A MAZE OF GREED

Harold's eyes searched for the beauty with toffee brown hair and hazel eyes as he walked through the corridors of 'the great manor'. Instead of Ruth, he collided with Fannie.

Well... any woman was better than no woman!

"Fannie! How are you now sweetheart?" He smiled as if he was indeed delighted to see her well.

Fannie cursed in her mind and regretted walking that way. Pulling a fake smile, she bowed.

"I am very fine, My Lord!"

Harold stopped close to her, invading her personal space. He recked her up and down. The lust swirled in his eyes as his mouth salivated with the thoughts of his evil mind.

"Hmm... I can see that. We should see how fine you are, should not we?!"

He ran his finger on her bottom lip and leaned down. He was about to take a further step when he was stopped by a commanding voice.

"Harold!"

Sucking a deep breath, Harold clenched his jaw. Putting a smile on his face, he turned around to meet sharp grey eyes.

"Good evening, My Lord!" He bowed.

Fannie was grateful that Augustus came at the right time. She hurriedly bowed and walked away from there. Harold was irritated, but he was here for something important.

"In my office!" With that said, Augustus walked ahead.

Five minutes later, they both sat in Augustus's office.

"What news you have got?" Augustus asked, leaning in his chair.

"I have handled the situation, My Lord. There is no way of suspecting your name in Barret Addington's death. It took me a lot of efforts though!" Harold sighed dramatically.

Augustus nodded his head. "You will be rewarded for those efforts Harold. You have not told me what do you want from me." He could not forget the fact that he had promised a shrewd man something that he could not even think of.

Harold smiled. "I will ask it at the right time, My Lord. After all it is my right and my reward. Then you can not deny it in any circumstances. But before that, I also had one more request. I hope you have fulfilled it by now."

-"Position of Douglas Morgan in your business."-

Augustus clenched his jaw. He neither liked Douglas Morgan nor Harold Davies. The only thing that made him inclined towards Douglas was, he was no threat to Augustus. He had nothing against Augustus with him, that he might use for his benefits.

But Harold... he was that shark which keeps following the scent of the blood and, attacks when the person is least prepared.

"Harold, I would like to suggest you to reconsider your demand. You know nothing about the business and it sways like Douglas. He is working for me for decades. I can offer you an alternative reward if you-"

"No, My Lord! I want what I want! Although I do not know the buisness like Morgan, I have done things that he had never done and could never do for you. I have earned it and I am sure you also agree that I deserve it." Harold raised his brow at Augustus challengingly, although he forcefully kept his tone polite.

Augustus saw through his facade. He knew from the beginning that he was a threat. But he needed him because, as he had said, not only Douglas but no other person could do the things, that Harold had done for him.

"But it is not going to change much Harold. The elites will still hold their reservations against you." Augustus said, with a hint of warning.

He knew Harold's weak point, and as a last resort, he decided to rub some salt on it.

Harold was not ready to give up on what he had finally got after years and years of struggle. He looked straight into Augustus's eyes after leaning a little forward.

"Not everyone is born to be liked and accepted by the elites. Yet there are people who have snatched that privilege by hook or by crook. I am a good man and thus want to gain it with MY sweat and blood. Is it wrong My Lord?"

Augustus felt the burn inside him as if Harold's words had spilt kerosene on his heart, only to set fire by his taunt.

Barret had also reminded Augustus that he was not accepted as the O'Dell. His mother was nothing but a concubine of his father. He would never be accepted or respected like Walter.

Even his father had never accepted him as his son. He was an illegitimate child that his father called his mistake. And Augustus was set to change that soon.

Without any word, Augustus took out the papers from the drawer of the side table. He signed them and threw them on Harold's face.

"Get out!"

Harold scanned the papers and, a smile of satisfaction crawled on his face. Augustus had accepted his demand of giving him Douglas Morgan's position in Augustus's business.

"Have a good night, My Lord!" Saying that he left the room in a good mood.

But Augustus was so outraged that he took the way leading to the room in his building. The place that was a burning furnace of his past, his mistakes, his sacrifices, his pain, his ambitions and, his enemies.

*

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Ruth had managed to take some time out of her busy schedule to read more about the witches and their powers. The thought of her being a witch sounded so crazy to her ears that she refused to believe it.

But, then she also did not have any logical explanation for what she had done to people. She was in her favourite corner of the garden. The same duck, who she had to frighten a few days back, was swimming in the fountain water. But it kept its distance from her.

Every time she tried going near it, it would flap its wings with force and try to run away from her. It was still scared of her.

An idea popped into her head. Before trying her powers on a human, she should try it on an animal or bird. And the right target was right in front of her.

Ruth slowly approached the duck. It was sleepy and, did not notice how and when she neared it. She squatted down in a comfortable position, and slowly raised her hand to touch its head.

The feel of her skin, made the duck's eyes fly open. The moment it saw Ruth, it started quacking loudly and flapping its wings. Before it could escape, Ruth grasped its neck.

"Shhh... I am not here to harm you! Quiet!" She hissed when the bird did not calm down.

Ruth followed every step she had read in the book.

Step 1- Believe in your powers.

Ruth took a deep breath then slowly released it through her slightly parted lips to calm her mind.

Step 2- Close your eyes or focus on your target.

Tightening her grasp on the duck's neck, she closed her eyes and imagined its image in her mind.

Step 3- Summon your powers.

Now she did not know what that meant and how she should do that. But as Ida had helped her, she recalled the emotions she had felt every time she had done something strange.

The poor bird kept struggling in her hand, but Ruth was too adamant about testing her powers. And the chaos that the bird made did not let her concentrate completely. She was getting angrier with every passing moment.

She repeated all three steps a couple of times before she felt something stirring inside her. Maybe that was what summoning her powers meant.

Step 4- Concentrate every being of you in fulfilling the result you want

The pace of her breathing changed. The frown on her face deepened. She tuned out the sounds of pleading made by the bird as her chest heaved up and down. She did not realise that she looked nothing less than a wicked witch that humans always thought them to be.

Step 5- When your mind and heart are aligned on the same path, you will get the desired results.

She could feel something. The struggles of the duck had stopped. She now could not hear its voice or feel its struggles.

Yes! She had done it! She had finally tested her powers!

She opened her eyes with a gush of excitement, but her smile faded as fast as it appeared, Her eyes went saucer-shaped, and her face paled.

Leaving the bird, she scampered away from it in horror. Tears gathered in her eyes, and her hands shook as she looked at them in disgust.

The bird floated on the water, immobile. Not only its struggles but also its heartbeats had stopped a minute back.

Ruth found it difficult to breathe. She had not expected this. She... she had killed an innocent bird. A sob threatened to escape from her throat.

Realising something, she hurriedly looked at her surroundings. Did someone see her?

"Miss Moore?"

The familiar male voice made her body go cold in fear. She slowly dared to turn around and face the person. But, regretted her action quickly when she saw the same horrified look on his face.

He had seen everything!