Bound by Deception

25.1 To Fall in Love

There was only one telephone booth near Edward's home...or what was left of his home. They were relatively new, even though Hades had quite an advantage when it came to inventions and other electronic devices. The government poured much of its resources into the secret assassin group under the pretext of working on missiles that would be able to combat those of the Grandville arsenal.

Aria and Sterling stopped by the green booth, covered in soot and smelling like fresh smoke. While Sterling masked their scents and brushed their clothes, Aria inserted three coins into the slot machine and opened the unlocked door, taking her ten-minute ticket card.

"I'm gonna go grab us some drinks," Sterling told her, jogging to the corner store across the street to give her some privacy. Aria waited until he was out of earshot and until the road was virtually empty before she dialed her home number. After four rings, the line picked up.

"Kumar Estate," one of the butlers, whose voice she couldn't recognize, spoke. "May I know who this is and what the purpose of your call is?"

"Uh...hi?" Aria chuckled awkwardly. "This is Aria Kumar. I'm calling to speak to my aunt, Lady Tamasa Kumar?"

"Oh, Lady Kumar!" The butler stammered. "Y-Yes, of course, Miss. I'll get her right away."

A few moments later, Tamasa's shrill voice was on the line.

"Aria Kumar!" She exclaimed. "What's taking you so long to get home, girl? You've got your poor aunt worried sick!"

"Auntie, I'm fine. I told Uncle this morning that I was going out."

"And not me? My dear, you must tell me if you are going out! It will help calm my poor nerves, you know."

"I'm aware now, Auntie. Your nerves are fine." Aria gazed across the street, staring at the thin stripes on one of the new lampposts. "Listen, Auntie, I'm going to be coming home late today. I have a quick errand to run for my job."

"Again? That job is working you to death, Aria," Tamasa tsked, annoyed. "Why can't you tell us who your boss is? We could have a word with them and lessen your workload."

Talk to Madame? No, Auntie, you'd never open your mouth again if you talk to her...hm...The idea brought a little chuckle rising on Aria's tongue, but she dispelled the thought immediately. No, she couldn't risk her two lives overlapping. Not in a time as dire as the one that they were living in; when war could break out at the snap of a finger.

"Auntie, I'm fine," she said instead. "You promised me when I got this job that you would respect my independence, remember?"

"I know, I know, I did say that. But, darling, I'm allowed to worry about you." Aria could hear her aunt pouting. "Oh, your uncle is here. Bhuv, say hello!"

"To Aria? I just saw her this morning-er, hello, Aria," her uncle muttered sheepishly. He sounded breathless. "How are you?"

"Fine, Uncle. I was just telling Auntie that I'll be coming home late."

"Oh, no worries! Take your time!" He said hastily. "Uh, listen, Aria."

"Yes?"

"You said you were going to visit Edward this morning, right?"

"Yes..."

"Are you still there? I heard something happened and - holy moly! A fire?" Something crashed on the ground behind him. "Darling, I have to go. Stay safe, sweetheart, and stay away from Edward's home, alright! I must go now. Goodbye!"

"Bye...?" The line dropped before Aria could finish. "They must know about the fire already? Well, damn, word spreads fast." She put the phone back and stepped out of the booth. Sterling had yet to return, and since they weren't in a huge rush, she decided to go see what he was doing in the tavern.

She wasn't surprised when, upon entering, she saw him engaged in a concentrated billiards game with a group of soldiers. They were definitely younger than he was, what with their boyish faces and fresh hair. However young they were, though, they were experienced at playing billiards. Sterling was out of their league, but they fought valiantly to win, from what Aria observed.

"Wine, miss?" A server slid up to Aria, offering her a thin glass of red wine.

"No, thank you," Aria responded. "Do you have some water?"

"Certainly." The woman handed her a glass, then knocked her chin toward the billiards game. "That guy's pretty good, don't you think?"

"Sure."

"He's quite handsome too." The server wiped a few glasses and set them on the shelf behind her. She narrowed her eyes, studying him. "He's...that's Duke Drazek, right? The disgraced socialite who murdered his parents?"

"They died without his involvement," Aria growled. "But yes, that is him. He's a much nicer man than the newspaper makes him to be, I assure you."

"I imagine so. He's been a very nice patron. Nothing but a gentleman."

"And yet, the first thing you think of when you recognize him is that he's a murderer?"

The woman blushed. "Can you blame me? You seem to know him on an intimate level. I don't."

"I suppose that's fair, but let this be a lesson to you not to make assumptions about people," Aria said. She finished her drink and slid the waitress a few coins. "Here. I'll be taking my friend and leaving now."

"Do come again soon!"

Aria nodded, unsure if she was affirming the woman's request, but terribly exhausted nonetheless. She strode to the billiards table and tapped Sterling's shoulder.

He swiftly turned like a practiced ballerina, and Aria was taken aback at how the wind whisked his hair just so it brushed against his clean beard like a photograph. No wonder there were so many women crowded around the table, especially for a sport that many of the female population in Rouver showed so little interest in.

"Yeah?" Perspiration coated his forehead in a thin sheet and he was beaming like a boy fresh out of school. "Ready to go?"

"If you are." Aria's tongue froze before she managed to mutter her reply. "I already paid."

"Hang on." Sterling knocked the black ball into the last hole and lifted his hands triumphantly into the air. "That's on me, boys!" He shouted over the roar of disappointment and cheers.

"Nice to see you making friends," Aria commented dryly, crossing her arms in disdain. "Now, can we please go?" 

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It seems that Sterling isn't very good with alcohol 😅what's a drunk Sterling like? Are they stalling to go report the progress of their mission? 

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