CH 134

Bastian had done all he could to have all the pictures and news articles recalled, but the story was already in circulation. It was impossible to prevent everything from leaking out. There was even a black market call for the pictures, who’s value had sky rocketed.

“Look, I have it…” a maid said, rushing into the kitchen of Ardenne Mansion.

“Give it to me,” another maid gave a stern command.

The excited maid looked at Dora with surprise and backed away, clutching the magazine close to her chest. Dora held out her hand expectantly.

“I am pretty sure that I have warned everyone several times that they will be fired if they bring such nonsense into work,” Dora said, her scolding tone left no room for rebuttal.

“I’m sorry, I was just running errands when…”

“There is no excuse for you to be disrespecting your master. Go to your room, pack your things, you are fired,” Dora said coldly. The maid ran from the room with tears in her eyes.

After a long missing, Major Klauswitz’s wife suddenly returned, visibly pregnant. Her reappearance quickly made a wave of gossip, with whispers branding her an amoral and cunning woman. Adding to the public drama, the scandalous story of the half-siblings who were enemies with each other, both fall in love with the same woman, and compete fiercely for her affection.– became the talk of the kingdom. The controversy simply refused to die down.

There were all sorts of rumours spreading across the city, but Dora knew that Odette was not the kind of person to fool around like that. She couldn’t say that she knew all the ins and outs of her master, but of that she was sure.

“Let that be a warning to the rest of you, no matter who you are, you will all meet the same end.” Dora tossed the magazine into the fire.

“The master has returned,” a maid said, coming into the room. She looked about, confused by the tension in the room.

Desperate to escape the situation, all the servants in the room bustled to the front door to greet their master. Dora lingered in the break room, the last to leave as she inspected the magazine, now reduced to mere ashes. She just came out of the front door shortly when Bastian’s car pulled into the driveway.

What seemed like an eternity, he had finally returned home – six days after leaving Odette behind.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

-From what I have gathered, it seems that Franz was betrayed by the very person that had sponsored him in the first place.-

Keller said, his voice crackling over the phone.

Bastian sighed as he sat down, adjusting the receiver against his ear. The sea beyond the study windows was plunged into deep darkness.

It was not Franz’s doing. Of course it wasn’t Franz, he didn’t have the courage to go toe-to-toe with Bastian like this. He was a slow witted fool, but he was not stupid.

-Major?-

“I’m listening, keep going.”

-A painting that Franz had painted, and kept in a private collection, had been stolen from his studio and hung amongst the others of the exhibit. The ringleader appears to be some unknown called Noah Hoffman, who’s motives are still under investigation.-

Noah Hoffman.

Bastian adjusted his tie. The name was familiar to him and he was pretty sure it was the young lover who had been keeping Sandrine’s bed warm. Was Sandrine using Noah to frame Franz in order to deal with Odette? The puzzle pieces fell into place easier than expected.

Bastian smiled as he looked at his father’s mansion, perched grandly above the bay. Lady Laviere seemed had gave hims father a significant blow. An ambitious fighter, indeed.

“You’ve done a good job, Keller, I will take care of the rest myself.”

-Yes, of course, I understand.-

Bastian ended the call with out so much as a polite farewell and lit cigarette. Memories of the last five days played through his mind.

Count Klein had announced the dissolution of the engagement between Ella and Franz the second the scandal had broken out. There was also an announcement of an official severance from his daughter with the Klauswitz family, who had tarnished the family name.

It was pretty clear who the socialites would support. Several notable families had already spoken their support for the Klein’s. All of Bastian’s father’s hard work to become a well respected member of high society had been rendered down to naught. The fact that his downfall had been brought about by his noble blood’s son, whom he had been obsessed with, must have been particularly painful.

Bastian tossed the cigarette out the window and picked up the receiver of the phone. It had been a long time since he had heard a familiar voice.

“Hello, Mr Byte? Its Bastian Klauswitz.” Bastian could hear the startled sound on the other end. “I think I have given you long enough, what’s your answer?”

-I think I have already given you my answer.-

Most news outlets had been convinced to take a step back from covering the scandal. The newspapers and magazines with the even a single word about the scandal had been destroyed. All the original film were burned. All that remained was this one last stubborn man.

-I have a duty to uphold the public’s right to know and you should know that this is no exception.-  Mr Byte raised his voice, reaffirming his stance, blinded by the profit of the scandal.

“If that’s your stance on the matter, Mr Byte, I will respect that.” Bastian’s gaze shifted from the framed picture on his desk to the night sea again. “I hope you all the best for the future and I would suggest you enjoy profiteering while the profits are good, you never know what the future may hold.”

-Is that supposed to be a threat?-

“No, just insight that this may very well be the last issue of your magazine,” Bastian said, delivering his final warning calmly.

-Do you really think such threats will work on me? You’re not the first, you won’t be the last, Major Klauswitz. You will be exposed as the two-faced hero, who makes threats like he’s still at war.-

“Do as you will, just as I will too, to protect my wife, but know that I do not fight honourably, I am a soldier, not a nobleman, I will not be gentle.” Bastian brushed a hand, the same one that had discarded his tie, across his grimy face. He endured many sleepless nights, but his consciousness was awake.

Mr Byte started babbling, but Bastian was done with the call and put the phone down. Sooner or later, he would try to bargain, all Bastian had to do was set the bait and then that’ll be it. Bastian didn’t think about the amount it was going t cost to settle, he just wanted that filthy painting out of Odette’s sight.

After checking the time, Bastian rang the service bell to summon a servant. The door opened in quick time, to a nervous looking Lovis.

“Please ready the evening meal for me and my wife.”

“Of course, sir.”

“Have it prepared in her room, I think that would be best.”

“Yes, sir, right away.” 

Lovis left the study in a rush. With the door shutting behind him, Bastian picked up the receiver again.

– Look, Major Klauswitz. Hear me out.-

The bait was eaten faster than he thought.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

The room was left in complete silence once the maids finished setting the table. Odette stared at the food on the dinning table with a daft look of confusion. The tableware, floral arrangements, it all looked fit for a feast for a very important guest. It was an unfamiliar sight in the room that was no more than a prison.

“Eat,” Bastian said dryly.

Odette had tried to escape, but Bastian had caught her and dragged her back to the mansion. She was forbidden to leave the house or to have guests. She wasn’t allowed near a telephone or send letters. She was nothing more than a prisoner.

“What is the purpose of this?”

“I know I should have told you this before,” Bastian said as he took his seat and began to eat. Odette’s five-day hunger strike, aimed at getting herself kicked out, was in vain.

“I know very well about the painting,” Odette said, getting to the point first. “And you stayed in Ratz was to deal with it.”  

It had been hard to figure what had been happening across the city, but even if she had been shut away from the world, she would still have heard the rumours.

“It is all true,” Odette said, not moving to sit down. Bastian continued to eat his share of food in silence. “I had an affair with Franz and now I am pregnant but I don’t know who the father of this child is. And I ran away for fear of being found out.”

Bastian barely reacted, seeing through the clumsy theatrics. He popped a cut of meat into his mouth.

“Well, do it, because its the ending you wanted,” Odette pleaded, closing in on the last step. Bastian lifted his emotionless face to meet hers.