DINNER WITH THE DEVIL
1189 Words
Scarlett faced the mirror, her image draped in flowing red silk. The red dress adhered to her like a signal—Edward’s plea, no, order. Her lips were colored to match the dress, yet her heart felt dull and burdensome underneath it all. The flash drive was concealed within the lining of her clutch, while a small recorder was hidden in the base of her perfume bottle—one of Seraphina’s clever methods.
She was prepared to assume the role. But tonight, she was more than just his compliant wife. She was a woman seeking answers, potentially entering a lion's den.
Edward’s vehicle reached the location exactly at seven. The driver, like always, remained silent. Silence was the language Edward loved most.
The setting took her by surprise—a secluded villa on the edge of the city. It was one of Edward's seldom-used estates, too isolated for casual gatherings. A table had been prepared for two beneath a glass canopy, the candlelight flickering like deceit adorned in gold.
"You appear… compliant," Edward remarked with a grin as he stood up to welcome her.
Scarlett forced a brief smile. "You requested red."
Dinner commenced with insincere courtesy. Costly wine. Casual conversation. Every word that came from Edward was deliberate, his gaze fixed on her face. She sensed his probing thoughts beneath that serene demeanor.
“I've heard rumors circulating in town,” he remarked casually while slicing his steak. “There's a story about a missing heir... the Lancaster lineage.”
Her hand stopped over her glass. “Seriously? "Feels like it's straight out of a soap opera."
Edward's grin flickered. "Certain tales are more authentic than you realize but however, certain individuals are unaware of when to let them stay buried."
Her stomach churned. She couldn't tell if he was implying Damien or her. Perhaps either option.
"Scarlett, you’ve always been quite inquisitive and I find that appealing and dangerous." he remarked, putting down his knife,
She grinned, tilting her head slightly. "Isn’t that what attracted you to me?"
His stare became firm. The atmosphere became chilly. For an instant, she was afraid she had gone too far.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated. He glanced downward, exhaled, and stood up. "Forgive me, this is a business phone conversation and I will be back.”
Scarlett's fingertips tingled as soon as he departed. She delved into her clutch to look at her phone. A message was pending.
Unknown Number: “Come alone. He is waiting at 39 East Hollow Avenue. at the moment.”
Her heart raced. Damien. It must have been him. Who else would be aware?
She swiftly got up, wiping her lips with a napkin. "I need to use the restroom," she whispered to the waiter, her tone serene.
The villa's side door opened onto a shadowy trail located behind the main house. She quietly exited, her heels softly crunching on the gravel, with the night shrouded in mystery. Her mind raced. Why at this moment? Why is it this way? However, she continued. Was unable to.
Scarlett walked to the side door, making sure it was firmly shut behind her before stepping outside. The chilly night breeze brushed against her skin, invigorating yet disconcerting, as if the night was conscious of her flight.
She called for a ride, the phrase “East Hollow Street” hardly escaping her mouth as she settled into the backseat, her thoughts occupied by the message. Could it actually be Damien? Was he there, prepared to respond to her inquiries? Or was she stepping into a snare?
*********************************************
The vehicle raced down the shadowy roads, each bend seeming to lead her nearer to an unseen destination. Scarlett gasped for breath, her thoughts becoming a tangle as the possibilities whirled in her mind. What if Damien was linked to everything? What if he had been aware of Edward and her marriage the entire time?
The streetlights blinked above, creating haunting shadows while the car advanced toward her goal. The stillness in the car was heavy, interrupted solely by the sporadic roar of the motor. Scarlett tightened her hands in her lap, her thoughts constantly fixated on Damien.
As the vehicle neared the location, a shiver ran down her back. East Hollow Avenue. It was an overlooked section of the city, industrial, desolate—hardly suitable for a gathering, except if something nefarious was occurring. However, Scarlett showed no hesitation. Not at this time. She required answers. She wanted to comprehend how everything had reached this point.
The vehicle halted in front of a rundown structure, its windows covered and the exterior paint flaking off. It appeared deserted and void, yet Scarlett understood otherwise. She sensed it in the atmosphere—the strain, the awareness of being observed.
She swiftly paid the driver and got out of the car, the gravel crackling under her heels. The evening was unsettlingly still. Silence all around, stillness everywhere, only the rhythmic thump of her heartbeat in her ears.
Scarlett moved toward the building carefully, her heart racing with every step she took nearer to the entrance. She tapped softly, her breath constricted in her chest. No reply. A different knock. Yet nothing.
Her hand lingered near the handle, but just as she was about to turn it, she hesitated. Again, her phone buzzed in her pocket.
She took it out, a wave of unease washing over her as she read the note:
“He is expecting but do not fall into the error of believing you are secure. "Take care, Scarlett."
The message was unsettling, the phrases coming across as more of a threat than a warning.
Could this really be Damien? Or was she being manipulated?
Scarlett's hands shook as she stowed her phone away and swung the door open, its creaking echoing unsettlingly in the quietness.
The space beyond was shadowy, except for a faint glow emerging from the distant side. She entered carefully, searching the space for any hint of Damien. Her mind raced—what if this was all fabricated? What if another person was waiting for her?
However, she could not go back at this point.
With every step, the atmosphere felt denser and more oppressive, as if the room was pausing to inhale. She softly called, “Damien?” The tone of her voice seemed odd in the empty area.
No reply.
Her heart raced in her chest while she waited, yet the silence felt stifling. Abruptly, her phone vibrated once more, shattering the silence.
She looked at the screen.
An anonymous new message:
"Come alone, he is waiting at 39 East Hollow Avenue at the moment.”
Her heart missed a beat. The words matched the initial message exactly. Yet this time, the sensation in her stomach shouted at her that something was amiss.
Scarlett's breath was halted in her throat. Might it be?
Or had she stepped directly into a snare?
Scarlett remains in the darkness, the atmosphere heavy with tension, as her phone vibrates once more. The concluding message makes her question whether she's been drawn into peril or if the solutions she desires are finally attainable.
- Writer
