A MAZE OF GREED

-"I can't believe that the young blood of O'Dells has such low morals to assault a woman like this! Just because of your family's position, you rich and spoiled men think that you can walk all over everyone. But that's not the case, Mr O'Dell!

Even if we are not filthy rich like you and don't have obeisance of servants at our beck and call, we still are more human than you could ever be!"-

That was the first time that Edwin got a chance where the woman in his imagination talked to him. He didn't know how he expected that precious time to be but it was definitely not how it happened.

He didn't need to justify himself or put a clean image of him in front of anyone neither he cared but she was different. For some reason, it pained his wolf when he saw animosity and revulsion clouded in her hazel eyes instead of his reflection.

-"It's you! It's you who repulses me, the kind I loathed!"-

He was shocked to see the hatred she harboured for him in her heart. He didn't know what wrong he had ever done to her and why she had such a strong opinion about him when they were nearly strangers.

He had tried to recollect his mistakes to see where he had wronged her or caused her any kind of distress but his mind came with none. Apart from his rude behaviour with Florence, he couldn't understand where he was wrong.

Thinking of Florence, Edwin had never imagined in his wildest dreams that the tender and pure-hearted woman like Ruth was friends with Florence. The way she defended her that day in front of Edwin made their relationship was as clear as water in front of him.

He didn't regret the way he treated that needy woman... not even a bit. But he regretted the timing of it. It was so wrong... so wrong!

'Is she friends with Florence because... Are that innocence and chastity just a facade? Rees told me that she lives a hard life. Has she chosen the easy way?' These thoughts had kept him awake for the nights.

When he first saw her standing in the Green's house, all these thoughts made no sense to him. She looked like an epitome of innocence and pure beauty that he cursed his mind for thinking so lowly of her.

How could it be just a facade to fool the world?

Edwin wanted to go straight to her and ask these questions that were tormenting him but he couldn't. He contemplated asking Rees but then he didn't want to show his desperation.

And why should he think about her so much? He shared no bond with her. She was a nobody to him. Yes, she was beautiful... way beautiful than the women he had been with. There was something about her that appealed to him.

-"You are no better than those filthy rich spoiled men with corrupted mind of the western part of the Vincardine. And if you expect me to show you some respect because of your family name then let me clear it to you. Bearing a respectable family name does not make you eligible to be respect worthy. You have to earn it!"-

The more he tried to distance himself from her the more she conquered his mind. After pondering for months since he first saw her in 'the great manor' on the night of celebrations, finally, his mind pinpointed a possible reason for why she affected him so much.

But the moment his mind came up with that thought his heart dropped in his chest. His wolf whimpered at that worrying thought. That couldn't happen, that was not possible was the only mantra he chanted to keep his mind from going insane.

The Moon Goddess punish him like this. It couldn't be his fate. He had decided to write his own destiny with his hands a long time ago and he had lived up to his pledge till this date. He couldn't diminish the world he had built for himself.

He had to forget about her. He had to!

"Master!"

Edwin was brought back to the reality from his world of thoughts by Rees's voice.

Clearing his throat and taking a moment to pull himself together, Edwin faced him. "What is it?"

"Master, after weeks of investigation we have an important clue." The excitement in his voice made Edwin's mind stand in alert mode.

"What clue?"

"We have a suspect! He is locked up in the dungeons... our dungeons."

Edwin had ordered Rees to run a secret investigation independent of his uncle's. The five blood deprived dead bodies that they had found in the northern woods of the Vincardine had set a turmoil in the political world of the whole region.

The commoners of Vincardine couldn't step outside their houses at night. People avoided using the routes that led to the neighbouring towns which passed through the woods. The whole town of Vincardine was covered in a blanket of fear.

People trusted the O'Dells and believed in their ability to protect their people. But they were clueless that the danger that was approaching them was not something that they had faced for over a century.

Augustus was set on clearing this problem from its roots. He desperately wanted to clear his family's name from the suspicions of the Council. And the most important reason was he was ready to keep the secret of his family and his race from the rest of the world at any cost.

And Edwin... he not only cared for his people but somewhere he blamed himself for these misfortunate events. He didn't expect the things to turn in such a grave way when he acted on his impulse and a fit of rage.

Since that day he was carrying the load of five innocent lives on his chest.

"Are you sure, Rees?"

"Yes, master. I got the connection about a few weeks before but I needed confirmation and that was why I didn't inform you then. But today we got our hands on that person and now he is ready to get interrogated by you."

"Does anyone know about it?"

"No, master. Not even Lord Augustus."

"Good. Now tell me everything again from the beginning. We need to study every detail before interrogating him."

Edwin was always particular with his actions. He always had everything set in his mind before doing anything and that was the reason that he had never failed in his life. Never!

Nodding his head, Rees started describing the whole investigation to Edwin.

"During our investigation, we secured some facts that pointed towards this man. So, our team kept a watch on his home. For days, he didn't make any move. He didn't even step a foot outside his house.

But one day, he came out of his house and went straight to the market road where he met a flower seller and bought a bunch of tulips. When we caught that flower seller, the boy told us that when he went into the woods with his woodcutter father, someone had put a pouch of gold coins and a letter for him.

He was directed to wait with flowers on the market road. He was told that a man would come and ask for the flowers that bloomed in this season then he had to give that man a bunch of tulips.

But we have already figured out that tulips are not common in this season and thus it was some kind of a code.

And soon we solved that code."

Edwin walked towards Rees and placed his right hand on his right shoulder.

"Well done, Rees! Now let's see where his information takes us."

Rees nodded his head then bowed in respect. Every employee wants to listen to those words of appreciation from their employer and Rees was glad that he came to some help to lessen his master's worries.

"Master, am I allowed to suggest something?"

Edwin only hummed in response.

"It will be better if you start the interrogation after the dinner. We don't want Lord Augustus to question about your absence."

Giving thought to Rees's suggestion, Edwin concluded that he was right.

"Very well."

"And master, there is one more thing."

Edwin only looked at Rees silently permitting him to continue.

"Douglas Morgan went to meet Harold Davies at his office." Rees informed with a serious face.

"Hmm... I was expecting that. Douglas must be furious that my uncle granted the property in the main square of Vincardine to Harold. He was eyeing that property for quite some time but Harold is a sleek bastard." There was a tinge of anger at Edwin's words.

For the world, Edwin was nothing but a spoiled, selfish, arrogant and irresponsible heir of the O'Dell family. And to some extent, all those adjectives fitted him well except he had his eyes and ears alert all the time.

He was well informed of the happenings around him but still, he faked blindness and deafness to that everything. He was going to put up that facade until the things didn't turn troubling for him.

This was one of the secretive and dangerous traits of Edwin O'Dell. He liked to act naive when he knew everything. He liked to fool the world by letting them think that he was harmless when in reality, he always kept his control on everything.

"But I don't understand one thing, master. How did Harold managed to get his hands on that property from Lord Augustus?" Rees mused.

Going towards the window of his office, Edwin put his hands behind his back. Staring into the dark in the distance he replied, "I wonder the same, Rees. I wonder the same. What is it that he has over my uncle that uncle Augustus has still kept that cunning fox around him?!"