CHAPTER 11

"Do you believe they'll crack?" Aurelia inquired of Julius as she observed the children sweating and crying as a result of the torture.

"If they crack, they're out," Julius replied.

She knew what was going on; they were being tested for loyalty, and she wasn't sure if they were aware of it. Her men had chosen Quinton, Noah, and Casey as their initiation candidates.

They were the oldest and first batch that they would use for their operation. They had been picked up by surprise on their way to class early that morning, and they had been subjected to some torturous moments for hours. They were being asked a lot of nonsense questions, and everyone was waiting for them to crack, and she was wondering how long it would last.

"Only the powerful work for me. If any of them fails, you know what to do," she said as she rose to her feet.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked as she picked up her bag.

"My husband is having someone take pictures me again, and I need to keep up appearances before he realizes something is wrong. Besides, it's been far too long since I've seen Eliza. She is having an exhibition at the foundation today, and I am invited," she smiled.

Julius looked at her, puzzled; he knew how angry she was on the inside, but she was too busy smiling. He still didn't know what she was thinking, but whatever it was, it wasn't good.

"Let's go," he said, but she stopped him.

"Look after the kids, I'll take the others," she said as she exited the room.

When she came out, she was greeted by her employees, the majority of whom were female. This was her salon, where she went to get her hair done in the morning and had her secret adventure. There was nothing wrong with her; she had a lot of people watching her and she was aware of it.

How could she have kept these spies hidden among her people without anyone knowing? She was going to use the fact that they had the audacity to infiltrate her space against them.

She went straight to the car, told the driver where she was going, and rested well. She had no choice but to do this or she would live in the shadows of her fear. She was going to face her greatest fear head on; only then would she be able to avenge the misfortunes that had befallen her.

She smiled at the cameras when she arrived because reporters and paparazzi were present. She didn't respond to any of the questions; she wasn't in the mood to entertain them.

When she walked into the newly built gallery, she was met with a lot of stares. Everyone in the room knew who she was, and they were all waiting for her to make a mistake.

She looked around and found who she was looking for. Aurelia walked confidently towards Eliza, refusing to show any weakness in front of that woman. Eliza also noticed her and put on her signature smile.

Before they looked at each other, the two women hugged and kissed each other.

"I am glad you made it," Eliza said with a smile, even though she knew she wasn't saying anything meaningful.

"I couldn't possibly miss it for the world. I apologize for being late; I had to go to the salon for a haircut," she explained as she ran her fingers through her short hair.

"You look great in that outfit. Your beauty was hidden by your long hair," Eliza said as she smiled at her.

"That is correct. I won't keep you to myself because you're the host. I'll walk around and see if any of these paintings catch my attention. I haven't bought one in a long time," she said as the two ladies parted ways.

Aurelia didn't care what other people thought of her. She just wanted to get out of there, but she was aware of the consequences. Why should she run away from her? She was divorced many years ago, but she still acts as if she owns Mark.

Eliza was Mark's first wife and the mother of his three children, with the exception of Miguel, who was born from his second wife after Eliza divorced.

Eliza still had feelings for Mark, despite the fact that he had moved on, and she despised herself for it. Eliza was still young, but she was now old and wrinkled despite having undergone numerous surgeries to look younger.

Aurelia pushed Eliza out of her head; now wasn't the time to deal with that scumbag. She found herself walking towards one particular painting as she looked at the paintings on display. It drew her in, and she couldn't stop herself from walking towards it. She was delighted when she came to a stop in front of the painting.

In everyone's eyes, the painting appeared to be a simple sunrise. She could see the ocean waves and the glitter of the sunrays as the sun rose. But it wasn't the colors that drew her in; it was the image she saw beneath all of them. She wondered if anyone else noticed it.

"You are special if you can see that," Aurelia heard a female voice speak just beside her and she turned around, but no one was there. Was she having a hallucination? What in the world was going on?

She rubbed it off and returned her attention to the painting. There was something in the waves that appeared to be a woman, but it was impossible. She was delighted when she noticed someone approaching her. She waited for the woman to approach her while they both gazed at the same painting.

"That is a lovely piece," the woman said as she examined the painting.

"Yes, it is. What do you see?" Aurelia couldn't help but wonder, hoping she wasn't mad at all.

"The waves and the sunrise, it's just peaceful," she replied, and she realized immediately that she was the only one seeing things.

When the woman finally left, she was left standing alone.

"I told you that you are special, and trust me, you are not insane," the voice said once more.

Aurelia asked in hushed tones, without turning around, "who the hell are you and why are you haunting me like this?"

"If you're that interested, come and talk to me. I have a proposal for you," the voice said and piqued her interest.

"Where are you?"

Aurelia asked, and something terrifying occurred right in front of her eyes. Her heart was pounding against her chest as a golden card appeared in her hand. She didn't believe in this nonsense, but it just kept happening lately. Someone was undoubtedly performing a magic trick on her, and she was curious as to who it was.

Aurelia examined the card and was astounded; this person was clearly of the highest caliber; she was going to copy this and have her own business card customized.

The card had nothing on it, but the longer she looked at it, the more amazed she became. She stared as an ancient writing appeared on the card and the address appeared. Nothing shocked her anymore; she smiled and slipped the card into her bag.

She was no longer in the mood to purchase a painting. The one and only painting she desired was haunted by a ghost she was about to see. She was curious as to who the individual was.

Was she powerful, and if so, would she be able to aid her in her vengeance? Even if she has to make a deal with the devil, she will be happy if she can acquire some supernatural powers at this time.

"Are you already on your way?"

As she made her way to the exit, Eliza asked her.

"I'm afraid I must.

I have an appointment that I can't cancel, so I'll have to come back another day and look at the paintings more closely," she replied.

"And I look forward to your next visit. We should have dinner with the rest of the family sometime," Eliza suggested, and Aurelia smiled.

"That is something we should consider. Simply choose a date and we will be there."

"All right, then. "I will not keep you waiting," Eliza stated, nodding her head.

Aurelia exited the gallery, her smile fixed on her face as she passed through the cameras on her way to her car. When she was in the safety of her car, she told the driver where she was going. She was familiar with the location; it was a well-known high-end club. She still didn't know who owned it, but it didn't matter. She had no interest in clubs in the first place.

When she arrived, she was greeted gently by a well-dressed man who seemed to recognize her.

"Mrs. King, please come this way," the man said, and she looked at him suspiciously.

"you knew I was coming?"

"I was made aware of your visit. I will accompany you to your room, where your host will be waiting for you," the man said.

She didn't want to ask the man any more questions because she was afraid, she was putting him in a bind.

When he arrived, he knocked twice before the door was opened, and there stood one fine gentleman in front of her. Despite his muscles, he was a very attractive man. He was such a beautiful specimen. She had never seen anyone like this before. How could one person be so fortunate? She was captivated when she looked into his eyes.

The color of his eyes was perplexing; were they blue or green? She brushed the thought aside with a smile on her face.