His muscle toned body glimmering in the candlelight. Heat from the water curled into a steamy fog. In his hand he held a glass with whisky. Swirling it slowly before sipping it.

A soft sound of the door opening echoed in the room. A man wearing a servant's uniform entered. A name tag with the name Bailey Morales shimmered in the dim light.

The man stepped closer. A scrubbing brush and towel in his hand.

Daniel sighed. "Wash." He commanded.

Bailey's eyes widened. "Huh.."

"Since you like touching my body so much. Wash it." Said Daniel.

Bailey swallowed in bewilderment. But he had no choice but to appease the beast otherwise it was his life on the line.

'Let's get this over with.' He thought as he approached the tub.

However, Daniel's next word completely iced his soul.

"Undress.."

Bailey froze.

Daniel sighed again. "You have five seconds to start.." then he turned around and faced him. "Or I'll fuck you like a dog." His eyes glowed a crimson red and a smug smile tugged at his lips.

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