Late but better than never, right?!

It's 3am here but we didn't wanna sleep without keeping our promise to you!

Enjoy + Comment for a chance to be this week's CWC, win a sneak peek and be featured on our Instagram page :) :) (TWO CWCs will be chosen for this week: one for Chapter 70 and another for 71!)

Buckle up! This chapter is nerve-wrecking!

Trigger warning for some violent scenes.

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I gulped, getting into my Daisy room in a daze.

'You have ten minutes to change, Signorina Reinhart. We're heading to Tottenham.'

Tottenham?

Mr. Ellington was heading to Tottenham?

Could it be he knew about Van Darco's visit?

I shuddered as I roamed between the clothes in my bag.

According to R.E.C., a maid attire would attract too much attention in such a place as Tottenham.

I bit my lips, tightening my corset as I attired a baggy t-shirt above as well as a pair of leggings.

I sighed, eyeing the pair of sneakers some steps away as I remembered Freddie's warning about this, given my original height.

Frowning, I grabbed the pair and put them on.

I could never promise anything when it's about Tottenham. I might have to run or fight. Heels were so inconvenient.

I let out an uneasy breath. I really hope things pass smoothly.

Because the last thing I needed at such a time was a fight in Daisy's mask and hair.

Heading back to R.E.C.'s room, I flinched not as he took me in, from head to toe, his orbs darkening as they fixed on multiple stops in my anatomy.

Wordlessly then, he shifted to open the drawer next to his bed. Pulling out a mini revolver from the drawer, he checked if it contained a gear, then threw it in my direction.

I barely caught up at the last moment. "Huh?"

"We are not going to a stroll in the park." He started walking towards the door at this. "Hide that well and hurry."

In no time, we'd exited the estate and headed to the car parking.

Ascending into one of the GMC jeeps driven by Albert, R.E.C.'s driver, we took off.

.

.

.
The ride was overall silent, with a word or two escaping Mr. Ellington whenever he received a call.

I was silent as well, considering panic was eating me alive as I waited.

Meeting Van Darco...

The man who lured my father into a trap to sell me.

I wonder what he's like.

An hour or so later, nausea had not crept into my senses on its own, as the disgusting smell of the underground of Tottenham started sneaking into my senses, and flashbacks from my encounters here prior to that final battle shot to my mind. Dammit.

Similar to the first time we'd ever come here, the vehicle stopped at the entry of the dark alleys, clearly incapable of advancing any further and relying on walking mobility from now on.

As the president opened his door to descend, I spotted behind him what had just parked next to our GMC.

Of course.

I gulped, seeing a squad of bodyguards descend from the other GMC vehicle and surround him in protection.

He flinched not, barely shooting them a glance as he turned towards me again.

Fixing his eyes into mine, he let them evolve into a torturous level of grey.

"You don't want to know what will happen if I come back and I don't find you here."

I shuddered, gulping as I nodded at him in fear.

Hey... What was this attitude with... Daisy...

"Remain safe with Daisy, Albert." Was the last order he issued at the driver before shutting the door behind him.

I let out a shaky breath, my heart sinking as I sat back in place.

Images from the last time I sneaked into Tottenham with Romeo and Harold shot to my mind, and I just shook in place.

I could not try and sneak or get the poor driver into danger with me.

I guess I'll just have to wait till his majesty Ellington comes back.

I let out a breath, eyeing my watch as time passed slow. Very slow.

.

.

.

It was only around 15 minutes later that Albert, the driver, shifted in place.

"Um, Miss Reinhart," He turned respectfully in my direction. "Would you mind if I left you alone for a couple of seconds to go to the bathroom?"

I blinked. "Huh? Um sure." And I nodded.

And so he descended quickly, disappearing off of my line of sight in no time.

I bit my lips, looking around as I eyed the other GMC jeep beside us.

Gulping, I opened my door.

Let's check if there's anyone in the other jeep.

If anyone's there, I'll just remain seated and wait like a good girl.

But if no one's there...

Then that's a sign.

I descended from the vehicle, eyeing the jeep next to us carefully.

....

No reaction.

The jeep was apparently empty, as R.E.C. had taken the entire squad with him.

And depended on the fact that Daisy would not attempt doing anything reckless under Albert's supervision.

Whoops, too bad.

Checking left and right, I made sure I wasn't being watched.

Before I ran right into the darkness of the alleys.

The unstable sound of my breathing coupled with my pacing heartbeats were the most prominent sound I could make among all the sounds from around me.

Minutes later, I reached the zone of the super nightclubs and cabarets, where my sister's workplace is supposedly found.

Hiding in the shadow of a building, I pulled out my actual phone, Charlotte's, as I dialed Scarlett breathlessly.

Seconds later, my sister picked up, her voice in whispers: "Yo, what's up? How are you using your actual phone? Aren't you in the estate? Is something up?!"

From the evident fear in every whisper by my sister, I felt sweat drench my back. "I'm fine, I'm fine!" I whispered back, "It's just that Mr. Ellington came here to Tottenham and brought Daisy with him. I managed to sneak out of the car and am now in the underground area. Are you okay? Did Van Darco appear?!"

"Shush! You idiot! Don't fucking say the name when you're here so casually!" She whisper screamed.

Seconds later, she gave herself some space to breath unstably. "Look, he's expected to pass by our bar in the upcoming twenty minutes, which explains why the president came here, given his strong search engines which probably informed him of that."

I gulped, and she continued. "If you want to come to where I am, come through the back door and descend from the hidden floor door of the kirche. I'll meet you down. Don't cause any fucking unnecessary trouble because the entire family here is on standby!"

I let out a shaky breath, alright, Charlotte.

Let's go!

I darted forwards the 'Please and Pleasure' cabaret, shifting my approach as I neared it.

Sliding into the narrow alley next to it, I ran in the direction of the back door.

As I reached the back door, and just as I was about to open it, a shadow from the opposing alley jumped in my direction.

I yelped, barely having the time to take a defensive position as the silhouette slammed into me, moving me out of the way.

As it continued running away.

My entire body shook, as I eyed the slim looking human as he ran away glance behind him.

A second later, a group of men appeared from the same opposing alley as they cussed and cursed loudly.

As they followed the silhouette while encouraging each other to kill him.

I couldn't move, as my entire body ached in memory...

Of what the underground of Tottenham was like.

This was a bare example of a thief who could have just killed me to run away from other thieves.

I gulped, forcing my body up as I stepped into the cabaret.

A diversity of smells and sounds greeted me as I stepped in from the back door, and the dimness of the lights in the bar was not helping at all.

Shuddering, I couldn't help the bile rising to my throat and the intense urge to just run away which filled my senses.

Good lord.

I marched inside, noting that the bar did not have any customers, yet still had very high voices all over.

Moving within the bar, I headed to the kitchen in accordance to the instructions.

And found the hidden door behind the deinks bar as fast as I could, as I opened it and slid down.

The moment I stepped down, I froze in place as a gun came beneath my chin, and the eyes of the owner glinted in the dark. "S-Scarlett!"

It took my sister a couple of seconds before she lowered her gun from my chin, signaling a 'shush' at me as she led me through a dark alley behind her.

My breath hitched, noting that as we advanced through the alley, and voices became higher the closer we got to the end of the alley.

Exiting the alley, we emerged into a wide and dark chamber still underground.

I gulped at the scene. "Th-This..."

From around various angles, hidden spots, and corners of the chamber...

Were individuals with raised guns and revolvers up, pointing at the other entry of the chamber.

My blood went cold. "What..." I barely whispered.

Scarlett dragged me to a hiding spot beside her, signaling another shush to me.

"The head of the mafia is setting a trap for Van Darco."

I blinked at her, eyes wide and still wordless.

She seemed to see that, as she kept her gun raised up and pointed at the entry.

Her eyes glinted in the dark, as her chest rose and fell in ultimate anticipation. "If you look at the farthest left corner," she gestured with her chin, keeping her eyes at the entrance. "You'll notice a man with three women of colored hair around him."

I gulped, as I turned there.

As my sister had described, a man really stood at the corner with three women around him.

He was slim, with an apparent bulletproof vest atop of his shirt. A bandanna covered his forehead, and he was attired fully in black. I could not make out further from his features due to the distance.

"That's Lucca Porcelli, the head of the family."

From beside him, three woman of three hair colors surrounded him. All were attired in stripper clothes resembling those of my sister's, and their hair was of same length and identical style, obviously a wig.

It took me a few seconds before I made out what Scarlett had just revealed.

And then I gasped, loud. "Lucca?!" I whispered in utter disbelief, "You mean Violetta's–"

My sister nodded, and at this, one of the hair-colored woman around the guy caught my attention.

The one with a violet wig on.

No way... That...

Couldn't be...

Slight commotion rose at this, and Scarlett nudged me from beside me. "Take your position. Van Darco is approaching!"

I gulped, stepping back and pulling out my gun. "But... why did the head of your family set Van Darco a trap? I don't... understand!"

Scarlett clenched her jaw. "I don't know details; I just know there's some kind of revenge between them that Lucca wants to kill Van Darco."

I wet my lips, frowning. What the... hell...

The entire chamber fell into silence at this.

As footsteps approached the entrance. 

Trok. Trok. Trok.

Trok...

A silhouette emerged at this, and the entire chamber lit up with an unimaginable number of bullets shot at the entering target.

I didn't even need to use my gun, considering the shooting went on for an entire minute, before anyone dared stop shooting.

And the silhouette fell into the ground as a slump.

Only shaking breaths echoed, yet no one dared step closer to the corpse.

It was only after a couple of seconds that a scream echoed from beside the body.

Followed by another scream.

And another.

My eyes widened, as my sister gulped in realization.

"No fucking way..." Scarlett shuddered as she eyed the scene from afar. "This..."

I looked at the scene unable to make out the shape of the corpse on the floor. "Wh-What's the matter?!"

Cussing under her breath, my sister banged her fist against the wall madly. "Dammit, the motherfucker!"

Noticing I was eyeing her in disbelief, she clenched her teeth as she eyed me. "This was one of our mafia members, the bartender!"

My eyes widened. "E-Eh? He's Van Da—"

"No, you idiot!" Her voice shook as she snapped. "Van Darco figured out the plan and sent a scapegoat instead!"

My eyes widened as my heart sank. "Wha...t?"

Scarlett cussed. "Dammit. Where could he be?!" She slammed her fist on the wall. "Where the fuck could he be–"

Her voice disappeared at this, as her eyes widened slightly, and her head whipped in my direction.

"Did Ellington tell you where he's heading?!"

My blood went cold, as I froze.

With wide eyes, evident fear crossed my features at this. "Ellington? D-Do you mean he might be with–"

My sister moved at this, clearly more used to such incidents than myself.

Dragging me behind her, we marched back the alley and up through the secret tunnel.

Emerging back from the bar's kitchen, I followed Scarlett's pace closely as she ran through the bar and outside it.

Towards another dark alley.

"Van Darco is a criminal with a fucked moral compass!" Scarlett ran, "It makes sense if he tries collaborating with both the Ellington father and son in aim of having the entire Ellington legacy fall apart and getting his hands over the enterprises!"

My heart clenched. "N-No way..."

We ran faster, until we finally reached an alley that had a clear turn at its end.

Reaching the turn, Scarlett halted her pace, taking a hideout as she peaked into the exit of the alley.

I did a similar action.

And both our eyes widened at the scene of the awaiting alley.

It was dark.

Narrow.

With a terrifying echo of insects and animals concealed behind the dirt in the alley.

And in stood two silhouettes.

To the left, stood a teenage boy, maximum aged eighteen or nineteen based on the looks.

His clothes were torn, and his body looked scratched here and there and dirty.

My mouth went dry, as I snapped my look to the man before the boy directly.

Did he do this?!

Rickard Ellington Conway stood as straight as a sergeant at arms, his chin held up and his jaw tight.

His beauteous ocean orbs now resembled a pair of manufactured steel plates, fixed over the young boy in question like he was about to tear him apart to pieces.

Eyeing his majesty's hands and overall look, he didn't seem like he'd engaged in a fight with the boy in anyway.

The boy smirked.

"As I expected, you were the only one who managed to corner me in the entire underground." He boasted. "Remarkable, but not surprising knowing you."

The only one who managed to corner him...

This boy...

Could he be...

The president flinched not, as he moved his jaw at the boy. "Given you know me, then you should know what I am expecting of this encounter."

The boy laughed, coolly. "Enlighten me, I am ignorant."

Reaching for his stopped watch, Mr. Ellington froze the young boy mercilessly. "You have been closely associated with my father's most recent dealings."

I shuddered, and Scarlett looked in my direction briefly at this, fixing her eyes into mine as she nodded.

So she thinks this is him too...

Van... Darco...

Laughing again, the young beggar yawned in boredom. "Ah. Straight to the point, of course."

Rickard Ellington retorted not, clearly believing he'd delivered his message now and it was the time for him to psychologically pressure his target with those silver pairs of his.

But Van Darco apparently remained unfazed.

"My, my. Listen there." He spoke, coolly. "I am an ally of your father–"His lips twitched, "–For now."

Fixing his gaze into that of the president's, he kept his smirk. "But I can give you one piece of advice because I see a benefit of you at some point in my business later." He spoke, his eyes glimmering with pure evil.

"You might want to increase your pace with your scheming against Trevor Ellington Conway before he moves his business from trafficking humans to trafficking weapons."

I froze, and so did Scarlett stiffen, as we both started shaking in shear fear.

From before Van Darco, Rickard Alexander Ellington Conway clenched his teeth, his eyes storming fiercely with mad authority. "Weapons?"

As though coinciding with the overall aura and with R.E.C.'s mood, mad wind started blowing within the alleys, producing the scariest and maddest sounds.

Simultaneously, slight rain droplets started tracing over my skin. Dammit! Not the time!

"Aye, Signor." The Van Darco boy retorted cheerfully. "From Russia, China, and various countries with illegal weapon production factories."

Clenching over his watch, the president moved his jaw, keeping his dark and dangerous look as rain droplets started making their way over his hard and clear skin. "Or?"

Van Darco laughed.

"Easy, there. I'm not threatening you." He smoothly spoke.

Shifting, the boy pulled out a cigarette pack from his pocket at this, placing a cigarette between his lips as he smiled.

Attempting to light the cigarette, the rain obviously made that impossible.

"I'm doing you a favor as a key for possible collaboration between us in the future." Yet Van Darco still smiled as he fixed the president highly with the unlit cigarette in his mouth.

"And in order to warn you about the possibility of losing every single breathing person you care for left around you."

And that was it.

Rickard Ellington Conway's eyes widened, as he shifted.

A clear sound of him adjusting the hammer of his gun was heard, as he raised his revolver up in the direction of the boy's head, unflinchingly.

Various similar hammer-pulling sounds were heard, as a number of guns pointed at the boy at this, clearly from the squad accompanying the president apparently.

But the boy kept his high smile.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you." He smoothly fixed the president with numb eyes.

"Especially considering you're smart enough to figure I am not Van Darco."

My eyes widened, and so did Scarlett's.

But R.E.C. flinched not.

Proving the boy's words right.

Shrugging, the boy threw the unlit cigarette to the wet ground. "I don't have any visible tattoo on me, after all. And even if you tie me and search me, you'll still get the same result." He laughed.

Casually, the boy shifted to move at thi—

BANG!

A bullet landed centimeters beside his leg.

Shot by none other than the Ellington President, whose expression had now revolved into monstrous abyss under the rain. "I did not give you the permission to move."

The boy froze, yet his cool smile remained.

As though