Chapter 17: Chapter Sixteen

"How exactly do you plan on figuring out everything about this man, Edward?" Rolf asked as they entered the Carter Manor. Edward had just finished another rant and was still furious and fuming—and somehow he was more determined than ever. It wasn't even about getting Vienne anymore; it was about taking her away from Sebastian and getting rid of him for good.

"I don't care; I'll do anything." He snapped. "That man has simply waltzed his way into this place and ruined everything. I cannot let him get away with this! He's nobody of importance anyway; he has no business trying to be with a woman like Vienne or disrespecting someone with status such as I."

Rolf's eyes almost rolled to the back of his head with how hard he rolled them. He was lucky he was walking behind Edward; otherwise, if he had seen it, there would've been consequences. As someone who had been raised in a moderately normal family, coming from no particular wealth or class—although he worked for the elites—he never understood them at all.

Sometimes, he wondered how he even became friends with Edward in the first place, but now he was beginning to question it.

"If he's a so-called nobody—how is he a threat?" Rolf asked Edward. His tone came off more annoyed and harsh than he intended it to be, but the words left his mouth before he could stop himself.

Edward stopped and turned around, looming over Rolf. "Just whose side are you on?" He questioned, his expression dark.

Rolf swallowed hard, looking up at Edward. Although he questioned their bond, he also had a sense of self-preservation, and his fight-or-flight was kicking in. "Y-Yours, of course." He answered shakily. Edward stared him down for quite a moment before finally backing away.

"Good. I don't want to hear another word out of your mouth that sounds even in the slightest bit in support of him." Edward stated firmly.

Rolf nodded and let out a shaky exhale as Edward turned around again to walk to his office. He followed further behind, not wanting to start any problems again.

"We don't have a lot to go off of, but we do have one thing." Edward started as he entered his office. "his name. And I'm going to find anything and everything connected to it.

"No offense, Edward, but doesn't this seem a bit absurd? It almost feels like you're taking it too far." Rolf spoke nervously, trying to reason with him. "I—I say this out of concern for you, of course; I don't want you worrying yourself over something like this." He backtracked, attempting to make it sound like he was on Edwards side.

"Too far? That man publicly humiliated me twice!" Edward exclaimed. "But not only that, but he has taken a woman that has been promised to another man—me. He's gone too far."

The part about Vienne didn't sit with Rolf very well at all. It never did, and honestly, he was quite worried for her. He saw how Edward could be with his own family—he couldn't imagine how he'd treat Vienne once they were married. Nothing about this sat well with him, but he felt helpless to stop anything from happening.

"If you insist." Rolf grumbled, crossing his arms and looking away.

Edward gave Rolf a long look of distaste before speaking again. "We don't have much time; who knows what that lunatic will come up with if we don't act quickly. We must find anything connected to his name, anything that can get him to leave town and leave Vienne to me—to make things go back to the way they were before he was involved."

But what Edward didn't know was that Sebastian had been there from the beginning; Vienne had seen Sebastian right before meeting Edward. He was the one that had caught her eye, not Edward. Her eyes had been set on him the whole time, before she even knew who he was. In truth, it was Edward who had come in and ruined everything.

Part of this situation wasn't surprising at all, in fact. Edward had always gotten anything he wanted from the moment he was born, and he was practically never told no. In the eyes of his mother, he was the perfect boy, and in the eyes of his father, he was the best successor he could ask for. His public façade of the perfect golden boy had the upper-class part of town practically groveling at his feet or praising him for the simplest of actions when in reality, he was the opposite of what they all thought.

He wasn't a charmer; he was a womanizer who would break young women's hearts and then threaten them to stay quiet about it. His slate with other matters wasn't exactly clean either. Underneath his perfectly and carefully curated image, he was a vile man with a heart just as evil.

"I will attempt to help the best I can." Rolf replied, but deep down, he wasn't serious. He feared for the well-being of Vienne and Sebastian, but he felt so stuck.

"Good," Edward said, leaning back in his chair, thinking carefully. "If only I knew where he was from, perhaps that could help me in my case."

Rolf nodded but decided he wanted to leave. "Yes, I'm sure that'd help. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a pressing matter to attend to." He lied, not giving Edward moments to protest before he exited the office, not for a moment thinking of turning back.

***

On the way out of the Carter family home, Mrs. Carter, Ruth, who was Edwards's mother, stopped Rolf in order to question him about Edwards's earlier unpleasant mood. Rolf simply replied that he had no idea what had upset Edward and that she would probably need to ask him herself.

So, Ruth did just that. As a mother who coddled him, she couldn't imagine her sweet boy being in such a distressing mood. Rolf thought it was ridiculous—Edward was a grown man, after all. Why, when Rolf turned eighteen, his mother had practically kicked him out of the house. Perhaps that's why he had become friends with Edward so quickly, as the job offered stability in some form. Now he was questioning if he'd rather live out on the streets than work for such a man.

Ruth knocked on Edward's office door, waiting for a reply. "Edward, are you in there?" She asked.

"Yes, mother."

Ruth hesitantly opened the door, peeking her head in. "Edward, Rolf told me you were upset." She said, entering the room. "Whatever is the matter?"

"Nothing, mother." He said in an annoyed one, his index finger and thumb massaging his temples. "Rolf should've kept his mouth shut; he doesn't know what he's talking about." He grumbled under his breath.

"Clearly, you're upset." Ruth spoke, not letting the situation go. "Something is bothering you, my dear. You know you can tell me anything, right? Does this have anything to do with Vienne? I heard you were trying to speak to her again."

Edward's lips formed a stern, fine line as he thought about his reply. "It's less about Vienne and more about her... supposed lover." He muttered.

Ruth's eyes widened. "Lover?" She exclaimed. "B-But that doesn't make any sense. Is she not promised to you?"

"She's supposed to be." He scoffed, turning away. "But you know she hates following the rules, even if her own mother sets them. She doesn't realize the possible trouble she could get herself into. Now she's infatuated with some commoner named Sebastian Sallow." The name alone left a bad taste on Edward's tongue as he made an expression of disgust.

"Who in Merlin's name is that?" Ruth questioned, raising her brow.

Edward leaned back in his chair. "That's the thing; I have no idea. Apparently he's a friend of Mr. Gaunts, and he lives with him. And ironically, the Gaunt Manor is the closest one to the Austens."

"And you're absolutely sure of this?" Ruth questioned, her brows furrowed. Edward had been telling her things had been going smoothly up until now—but not only that, but Vienne's own mother, Claudine, had been telling the same story. So why were things so different now?

"Absolutely sure." Edward said, a disgusted expression on his face. "I attempted to speak with Vienne in the marketplace again the other day; it didn't go over well. Sebastian was there with her as well, and after, Rolf suggested I go speak with him and try to figure things out. But it just so happens that he's a complete brute."

"And what do you mean by that?" Ruth asked.

"Why, he practically tried to fight me!" Edward exclaimed. "He humiliated me in front of everyone, trying to make a point. He's a brute and a disgrace. Vienne is blinded by her feelings—that he's surely manipulated her into having—so much so that she doesn't even notice how much she's harming herself and her family with these decisions."

Of course, Edward was leaving out the parts that explained the whole reason why Sebastian put him up against the wall in the first place. The comments about Vienne would make anyone in their right mind strongly uncomfortable. But in his mind, and his mother's mind, he could absolutely do no wrong; only others could.

But of course, it was never about Vienne or what she wanted; it was always about her family and how this would "affect" them and their appearances.

Ruth's eyes widened as Edward "explained" the situation to her. "He did what?" She said, her jaw going slack. "An absolute animal. What does that girl see in him, really?"

"I've asked myself that question plenty of times already." Edward muttered, slumping back in his chair. "But not to worry, soon enough that brute will be out of the way, and Vienne will have no other choice than to make the right one to leave him behind."

"I'm gathering information on this Sallow fellow. I'm trying to find something that will drive him out of town for good."

Ruth raised a brow, the gears in her mind turning. Like many of the other socialite women in town, Ruth loved gossip, and she was quite the nosy woman; whatever business she could stick her nose in, she did. The Carters practically ran the town, and Ruth loved knowing everything that was going on, especially now that this concerned her son.

"You said he lives with Mr. Gaunt, yes?" She asked for confirmation.

Edward nodded his head. "Yes. Seems like ever since he's been here, he has. I'm unsure of why."

A plan was slowly beginning to form in Ruth's mind. Finally, she took a deep breath and looked at Edward. "Well, not to worry, my dear. I'll handle everything." She said, turning around.

"What do you mean by that? What are you planning?" Edward asked, raising a brow.

Ruth looked at him over her shoulder. "I'm going to have a little chat with Mr. Gaunt."

***

The Carter stagecoach came to a stop right in front of the Gaunt Manor. Ruth stepped out, a face of strained and fake politeness as she walked up to the door. She gave three strong knocks, waiting impatiently. She planned to get some easy information from this trip—practically doing Edwards work for him.

Ominis had heard the stagecoach pull up to the home as the Thestrals pulling it had come to a halt. He was already making his way to the front door when he heard the three knocks. "Just a moment, please!" he called out, walking to the door.

Once he opened the door, he had to wait until the person spoke—he had no idea who was there. "Hello?"

Ruth put on a fake smile on her face, but then the moment she realized he was blind, her smile disappeared. She could keep up her façade, but she didn't even want to be here in the first place.

"Hello, Mr. Gaunt!" She said with fake cheer in her voice. "I'm Ruth Carter, Edward Carter's mother. I'm here to ask some questions if that's alright."

Ominis' brows furrowed after hearing who it was. Edward's mother? That couldn't be good. "Oh, well, please come in." He said, not wanting to be impolite despite the situation. He opened the door and let her step inside, leading her to the parlor.

"So, what brings you here, Mrs. Carter?" Ominis asked, his tone slightly tense.

Ruth cleared her throat. "Oh, well, I was just here to inquire about your friend...To my knowledge, he lives here, no?" She questioned.

Ominis squinted his eyes. "Sebastian?"

Ruth nodded her head. "Yes! Him. I suppose I'm curious because he just... came out of nowhere, didn't he?" She spoke, trying to keep her tone lighthearted. Despite it being Ruth Carter, and Ominis knowing exactly what she was doing, such sudden and oddly specific questions would raise a red flag for anyone.

Her intentions were becoming increasingly clearer and clearer as she spoke. Sebastian had already told Ominis about his scuffle with Edward in the bar, so there was no doubt in his mind as to why Ruth was actually here with her inquiries about Sebastian. She knew about that day in the bar, and she wasn't happy. No doubt Edward hadn't given her the full story, however.

"What do you want to know about him?" Ominis asked, his tone full of skepticism.

"Well, I don't mean to pry, but I am awfully curious, especially since you two do live with each other." Ruth said. "When did the two of you meet?"

Something was definitely felt wrong now, but Ominis didn't want her to suspect anything. He could answer vaguely, but he'd leave her at that. "Sebastian and I met in our first year of school; we were roommates there and became good friends." He explained.

There was no mention of meeting through family as Ruth had expected, which made her wonder why Sebastian was living with him. Did he not have a home? "How wonderful. So why does he live here with you?" She questioned, letting her impatience show—further confirming Ominis' suspicions with everything.

"He's here temporarily. He's here to take a break before starting his teaching position this September." Ominis explained, using the fake story they had created for this. The teaching part was true, but they definitely had to make up a story for the past ten years that he was in Azkaban.

"Ah, a teaching position? Then I assume he's been studying for all of this for a while then, no?" Ruth suggested.

Ominis nodded, but he knew he shouldn't continue on with this conversation anymore. Ruth was definitely there for a malicious reason, and he didn't want to entertain that. So, before Ruth could speak again, he spoke up. "As much as I would love to continue this conversation, Mrs. Carter, it's getting late, and I'm sure your husband wouldn't want you out so late." He spoke, his voice full of condescension.

That was the moment Ruth realized that Ominis knew why she was there. She swallowed hard. "Yes," she said, her tone changing quickly. "I suppose he would not... Goodnight, Mr. Gaunt, thank you for your time." She said, standing up.

"Of course, Mrs. Carter." Ominis replied as the air was tense between them.

By now, they had both picked up on what was going on. Ominis assured that Ruth made it out and away from the house before immediately going to find Sebastian. He knew something was about to go down—that Edward was planning something, and they needed to keep an eye on it.

He had lived here long enough to know how the Carters were—they ran the town and, much like his own family, got away with more than they should by pulling strings and manipulating the people around them. Edward had proven to be very persistent, and that's all it took for him to know that this was not going away anytime soon.

Ominis quickly rushed up the stairs to find Sebastian; there was a pit in his stomach; something bad was going to happen, and he could feel it. Suddenly, he was regretting encouraging Sebastian to pursue his feelings for Vienne—not because he didn't want them to be happy but now that he feared for the both of them.

He swung the door open to Sebastian's room, not caring to knock. Thankfully, Sebastian wasn't caught up in anything, but he was still shocked to see Ominis come through the door so urgently.

"O-Ominis, what's going on?" He stammered; his brows knit together in confusion.

"Something tells me we're about to have a big problem on our hands." Ominis replied. "Ruth Carter was just here; she's Edward's mother. And she came with questions about you."

Sebastian's brows furrowed even more, if that was even possible at this point. "What? What do you mean?" He questioned.

"I meant exactly what I said. She was here and immediately began asking questions about you. No doubt Edward told her about what happened in the bar just a few days ago." Ominis spoke, his voice tense. "They are planning something, Sebastian. And I can't put my finger on what it is, but I know it's nothing good. I know the Carters; they are horrible people with a meticulously curated image of some perfect family. They've fooled everyone, but we cannot allow them to fool us."

Reality hit Sebastian as he was hearing what Ominis was saying. He knew it was stupid; he knew it was a bad idea to have threatened Edward like that, but he was so mad, so angry over how he was treating Vienne that he just couldn't help himself. And aside from what Edward was doing to Vienne, Sebastian had a good idea as to what he was doing to the other girls in the town prior to all of this.

Above all, he wasn't concerned for himself; he was concerned for Vienne. He knew whatever Edward had planned; he could handle it. He had been through hell and back in his lifetime, and as much as he'd rather not go back, he certainly didn't want Vienne to suffer if he could prevent it.

"So, what do we do?" Sebastian asked, feeling slightly hopeless. It wasn't easy when you didn't even know what they were planning; you just had the hunch that they were planning something.

"I have no idea." Ominis sighed. "But right now, you don't need to go out. Who knows what rumors the Carters will spread about you? And trust me, rumors around here spread quickly. I believe it'd be best if you stayed here."

Sebastian couldn't argue with that since, after all, Ominis had a point. He had already spent practically a year never really going out; a few days or weeks couldn't hurt. "But what about Vienne? This situation involves her too, and they could try to pull some stunt while we're unaware."

"I'll handle everything with Vienne, I promise. But for now, you need to stay out of the public eye." Ominis replied.

"Alright... I can do that." Sebastian said with a heavy sigh. This was certainly not how he was expecting his night to go.

"I know this is a bit nerve-wracking, Sebastian, but trust me, I'll try everything in my power to make sure nothing goes downhill." Ominis said, attempting to comfort his best friend. "I promise."

Sebastian looked up at Ominis, a glint of hope in his eyes. "Thank you, Ominis, I owe you my life for everything you've done for me."

"Don't think anything of it, Sebastian."