A MAZE OF GREED

WARNING: This chapter contains some violent stuff, including torture and pain. Reader's discretion recommended. If you are not a fan of violence, then kindly skip this part.

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The sound of ragged breathing through the nose of the man pierced through the chilly silence in the old dungeons. For the last four months, the O'Dells were trying their best to find any clue about the mysterious five deaths in the northern woods of the Vincardine.

And the regularly failed attempts were covering their name with the blotch of weakness. But after their consistent efforts, Edwin finally got his hands on the link that could be useful to reach his target.

Rees had spread his network of spies in and around the Vincardine. After weeks of patience, he got a tip from one of his men that they had a suspect.

This man that was now tied on the dirty wall of 'the great manor', was on their radar. He was the same man who went to buy tulips from the son of a woodcutter.

Rees and Edwin had spent days figuring out the code represented by those tulips. Soon their question was answered when the man slipped out of his house secretively in the shadows of the night.

Little did he know that Edwin's men were following him discreetly. He was out of Vincardine to visit someone. Rees's men wanted to launch a surprise attack and captivate him and his allies, but Rees knew better than that.

Rees knew that this filthy man was not capable of committing such a gruesome crime. He was just a pawn in this game. And he wanted to wait till he gets a big catch.

He ordered his men to keep an eye on the man's all activities, where he went, whom did he meet, what did he do, everything. And after gathering all the information, he let his prey enter his territory where the fool couldn't get any help from his allies.

The man was wasted after spending a night in the local bar drinking bottles of alcohol, and it was the right time to capture him. Before any nose got a whiff of their plan, Rees cautiously carried the man to the dungeons, where his master would squeeze out every bit of information from the man's mouth.

Since they brought the man to the dungeons, they didn't give him any food or water. They didn't let him close his eyes even for a second. They made him kneel on both of his knees with his hands tied behind his back.

After more than fifteen hours, he was not near to break. But it was not a problem, because they knew well that there was not a single soul that couldn't be break by their Young Master.

Edwin O'Dell was not only known as an arrogant, irresponsible, spoiled brat but also as a demon that could inflict terror even in the heavens of God.

After the guards finished tying the man in an X shape, they stepped away. The man blinked his eyes frequently to adjust his vision in the darkness. But the after effect of alcohol still lingered in his senses that made his attempts go into vain.

After a minute of eerie silence, the torches were lit, which illuminated the dark place in its yellowish-orange hue instantly. The man hissed as the bright light burned his puffy and red eyes, making them water with an irritation. Another braid of hisses left his mouth till the irritation in his eyes pacified.

It took him some time to adjust his vision, and the first thing that he noticed in the room was a silhouette of a man sitting in a chair with one leg kept on the knee of the other. He was leaning back in the chair leisurely as if he was enjoying an opera.

The man's accelerated beating of the heart and his irregular breaths were a melody to his ears, and the smell of his fear was a scent of thousand roses to his nose.

By the demeanour of the man in the shadows, the culprit got an idea that he was in great trouble. But as adamant as he was, he decided to play hard, and Edwin O'Dell never liked an easy play.

The three guards stood alert in a line. While Rees stood in between the man and Edwin, with his hands crossed behind his back, but ready to snap the shivering body in front of him in two if his master ordered so.

With every passing moment in silence, the man's heart started running faster. When the intangible pressure turned unendurable, the man's dam of patience broke.

"Kill me if you want. Stop wasting time. But I am not going to open my mouth!" He shouted while looking at the shadow of the man in the chair.

A crooked smirk stretched on Edwin's sculpted face hearing the man wailed. He had him where he wanted him to be, and now it was a time for a spectacular show of his skills of pursuance.

The man kept his eyes glued to Edwin as his gut feeling warned him against the man of vengeance.

Lazily Edwin unfolded his legs then got up from the chair, rising to his full height. The man's curious eyes followed his every move, and he gulped down his saliva nervously at the sight of Edwin's huge and strong built with wide shoulders.

Taking slow yet firm steps in the direction of his prey, the beast had his mind composed and had planned every way to enjoy his feast tonight.

The shadows overpowered by the bright light from the torches, and the man's eyes widened at the sight of his tormentor.

"E-Edwin O'Dell!" The words left in exclamation from his stuttering mouth, that went dry in fear.

The man expected Augustus or any official of the O'Dells to interrogate him. But never in his wildest dreams, he had thought of standing opposite to Edwin O'Dell. His body went stiff, and his heart rate accelerated even further as if he was under the paws of a tiger.

And a part of his heart accepted the fact that he was indeed under the paws of a creature, that was more dangerous and ruthless than a tiger.

"Welcome to my cave!" Edwin's voice was deadly, like a viper ready to bite. His cerulean blue eyes were cold and empty but had an evil glint in them.

The man shook his head and thrashed his body to get free. "Leave me. I said leave me."

"Oh, sure! You see, I am a kind-hearted man, and it hurts me to see others in pain. Of course, I will release you from this pain."

The man gawked at the incarnation of satan with uncertainty. "You... will?" He asked, still not believing the man's words.

The smirk on Edwin's face widened. "I promise!" He then suddenly disappeared from his face as if he was never present there in the first place. "But first, I need some answers."

A chill ran down the man's spine at the sudden change in Edwin's demeanour.

"Wh-what do you want to know? I- I don't know anything. Just leave me!"

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes!"

Rubbing his pointed chin, Edwin hummed in response. "But my man here has something contrary to say."

Edwin pointed at Rees, who had a stoic face.

"This scumbag knows nothing! I swear I don't know anything." The man yelled, thrashing his body vigorously.

His body stilled instantly, and a grunt left his mouth along with the drops of blood from his torn lips when a loud slap fell on his face.

Edwin grabbed him by his hair, and turning his head to face him, he hissed in a deathly tone. "Watch your filthy mouth when you talk about my people!"

The man quivered under his thunderous gaze. He nodded his head in understanding when the metallic taste of his blood spread inside his mouth.

Stepping back, Edwin clapped his hand as if he had just got an amazing idea to entertain him. "The night is still alive, and I can not sleep peacefully without getting what I want. So, let's play a game. Rees?"

"Yes, Master. Your wish is our command!"

Content with his loyal man's reply, Edwin again turned to the toy that he had found to play with tonight.

"The rules are simple. I will ask a question, and you will answer it truthfully. One mistake, one punishment. No fouls, no escape! Is that clear?"

"Do what you want, but my lips are sealed. You will not get anything from me, and even if I want to tell you anything, I can't!" The man tried to match Edwin's stare, but deep down he knew that it was a lost bait.

"Let me be the judge of that."

The two guards immediately ran to both sides of the man, one on each side. And the helpless man could do nothing but watch everything with fear-stricken eyes.

"Shall we start?"

"Yes, Master!" The three guards and Rees said in unison, their eyes glinting with excitement.

"Question number 1. Who are you?" Edwin stood with his chest puffed up a little and his chin high.

"I told you my name. What else do you want- Aaaaaaarrrrrghhhh!"

The words dissolved in his throat instead, a piercing scream left his mouth when he felt a large amount of stress on his limbs. His eyes watered at the pain, and he realised why the two guards ran to stand on both sides of him.

An evil smile spread on Edwin's face at the deplorable state of his prey. The currents of joy spread throughout his body at the sound of the pain-filled scream.

This game was turning better than he thought!