The villainess's second chance to love

Chapter 7: Beneath the Surface

The night was cold, and the moon hung low in the sky, casting a silvery light over the cobbled streets of the city. Celia and Adrian made their way through the winding alleys, their footsteps muffled by the thick fog that rolled in from the river. Despite the hour, the city was alive—its underbelly thrumming with secret deals, whispered promises, and hidden dangers.

Celia's heart raced. Each step they took seemed to lead her deeper into the unknown, as though they were walking a path that had been waiting for them all along. But it wasn't fear that gripped her. No, it was anticipation. The thrill of the chase, the rush of uncovering something forbidden, something powerful.

"I don't like this," Adrian muttered from behind her, his voice low, his tone guarded.

"You don't like anything," Celia retorted, glancing over her shoulder at him with a smirk. "Just stay close."

Adrian's lips twitched. "I wasn't aware you were so fond of danger, Lady Everhart."

"I'm not," she said, her voice hardening. "But I'm not going to let Cassandra suffer because of some hidden enemies."

---

They stopped in front of a nondescript building, the faint flicker of candlelight visible through a narrow window at the top. It was an old, run-down tavern, one of many in the city's poorer district. The kind of place where deals were made in the dark, where no questions were asked, and where the scent of desperation hung thick in the air.

"This is it," Celia whispered, glancing around to ensure no one was watching. "The lead we got from the letter… it's here."

Adrian stepped forward, his eyes scanning the shadows. "If Cassandra's been here, we'll find something."

They entered the tavern with little fanfare, the door creaking loudly as it swung open. The air inside was thick with smoke and the smell of cheap liquor. A handful of patrons sat hunched over their mugs, too lost in their own worlds to notice the newcomers.

Celia's eyes immediately locked onto a man sitting at the back of the room. His posture was too stiff, his eyes too focused on the door. A mercenary. She could feel it in the way he held himself—trained, alert, waiting.

She motioned for Adrian to follow her and made her way toward him, her heart thumping in her chest. As they approached, the man's gaze flicked up, narrowing as he took in their appearance.

Celia didn't wait for him to speak. "We're looking for someone," she said, her voice steady and commanding. "A woman. Lady Cassandra Wexley. She came through here recently. Tell me where she is."

The man didn't respond right away, his fingers tightening around his drink. Adrian stepped forward, his gaze cold. "Don't make this difficult."

The mercenary's eyes flickered to Adrian for a brief moment before he sighed and stood up, his chair scraping against the floor. "You don't know what you're asking. The lady's not here. And you shouldn't be looking for her."

"Why?" Celia asked, taking a step closer, her voice dangerously soft. "What's going on? Who is behind this?"

The mercenary hesitated, clearly torn. His gaze darted between Celia and Adrian, then back to the door. He clearly didn't want trouble, but the hesitation in his eyes told Celia that he knew more than he was letting on.

"Someone with power is involved. Someone dangerous. But I'm not going to be the one to put my neck on the line," he said finally, his voice low. He leaned in slightly, lowering his tone to a near whisper. "The Wexleys—they're not just nobility. They've been involved in things for years. Dangerous things."

Adrian's brow furrowed. "What kind of things?"

The mercenary glanced around nervously before leaning back and taking a long swig of his drink. "You're digging too deep. Let it go."

"Not until we know what's going on," Celia replied, her voice unwavering. She took a step closer, her gaze locking onto his. "Tell me everything you know, and you might live to see another day."

The mercenary stared at her for a long moment, his eyes assessing. Finally, he seemed to make a decision. "Alright," he said, his voice quiet. "You want answers, but you're not going to like them. Lady Cassandra—she's not the person you think she is. She's in deeper than you realize. The Wexleys… they've been involved with the Hawke family for years. The same Hawke family that controls the underground network in this city."

Celia's breath caught in her throat. "Hawke?" She couldn't suppress the shock that slipped into her voice. The very name sent a ripple of unease through her. The Hawkes were notorious for their connections to the criminal world, their influence reaching far beyond what most people realized.

The mercenary nodded grimly. "You've heard of Lord Callum Hawke, right? Of course you have. Everyone has. He's the one calling the shots. If Cassandra's involved with him, then everything is a lie. The Wexleys, their noble blood, their family name—none of it matters in this game."

Celia's mind raced. The pieces were starting to fall into place, but the puzzle was far more complicated than she had expected. If Cassandra was involved with the Hawkes, then her disappearance wasn't just about saving face or avoiding a scandal. It was about something far more dangerous.

"I need more," she said, her voice edged with urgency. "Where is she?"

The mercenary glanced around again, his expression tight. "I don't know exactly. But I know where they take people like her. There's an old warehouse, just outside the city. It's where the Hawkes do their dirty work. If she's there, it'll be well-guarded. You won't get in without help."

---

Adrian's gaze flicked to Celia, his expression unreadable. "We'll need a plan."

Celia nodded. "Then we'll make one. But we're getting her back. No matter what."

---

The next hours were a blur as Celia and Adrian prepared for the mission ahead. As they gathered information, formulated a plan, and made their way to the warehouse, Celia couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning. The deeper she got, the more she realized how little she truly understood about the forces at play.

But one thing was certain. Cassandra's life—and the truth behind the Wexley family's involvement with the Hawkes—wasn't the only thing at risk now. They had all just stepped into a world of power, danger, and deceit far darker than either of them could have anticipated.