Page 47 of Hound

“I will be focusing on the main entrance of the ballroom for Mr. Amelle’s and Ms. Eli’s secure arrival. If one doesn’t arrive, it will represent the failed attempt at obtaining the notebook.”

Kaleb had gone against my commands after his insignificant and senseless scheme, stomping on my cemented authority. Yet, his assertion and manipulation of Alek was accomplished by my failed observance. He possessed the ability to implement a new scheme—one as an act of revenge to Ms. Eli who’d shattered his inflated sensitive ego on her first day when all in our society treaded carefully—due to my negligence.

Alek’s newfound role—a role I never thought him to be the right fit for—possessed enough stability to rescind the authority of Noah, Kaleb, and I.

The three of us have continuously thrown Alek into the pits of hell. In turn, Kaleb’s demands and ego amplified, the unbecoming of him too large to control, too grand for me to cease as he harbored the notebook that could tear the Ministry and Bureau alike.

Another matter I had failed to acknowledge.

I’d known of its existence. Kaleb had a habit throughout the years of baiting it, particularly before Noah within our private interactions, but never did I think it would become what it was now.

Pages on pages of entries with tracked affairs, schemes, and underhand deals. A notebook harboring not just any leverage, but an upper hand no one else could conceptualize. In the wrong hands, it would lead to destruction.

By tomorrow night, it had to collapse and the notebook had to fall in the rightful hands.

A sense of pride surged when Alek cleared his throat. “Is anyone worried about their role?”

The formulated plan was meant to calm the torment that haunted my mind, but it did nothing as the crushing weight of what has occurred and what is to come burdened my shoulders. The leather-bounded literature was a feather in my hold as the pressure within the library intensified.

Synchronously, Ms. Eli, Mr. Amelle, Raphael, and I shook our heads.

Mr. Amelle straightened his shoulders. “Then Katerina and I will leave to discuss some protocols for the night.” The two bowed and disappeared into the outer hallway until footsteps ceased.

“Raphael, excuse us for a moment. I must speak with Alek.”

Raphael’s gaze traveled to Alek’s, the two sharing more unspoken words. Alek nodded, and he left after bowing at me. I instinctively removed my glasses and twisted the legs apart and closed them together, forming the key to my study.

Alek trailed behind me with careful steps. Distance was placed between us as I stepped away from the beaming light pouring through the main alcove and into the nearest bookshelf. When Alek paused amid the space, I tugged inside my trouser pocket, retrieving papers and unfolding each one. I laid them onthe light blue cushion against the bench before us, coordinating the four of them by oldest to earliest discovery. The newest one was closest to me.

Alek drew near, his presence flaring.

“I discovered it during my early reading sessions.”

He studied them with an attentive, trembling gaze. “Where did you find this?”

“In my study,” I said as I peered at our surroundings. This room bore a singular entrance. Besides the three windows which plastered the bordering walls, each one was bolted shut. How could one enter if there were no signs of breaking? Furthermore, the entrance was obscure to the common eye.

“You didn’t see who left it?”

I shook my head. “I visited Mother’s grave right before my session.”

It was something that had sprung out of the blue, a visitation that I hadn’t planned. My body, on the other hand, had instinctively taken me to her after Lorenzo’s confession.

My words echoed in my chest into a hollow cave.

Why would you curse me with such a phrase that now imposes itself on the man I love? With this, he will meet the same fate as you. I cannot bear that.

Alek’s voice pitched as he asked, “You visited Mother’s grave?”

Lorenzo’s face appeared in mind, his body covered in mist as the memory of his visitation to his mother’s grave reemerged. It had haunted me the closer our mother’s death anniversary drew, instilling a desire that had always existed, yet had never tightened around my throat.

“I may harbor my own faults, but I never forgot her. But this will be a matter to discuss some other time, Alek.”

His shoulders lowered as his head turned to the notes.

“What are we trying to uncover?”

“A hint. In a span of weeks and right before a grand event, we’ve obtained four different sets of notes—all of which must pertain to each other.”

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