abcnovels
Chapter 164 Taking The Bait
Chapter 164 Taking The Bait
"Your Highness, you don't seem well."
Joaquin stood by the railings of the second floor of the private residence, situated in the heart of the capital. It was a private residence, but inside, it was a gambling house where noblemen find their luck and enjoy the company of women.
"Is this about Ismael?" asked the man whose hair and eyes shared the same as the members of the royal family. "Are you bothered that your wife, the crown princess, will change her opinions towards you?"
"Javier, my wife's opinions about me don't matter. You're mistaken to think she is just as pure as what she appears. Have you forgotten what happened during the wedding?" Joaquin offered his brother, Javier, the fifth prince and also his ally, a side-eye. "She came from Haimirich. Although we don't know what it is like living in such a place, I'm certain people had died just after speaking a few words from those lips."
"Hah…" Javier propped his side and elbow against the railings, scrutinizing Joaquin's side profile with genuine wonder in his eyes. "Brother, do you really think she is not Aries? They looked almost... no, they looked exactly the same and I would wager my limb if she turns out she isn't. The resemblance is alright, but that face is exactly the same."
Joaquin remained silent while swirling the wineglass in his hand before guiding it to his lips. "Who knows?" he whispered before chugging the wine down his throat.
"Well…" Javier leaned his arms against the railings, watching a particular table on the first floor as the tension around it increased. "Someone's losing. These men are surely fascinating. The gambling house's only purpose is to suck people's fortune and soul until there's none left. They don't learn their lessons."
"Their foolishness is filling up my treasury and keeps Ismael at bay." Joaquin licked his lip, keeping his stony countenance as one nobleman threw a huge fit after losing all his money in the last round. His eyes glinted as its corner crinkled along with a sinister smirk.
"Just a couple more, and I don't need to put up with these activities."
Javier's brows rose as he glanced at him, closed lips. "You really want to clean your track record? I mean, no one knew about this and all other businesses, and I bet no one will ever know. Their heads would be rolling on the ground even before they can speak a word."
"With my wife's face and knowing how cunning Ismael is, he needs to go. I've been too lenient to him and he had grown some balls just because I hadn't messed with him just yet." His tone remained placid as if he wasn't talking about his brother, who shared the same blood running through their veins, demise. "He will surely target Circe and cause trouble with Haimirich."
Joaquin paused as his eyelashes fluttered ever so tenderly. "I'm not saying I'm not questioning my wife's origins, but even so, I cannot disregard the fact that the empire who sent her is Haimirich. Many things are at play and I need to play my cards right."
A glint flickered across his eyes as his sinister smirk persisted. The memory of Aries in the garden and speaking what was pleasant to listen to was touching, but at the same time, words weren't enough to sway his opinions. After all, everything he was telling her as well were the words she might want to hear. Knowing his wife, he could only take her words with a pinch of salt.
"May Ismael rest in peace." Javier chuckled while shaking his head, raising his brows as he snapped his eyes at the entrance of the second floor. The side of his lips stretched into a wide grin before cocking his head at Joaquin.
"Brother, you've been so busy. Why not relax for a bit, eh?" Joaquin arched a brow, only to see Javier's playful smirk while tipping his head toward the stairs. "They are the new recruits."
Javier pushed himself away from the railing and leaned on his side to his brother, whispering. "They're virgins. Some gamblers paid their debts with their daughters. Before they start working, why not have fun with them first?"
Joaquin cocked his head back and studied the three ladies wearing provocative outfits, nervously standing by the entrance. Just as his lips curled up as they didn't look bad, Aries's face suddenly crossed his head. Before he could stop himself, he already compared her with them.
The ladies, although, had their own charms, couldn't compare even to his wife's fingertips. It was not an exaggeration. His wife… was blessed with a beauty that was rare and out of this world. The reason he couldn't fully trust her was that that kind of beauty was something he wouldn't forget. He wouldn't forget that Aries.
"Take them to my playroom." As if to spite his wife and Aries, Joaquin ordered and chugged down the remaining wine in his glass. Javier's grin stretched from ear to ear excitedly before he beckoned the manager of the place to take the ladies to Joaquin's private room.
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Before coming to the designated room for Joaquin to play with the poor ladies, he consumed more wine than usual. But it was just enough for him to loosen up and forget so he could enjoy himself after spending nights with just one woman.
As soon as he barged inside, he stopped by the door. His eyes landed on the ladies lying naked on the bed, while one of them was crawling on the floor as if wanting to flee but to no avail. She was too weak after they injected her drug so they wouldn't be able to fight back.
Joaquin's eyes glinted as he licked his lips. That one on the floor caught his eyes and someone who had a strong will like her just seemed to be more delectable than the other two, who were like dead fish on the bed. He took off his coat, draping it over the chair he passed by on his way to the woman crawling on the floor.
"Hello there, kitty," came out a dangerous voice, grabbing a chunk of her hair up, causing the woman to squeal weakly. But just as he did to drag her to the settee nearby, he frowned when her perfume wafted through his nostrils. He got used to the lovely scent of his wife that he felt like the perfume of the lady was too strong for his taste.
"Damn," came out an annoyed profanity before mercilessly dragging the woman to the settee.
"No... no... please..." She held his wrist while pleading with a shaking voice. When they reached the seat, her breath hitched as Joaquin squatted down in front of her.
"I don't plan to kill you. Be nice." He warned, watching her eyes shake along with her body. "Understand?"
"Come." She looked at him as he crooked a finger, eyes falling on his unzipped trousers. "Suck it."
"Please… I…"
"Suck." Her eyes swam with tears upon his command, and fear covered her features at his next words. "If you so graze it with your teeth, I'll break all of them before feeding you to my dogs."
With her body shaking uncontrollably, she bent over to do what she was told. She held her tears back, afraid to die, although what she was about to do was almost like dying as well.
Joaquin's jaw fell open at the clumsy attempt of the woman, whose name he didn't know, looking heavenward while closing his eyes.
It wouldn't get up.
Or rather, it took him time to get an erection until he thought of his wife's face. Only when Aries's face hovered over his head did he get an erection.
"Damn!" Annoyed, he kicked the woman away while grinding his teeth. His eyes blazed while looking at the pale woman, who was looking back at him with fear. "Useless whore."
Joaquin spat out grumpily as he sprung up to his feet, marching away even before he could start enjoying himself. "Stupid bitch," he muttered. "I'll go finish with my wife."
As soon as Joaquin left the room, he glanced at the person guarding the door and commanded in an annoyed tone. "Tell Javier to train them properly."
He didn't even wait for the guard to respond as he stormed through the empty hallway, on his way back to the imperial palace to see his wife. As if following the scent of lavender since the smell in his playroom was too strong, it was turning his stomach.
After swimming around the hook, he finally took the bait and was now being reeled in, unaware the surface would eventually suffocate and kill him.