Chapter Eleven

It took Diamante three days to recover. Now that she had enough strength, she could finally get up and go back to her Manor. And as a sign of gratitude, Rubis and Saphir could stay over for dinner and the night.

Diamante continues to walk the two-mile distance to her Manor with Rubis and Saphir. The twins cannot afford a horse nor a carriage, so walking will have to do.

"What are we going to do when we get there?" Saphir questions. Diamante rolls her eyes. He has been asking her the same question for the past half hour. And now, she is going to give him the same answer; for the fourth time.

"Onice will treat you, then you'll meet with the leaders," Saphir nods at her answer and continues walking. But the ghost of a smile does not go unnoticeable. It seems that Diamante has found Saphir's crack.

The ice twin isn't as impenetrable as he seems.

Diamante feels the dull ache on her feet increase with every step. She hates this. This walk is way too far for her liking. It's exhausting, and she doesn't appreciate it. Diamante, Saphir and Rubis have to walk around the town's poorer area to avoid the authorities. It turns out that Saphir has told the department that she is dead. So she will have to avoid them at all costs.

While the group walks down the street, the townsfolk on the road will either cross to the other side or avoid her gaze. Diamante can't help but smile. She truly made a name for herself, and honestly, she is enjoying it. And because she has given them more than the monarchy, they feel obligated to not tell the authorities.

Another ten minutes of walking goes by, and Diamante notices the familiar building. She points at the Manor and tells the twins to follow her lead. Dinner begins in two hours; this gives Diamante enough time to show the twins around and gloat along the way.

"You can both stay for dinner and the night. We have more rooms for you two," Both twins look at each other before nodding their heads. As they get closer to her home, Diamante notices the sound of children laughing as she walks towards the entrance.

What she sees makes her heart beam with joy.

She sees Charlottle play with five different kids. Two are boys, and the rest are girls. Diamante is ecstatic that Charlotte is playing with children her own age. Charlotte can finally grow her social skills and make friends.

It seems that Charlotte notices Diamante's stare because she immediately stops playing. When Charlotte turns in Diamante's direction and realizes that her idol is with the sweet twins, she runs up to them. All three of them kneel as Charlotte wraps her arms around all three of them in a tight embrace.

They stay there for what feels like forever, but honestly, Diamante does not mind at all. When they break the hug, all four of them walk up to the main door.

Charlotte turns to the other kids. She gestures two fists banging against each other. The twins watch in confusion when the children nod and go inside the vast building.

The kids return with Onice. Unlike his clean and neat looks, he is dishevelled with puffy eyes. Diamante can tell that he has been crying. The three-piece suit that he's wearing is wrinkly and out of form, very unlike Onice indeed.

Diamante doesn't react fast enough when Onice embraces her in a huge hug.

At first, she stiffens. But after a few seconds, she hugs Onice back. When Onice releases her, he immediately smacks Diamante in the back of her head. Diamante can hear Saphir snicker behind her.

"Diamante, idiot. Do you have any idea what I've been through in the last four days? I thought you were dead," Diamante rubs the back of her head as Onice continues to rant in their native tongue. it's been way too long since she has heard of Italian, and he is speaking en thousand words a minute.

If this is how he will react to her disappearance, imagine the rest of the Stanzolios.

"Don't worry Onice, the twins helped me escape, and they're staying over for the night," Diamante reassures. Onice looks behind Diamante sees Saphir. He gives Saphir a death stare; it seems that Once still remembers their first encounter. Saphir responds with a wink. Onice huffs, turn around, and walk back inside.

Rubis and Saphir follow Diamante and Onice as they show off their wonderful interior decor and art. Both Diamante and Onice internally gleam as they hear the twins' sounds of astonishment behind them.

They had a chance to live in luxury, but it seems to be a little too late for them. And this fact makes Onice more proud than the prettiest peacock.

They walk up the staircase to the second floor. This floor is only for the leaders, and it so happens to have two bedrooms that already has furniture for particular guests. Diamante takes Rubis to one of the rooms, leaving Onice and Saphir behind.

Onice decides that it is not worth giving the cold man any hospitality. He walks towards his chambers, but the ice twin follows behind him regardless. As they reach the door, Onice notices Saphir say something.

"ʎon ɐɹǝ dn!ʇǝ ɐddǝɐן!uƃ." Onice turns around and stares at Saphir in confusion. Onice assumes that he is talking ill about him. Somehow, after the scene in the police station, Onice will continue thinking about him. His cold icy eyes haunt his dreams, and now the very same man is going to have dinner with them.

Onice opens the door and closes it behind them. He isn't afraid of him anymore and will finally give him a piece of his mind. Onice pushes him against the door and stares into his eyes. And not surprisingly, they are empty.

They are so close that their noses are almost touching, and they are breathing the same air.

"I don't know what you said, but I'd like to know now," The twin chuckles at Onice attempt to intimidate him. Saphir lifts a hand and lays it on his wrist. Saphir isn't grabbing, but rather he is merely touching.

"You and I are destined to be together," Onice cheeks flush in surprise and embarrassment. How can he possibly say something like that? And how can Onice, the brains behind the organisation, react like this? Nobody can make him feel the way he is feeling now. But he can't act softly. Not in front of him.

"That is ridiculous; it is clear that I am not a woman," Saphir chuckles. He doesn't care, and Onice knows this. Saphir slowly wraps his fingers around both of Onice's hands and smiles. Onice grip's on Saphir loosens, but the space between them remains the same.

"I don't care because all I want is to be with you," Onice gasps in surprise when Saphir abruptly presses his lips against his own. He tries to push Saphir away from him, but he feels himself succumbing. Saphir's cold lips are cold, but they are also refreshing.

All of a sudden, the knock at the entrance brings Onice back to reality. He attempts to push Saphir away, but he refuses to budge. In the spur of the moment, Onice kicks a surprised Saphir in the shin. When Saphir finally let him go, he quickly opens the door. It is Alehi's butler, alerting them both that dinner is about to commence. Onice immediately storms by the man and out of the door, leaving a very sated Saphir behind.

Onice arrives at the dinner table, out of breath and blood rushing into his cheeks. Diamante is already sitting at the table. She stares at him in confusion, but when Saphir arrives with a smile on his face, her mouth opens in an 'O' shape. Diamante can assume what has taken place between them. But now isn't the time to think about her cousin's relationship.

Now is the time to destroy the traitor, Marcus.

Her assumptions about Marcus were more accurate than she thought. Marcus was able to convince twelve of the twenty-two workers to betray Diamante and work under him. Over a span of weeks, Marcus and his goons will plan the day of the masquerade so that the authorities will catch Diamante only.

Once Marcus got rid of Diamante, he left the scene and hid. He is already building his empire at this very moment. How does Diamante know? Well, it turns out that one of the workers was spying on Marcus and told Jeffrey. After that, Jeffrey told Nikita, and he told Diamante.

And that's not all. Rumours of Marcus offering low-income families loans have been circulating the town. But there's a catch. In exchange for these loans, they will have to give in their daughter/s. These girls (who are between the age of eight and fifteen) will then be sold to older men so that they can do unthinkable things to them.

To call Diamante Stanzolio a danger to the town and its people will be an understatement. However, she has never and will never target innocent people.

Especially little girls.

When she sees children on the street, it brings back memories of her watching children having fun when she was their age.

All of Diamante's strength and anger focuses on horrible humans or those indebted to her. It's a simple business strategy. But now it's official. Marcus is a disgusting stain. And if Diamante doesn't do anything, then none of these girls will ever be free again.

The main cook marches into the dining hall with his apprentices serving the leaders their meals.

"Our dinner will be steak with mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables," Diamante smiles as she looks at the delicious supper. It's good to be back in the Manor. She holds the fork in her right hand and slowly scoops up the mashed potatoes.

When she finally tastes the savoury bite, she feels her eyes become blurry as tears fill up. After going to prison, being fed little to nothing, staying at the twins' home and being fed plain food, eating such bountiful food makes her extremely grateful.

Diamante eats in content as she observes the table. Onice is trying to ignore Saphir's flirting. Andrew is sitting on a cushioned seat with James sitting on his lap. Diamante notices Mustafa separating the food on his plate. Rubis is silently eating the steak with his fork in his left hand and the knife in his right hand. Aheli and Jancy are both addressing new changes in the house. And Charlotte is busy eating with the other children.

Diamante eats the entire dinner with a smile on her face. She feels so content with herself. Unfortunately, there is a small part of her that feels empty. Diamante looks down at her empty plate. She can feel herself become tiresome as time goes on. So Diamante excuses herself and walks to her bedroom.

She quickly opens Charlotte's door next to her's and smiles when she sees the little girl soundlessly asleep in her bed. But soon, Diamante begins thinking of girls her age under Marcus' 'care.' This makes her furious.

Her priority is to save these girls. This will cause all of her plans to go haywire.

She didn't even plan the robbery yet. Diamante hates to delay the theft, but it is her only option. However, if it means that these poor girls will finally taste freedom, then Diamante will happily do it.

When Diamante enters her room, she takes significant strides to her fluffy bed. As soon as she lays down, she feels her body physically relax. Even though the bed is soft and comfortable, it feels cold and empty.

She misses sleeping in the same bed as Rubis and his heat against hers. Diamante smiles as she remembers one night when he will look so upset from work, but his expression will soften when he sees her.

After a hard day of work, she will even cook for him, and though the meal was disgusting, he will eat it will a content look, while Saphir will constantly complain.

Soon, her eyes start to droop, and she finally falls asleep.

But before she allows the darkness to form around her, she starts fantasizing about the foreseeable future.

Marcus will officially meet his demise.