After the birthday party, Mark took no time in taking Crystal back home and away from Cloyd Deighton. What he saw made him question the man's motive towards Crystal. Who knows he might have some unsound intentions behind him being all kind and nice to her?
As a father, Mark sure had the worst scenarios played in his mind about his daughter and that devilish man with a pious mask. Mark had done what he was told to and now he wouldn't want anymore contact but the problem was, could he stop Cloyd?
Mark could think of leaving the town with his daughter to somewhere far but that was not practical. Finding a nice tutor for his daughter or opening a new bakery shop would cost a lot. Besides, he had been warned by Mr. Deighton and judging by that, he simply couldn't escape him.
Cloyd was someone who can get what he wanted anytime and anywhere.
Only thing he could possibly do was to try his best in keeping his daughter away from Cloyd but even that could be dangerous.
All Mark hoped now was that he doesn't harm Crystal and that she is atleast spared.
Yes, going with the devil might give her security and protection. Would make her a queen embellished in jewels but would she be happy with that? Would Mark be happy with that?
After the party, there was no further conversation between Mark and Crystal; she was dismissed for the night quietly and even she felt a little embarrassed to talk anything after being found with Mr. Deighton in that intimate dance. So, she was now in her room and left with all the presents she got. Everyone has a certain excitement when gifted in a pretty wrap as the mind sure wanders to guess what it could be and so did Crystal's.
Her encounter with Cloyd had left her speechless and lost. He was one dreamy man and to get his picture out of her brain seemed like an impossible task. Whenever she closed her eyes, his mesmerizing grey eyes came into her vision. How can a man have such an effect on her in one night?
Something about him was so captivating but she didn't know how else to not think about him. He was like a combination of an angel and a demon but the demonic side was yet hidden from her eyes.
Shaking off the thoughts, Crystal peeled her dress off and changed into lighter clothes for bed. She carefully placed each and every accessory that she got into their respective cases in the same way they were and stored them properly in her almirah.
Crystal looked at all the gifts and made herself comfortable on her bed. After letting out a sigh, she picked up the box that Victoria gave her and gently unwrapped to find a designer wooden picture frame with a photo of Victoria around seventeen years back with an year old baby in her arms.
She was seated on a sofa with a huge smile and the baby Crystal in her arms giggled out toothlessly at the photographer who must be Alan as his reflection on the glass shelf behind was captured in the picture.
By looking at the present, Crystal felt so warm and blissful. This sure was a beautiful present, she thought to herself. Victoria and Alan have been like a family. They did visit occasionally on weekends but they loved Crystal a lot as their own and Crystal remembered how at times she cried when Victoria left after the weekends even when she didn't want to. But time changes and as she grew, somehow the bond seemed to start loosening with the work and their respective lives but whenever they found time, they made the most of it.
She positioned the frame on her night stand and began to open the other gift which was from Reyna. Her gift made Crystal gasp as it was the latest edition of the book she was saving up her money for. She hugged the book and bit her lip with a smile and placed it on the side beside the frame after making a mental note to thank Reyna and read the book as soon as possible.
A while passed and Crystal had opened all the gifts including the one from Harry, Joe's friend and partner in crime who had given her a book set of thriller-adventure series which a boy would certainly enjoy more but Crystal was happy to read any genre. Even Mel's gift was a pleasant one and for the first time she believed that Mel wasn't that bad of a person as other students complained.
There was still a present yet to be opened and Crystal had saved it for last. Her fingers shivered as she picked it and the silver logo glistened in the dim light.
'Only for your precious eyes.'
The voice echoed in her head as she skimmed her fingers over the case. Crystal had a million thoughts in her head and to solve them, she had only one solution- to open the gift. She nibbled on her lower lip and opened the wrap to reveal a dark blue rectangular velvet case with the same logo in gold.
As far as she knew, jewelleries were stored in these sort of cases and she knew there was one inside but no matter what, she had decided that she would return it with respect because it sure must be expensive. She unclasped the case and what it contained inside, made her eyes sparkle with its shine and shimmer.
It was a delicate pearl and diamond bracelet with a pink diamond encrusted, detachable rose in the middle which could be worn as a pendant and in the centre of the rose was a letter 'C' adorned with smaller gems.
The gems were as attractive as Mr. Deighton's eyes and she gulped at his thought. This present had left her dazed and in confusion. Crystal held up the card beside the bracelet and read it,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Ms. Crystal Moore,
We wish you a wonderful birthday and a year of good health, happiness and success. Please accept this small token of love as a present.
- Deighton Diamonds.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Below the note was the signature of the chairman of the company and Crystal's eyes bulged out of the sockets when she read Mr. Deighton's name.
He wasn't just any other person, the person she met at the party was the Cloyd Deighton, chairman of Deighton Diamonds!
The very man who bought the infamous and haunted Sapphire Manor.
She couldn't believe herself that just a few hours ago, she danced and conversed so casually with such an important personality. Mr. Cloyd Deighton was a powerful and mysterious man ruling the world of diamonds and she had read about him in the newspapers but his pictures were something that were hardly shared and this clears why some people remained relaxed even after seeing him. She considered herself lucky to have met him in person.
Crystal put the card back in and closed the box without touching the bracelet. She must return it carefully and even a single scratch would cost her life. So, she packed it back again in the same way before and placed it in her drawer.
Letting out a puff of breath, she calmed herself and played an imaginary scene in her head as to how she will confront Cloyd while returning the bracelet.
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[ Venue - The Sapphire Manor]
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Cloyd stormed across the looming corridor suppressing his anger for Mark. If he hadn't interrupted them, he could have had some more time with his Crystal after so long.
She looked so beautiful and breath taking. Her every move was arousing. Her blush, her smile and that voice and innocence in her big doe eyes; he could never forget that. For a second, he lost track of time. It reminded him of the good times. She was so tempting that he wished to stay there with Crystal in his arms safe and never let her go.
But her father was so admanant and stubborn. He kept disobeying, disrespecting and arguing with him despite his passive behavior. He could easily clear his path to Crystal by killing Mark if she didn't love her father so much.
Cloyd closed his eyes and stopped. After a deep breath, he opened his eyes again and changed his composure to the same cold and stoic. He walked to the doors of the library and pushed them open to reveal Geldard who bowed his head in respect. He proceeded to lead the way through the maze of the huge library upon Cloyd's command after making sure that no one was around or following them. He then halted before a large book shelf against the wall.
Geldard stepped aside to give Cloyd way and quietly stood behind him. Cloyd casually took out a red book from the wooden shelf and pushed it into an empty slot on the left corner. He then pulled out a green book and placed it in the red book's place, making a clicking sound. The wooden frame of the middle column of the shelf entirely shifted backwards and a wooden plank slid before the books, covering it. Cloyd twisted the knob over the plank and the structure that looked like a thick door was pushed back to reveal a dark corridor that disappeared into the blackness.
Geldard quickly entered to light a torch and walked before Cloyd as per his instructions. The door was thumped shut and the men walked along the passage to a hall filled with display shelves that stored glass cases. Inside the cases were valuable, ancient objects like jewel encrusted crowns, skepters, gold ornaments, royal batches, daggers and designer boxes placed over velvet cushions.
The light sparkled over heraldic visual design on an escutcheon representing the coat of arms neatly displayed in the middle of the room with two swords, each placed beside it and two pennons hung gracefully on either side of the coat of arms and swords. Geldard glanced at Cloyd who was silently admiring it.
Cloyd then turned his head to the side and eyed a diamond that shone remarkably. He went past a wall filled with ancient medieval and modern armaments towards the shelf that had a diamond placed in a case. He delicately removed the glass casing and pressed the diamond further into the velvet cushion until it sunk and make a clinking sound which unlocked an inconspicuous black door beside.
Cloyd entered a secret room through the door and switched on the lights. Geldard quickly followed him and watched him take long strides to the large and mahagony table at the side stop before it. Behind the table was a large board with pinned targets, several bits of information and red marked pictures.
Cloyd turned around and glanced at Geldard with a dark, sinister look and spoke, "Emerald, details," He gestured his finger at the picture of a man with a name underneath which spelt, 'Haunrich Wellmann.'
Geldard titled his head and began to speak, "Emerald is available in the shop. Birds chirped that he recently bought a vacation house in Reumaria with his second wife and wishes to retire soon," He pulled out a sandy paper file from his coat and presented it to Cloyd.
Cloyd took out the papers from the file and scanned each, one by one. He picked out a sheet and placed it at the side. With a marker, he circled the picture of the boy blue which made Geldard crease his eyebrows in question.
"Do we spare him, sir?"
Cloyd looked at the picture of the ten year old boy, ran his fingers over the paragraph typed on the paper and concluded, "Bastard child. Given up for adoption shortly after birth. Sadly, still in the convent. He is innocent but not useless. Not one is to be spared, Geldard."
Geldard nodded quietly and watched Cloyd pick up a yellow zircon end dart, "This information may suffice us to taint his only reputation but we need more details about his private life for a precise shot."
He held out a paper with the picture of a woman, "Haunrich's ex wife, Marie Harred Wellmann. She knows about Haunrich's private business and affairs and whether he was associated with the group. She is suspected to be mixed with those people too and a surviving link between the Wellmann and the Harred Family, our zircon. I want her to be used as a pawn but remember, she is not an easy one," Cloyd paced around his desk and explained.
Without turning to see the board, he threw the dart that landed on the picture of man named, 'Paxon Harred.'
He placed his palms flat on the table and leant forward, "The news?"
"Facing the losses, sir. Recently gave up two lands in Reumaria, one manor in Snowcourt and one in Autumnlare for sale. He was recently seen in a private meeting with Haunrich at the Pink Era House, a bar in Snowcourt," Geldard said making Cloyd raise a brow.
"Loan?"
"Yes, sir," Geldard said.
"Interesting. Injured before we attacked and is still willing to dwell in the same dirt and rot," Cloyd smirked and picked up a ruby end dart, "Socializing is necessary in today's world."
He aimed the dart at the picture of the coat of arms of a particular family, "Lastly, our ruby."
Geldard nodded and attentively stared at the board.
"Execution of the plan will be in the exact same order. By the next full moon, I want the Wellmann House to bleed dry and burn into ashes," Cloyd ordered with a growl.
"From this night until the day the price is paid, blood shall flow..." His face was hooded with a murderous shade and eyes gleamed bright red like the devil.
"Understood, sir," Geldard bowed his head at once.
"Send out the invitations by tomorrow," He spoke and pulled out his chair to take a seat.
"What about the diamond sir?"
Cloyd's eyes softened at the mention and his tone changed to a gentle one, "Protect the diamond. I do not want a single scratch on her. Send an invitation for two at her place. I want her presence at the ball."
"Yes, sir."
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