Bound by Deception

10.2 A Conflict of the Past

"Alright. I'm still a bit...nervous, I guess, but I'll try." Aria bit her lip. "And...and you'll be there in case something happens, right? In case I mess up or...start to believe myself...?"

"Of course I will." Sterling took her hand again and smiled warmly. "We're partners, Ari! I'm always going to be here to protect you, just like you protect me."

"You'll be protecting me from myself, but I'm sure you can handle that." Aria grinned. "And yeah, I know you'll be able to protect me. I just...I don't want to remind myself of...anything..."

Sterling squeezed her hand. "Allow yourself to be human, Aria. You're a Gemini Killer! The best of the best in Rouver! Think of all the lives we're saving by doing this. Think of how many lives he allowed to perish in that fire!"

Aria was silent. She was inclined to agree with Sterling, but she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to work should she return to the girl she was years ago. Becoming an assassin was a turning point in her life. It allowed her to achieve the level of independence that she craved, and the job paid her well. She didn't want to risk her comfortable life, but Aria had seen first-hand how letting your feelings control you ended. Becoming like her parents was her nightmare, but knowing that Sterling would be with her every step of the way gave her some reassurance.

"Alright." She nodded fiercely, a fire of confidence igniting in her belly. "I'll seduce Edward and kill him. What will you do, though?"

"Be a spectator, mostly," Sterling said with a shrug. "If I see something getting out of hand I'll step in. I guess you could say...I'm the one babysitting you now." He grinned mischievously. "Oh, I like the sound of that."

"Pervert." Aria slapped his wrist. "So you're basically going to be a stalker?"

"You could put it like that, yeah." Sterling stretched backward, cracking his elbows. "Damn, I needed that. I need a goddamn break."

"You or your dick?"

"Both. Fucking women can get tiring. I'm glad it'll be you doing the fucking and not me this time."

"What?!" Aria's cheeks flushed. "W-We're not going that far, Sterling!" She yelped. "I'm not involving any PDA with this mission!"

"Oh, trust me, sweetheart, you're going to need to be doing some kissing and touching to get this to work," Sterling said with a smirk. "I know guys like Edward. They're all about those types of things. The quicker you do that, the better, you know?"

"No, absolutely not." Aria shook her head several times. "That's a one-way ticket to failure. I'm not doing that."

"Come on. You can't seduce a guy without kissing him."

"I'm sure I can. I know Edward better than you do. I know his weak points. I can get him to tell me everything about Grandville and seduce him without kissing him," Aria announced confidently.

"Oh, really?" Sterling raised a challenging eyebrow. "Well, we'll just have to see how that works out for you then."

"I guess we will." Aria didn't want to admit to him that she'd never kissed anyone before, much less slept with them. She was seventeen when she joined the syndicate, and Madame's training had rendered her virtually emotionless. She remembered the beatings she had to endure to dissolve anything that she could ever feel towards a victim. Affection was one of them. She was a master of pretending, but making it real was something she had never done before. She couldn't risk letting go of the person she had shaped herself to become. Otherwise all that training and beating would have been for nothing.

Hudson and Nela had perfect timing, returning with small cups of tea and some dry biscuits before Sterling could make a bet with her. Normally, Aria wasn't opposed to betting with him because she knew that she could win all of them, but this time was different. She had no control over the situation and therefore needed to tread lightly.

"Hey, Sterling?"

"Yeah?"

"Does Madame pay you?"

"Of course, she does!" Sterling bit into one of the biscuits, and Aria tried hard not to pay attention to the chip in his cup. "Why?"

"It's just...your home...your things...I don't mean to sound rude, but why? Why do you live like this when you could have a much better situation for yourself?"

Sterling's lip quirked. "I don't mind the simplicity. I grew up lavishly, but it was boring. After the war...after them, I found that having little was quite comfortable. It may look like I'm poor, and that's not far from the truth, but I can't become rich overnight. People would get suspicious."

"How so?"

"Come on. You're a Lady. You should know." Sterling sipped his tea. "A disgraced, bastard Duke becoming rich all of a sudden? My reputation would become worse than it already is."

"I guess that's fair." Aria finished her tea and checked her watch. "I should get going before my aunt gets worried. How should we start this mission, though?"

"Well, you said he was already interested in courting you, right?"

"Yes."

"I'd say talk to your aunt first. I know how rule-abiding your family is, but I don't think they'd have a problem with you being with Edward since you're both around the same social level. Once they agree, we can begin squeezing him of information. Sounds good?"

"Sounds good to me." Aria stood and grinned, trying not to show her anxiety through her expression. "Mission Seduce and Kill starts now!" 

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Aria has confidence, but will she succeed in her task? How will Sterling help her? 

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