Chapter 37

DOLLY was terrified to know that Elder Howard has escaped. She feared for her own life, and her baby's. Max repeatedly said that the Elder can't touch himself but he can always threaten Dolly because she has no resistance in the elder's power. That's why she's determined to have him caught.

Her workplace didn't change much except for the employees constant asking about the progress of their pursuit after Howard Hathaway. This is the first time that this thing had happened. The people can't help but worry because Max can't act freely against the coven.

His position, no matter how strong and capable is he, stayed firm as long as the members think that he is reasonable. Reputation is a white paper that once wet, remained crumpled even after it dried.

She can't help but admire him more, and at the same time fear for his life.

Freya stick to her words and helped Dolly hide her child's heartbeat. After the brief exchange, she was unwell for the rest of the day that she had to sleep. Upon waking up, Dolly didn't feel anything amiss.

Trusting her instinct, she push the matter at the back of her mind and continued to work.

Dolly needn't exerted her strength in any corner anyway. She only worked to check, make an account book, settle any dispute with the costumers and make feasible alternatives when they ran out of supplies if the demand gets too much.

It was challenging but there was always a moment of fulfilment every time she gets to give every employee their rightful wage along with a small bag of pastries.

Like she's sharing the good things in her life to everybody around her. Dolly wanted to extend Max' goodwill by giving extras to the workers under his name.

It looks like it's working because these past few days, their local costumers ordered back and even put a good word for her fiance.

"Ma'am Dolly!" Freya knock on the door and opened it slightly. Her worried face made Dolly stop from checking the account books. It's now seven in the evening. The driver will be picking her up in a quarter more. "Someone wants to see you..."

"Who is it?" Dolly hug the thick coat closer to her body. She felt cold these days even after drinking hot tea and taking warm baths. Dolly wondered if this is natural among pregnant women. "The others has gone home?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Chewing her gum without paying mind to manners, she reported, "I told her we're closed already but she insisted that she has something important to tell you."

"Then..." Dolly prompted. Deciding to finally rest for the day. The cold has dropped a few degrees now.

Scrunching up her face as though confused, Freya contemplated, "I asked what was it and she said... it's about his grace' first love, Madam Milani."

Dolly's eyes stagnated into slits. She stared at Freya for a moment. 'Max' first love? He... never told me about this.'

"Let... let that visitor come it."

"Aye, aye! Ma'am!"

'Madam... Milani?' Dolly frowned. A madam... is considered a female head of a family. This should be her own address.

Dolly respired despite the sharp cold gathering in her lungs. She leaned back to the table, both of her hands resting on a chair in front of her.

"Miss Cesaro."

The way that the unfamiliar woman called her can't be more awkward. She addressed Dolly like an unmarried woman. 'Yes, I'm not married to Max yet. But he's wearing my mark as I am with his. What's there left to prove that we belong to each other? A mere piece of signed paper?'

Reigning her temper in, she blinked. "Take a chair. I heard you want to talk to me. May I know you?"

"There's no need for formality, Miss Cesaro. I'm here purely because I care about you." She sighed. The sight of reluctance and concern made Dolly pause in her actions. "His grace... did he tell you about this? His past with Milani?"

Dolly purse her lips. She felt a small twitch in her stomach. "Why does he need to explain that if it were all in the past? Are you here to deliberately form a strain in our relationship?"

"No! No!" The woman exclaimed loudly, "You can always scent it if I lied! Of course I won't! I... this is because of the random serial killing before, Miss Cesaro. In fact, this is not the first time that it happened."

"What?" Dolly stood straight. She had always wondered as to why did the coven determinedly insisted Max' involvement in the crime without further questioning the other ancient vampires around the area.

When Max taught her about his thoughts about Fin and her family's collaboration upon selling her away, she had learned to question everything that was told to her within a reason.

"I was an employee from the past. When I heard about the situation, I hurried myself back because I know I have to help you, Miss Cesaro. So that you won't fall prey to his highness and Janette's sick games."

She doesn't reek of lie. How did this happen? Maybe this woman learned about it 'wrong'? Just how she thought that Fin was actually helping her back then when in fact, he was the one who bought her from her parents.

No. She said she used to work for Max.

"Madam Milani is a poor girl but his highness liked her because she's pure and has an angelic composition. I... even heard that his highness would like to apply for a marriage certificate for the both of them, and that a public marking ceremony for the couple." The woman lowered her eyes, pity and guilt warming the corners. "Madam Milani was young and very beautiful. And his highness presence did nothing for her suitors. A lot of well-sought vampires wanted her hand in marriage. And she never made a gesture of accepting his highness' pursuit."

Dolly knew that she can't be the first woman in Max' life. She had long since prepared herself. When she saw Laura, there live a small ghost in the deepest corner of Dolly's heart.

An insecurity. A slight pain in her womb made Dolly hiss imperceptibly. The ache suddenly blooming to a large area. Until she can't pin-point where exactly it began.

It can be that her greatest memories of Max can't compare from his past experiences with different women.

She know, it's illogical to blame him for something that neither of them had expected from the start.

Dolly never imagined meeting him, like how Max thought he'd never meet his own mate.

This is a way of the fate. Testing our patience and our will to meet the one who's destined for us.

"Then why does it has to correlate with the killings? Max didn't do it. And if you really are familiar with the coven, you should know by now that the killer has been caught!"

"As I've said, this thing had happened before. His highness' sister, Ma'am Janette, she hid all the information. She took the fall for his highness. It can be that... that killer was just a scapegoat for him. Madam Milani's suitors died one after another. In the end, the young woman can't take it and punish herself off. This is the truth!"

"I know, Miss Cesaro, it hurts to know that you aren't the first. But the guilt of sheltering a killer is a deadly disease." The woman bowed a little. "You can ask his highness about it."