Chapter 7: Betrayal

"In that case, I'll be losing a mere five hundred dollars at most. Then, I'll inform all the newspapers and printing factory owners about this matter for free. I believe they would undoubtedly be interested in this news, wouldn't you say?" replied Monet with a chuckle.

The saying "those with nothing to lose fear nothing" applied here. The strategy of mutual harm would result in the most significant loss for Russell. Thus, he promptly opened a drawer and took out five hundred dollars, handing it to Monet. "Oh, Tony, I was just joking with you!"

"Actually, I was joking too!" Monet said as he accepted the money.

After receiving the money, Monet had originally intended to leave. However, as he reached the doorway, the editor, Evan, suddenly called out to him. Evan held out a letter and said, "Mr. Monet, we have a letter from a reader to deliver to you."

"Oh, thank you!" Monet expressed his gratitude while taking the letter casually.

Initially, Monet hadn't taken the letter too seriously. Since the publication of the Titanic article, he had received numerous letters from readers. After all, such poignant love stories often resonate with young girls. However, his demeanor changed upon seeing the sender's name, Mrs. Dawson.

He promptly opened the letter and confirmed that it was indeed from Rose. She had read his Titanic article in the New York Post and informed him that she had purchased a ticket to return to London to pursue her aspirations. Unfortunately, she anticipated not being able to wait for the serialization to conclude before she departed. She hoped Monet would be kind enough to gift her a copy of the manuscript as a keepsake. The letter also mentioned a scheduled meeting time and place.

Monet wouldn't refuse Rose's request, but considering the possibility of being monitored by Carl's people, he deemed it unsafe to meet her in person. Such an encounter could potentially put her in danger. Therefore, Monet thought it over and decided to send Wendy in his stead.

Upon returning home and conveying this matter to Wendy, she hesitated briefly before agreeing. Monet then prepared a manuscript and handed it over to Wendy, resuming his creative work.

Indeed, recently, Monet had been doing ghostwriting. However, he wasn't transcribing literary classics or modern internet novels. Firstly, he couldn't recall such vast amounts of text, and secondly, he believed that successful commercial novels were intricately tied to their respective eras. Publishing a work from over a hundred years ago might not guarantee the same success.

As such, he chose to transcribe works that would cater to the taste of contemporary readers. Monet's selection was the highly sensational "National Treasure" from 2004. Although many of the movie's plot elements were incompatible with the year 1912, the core allure, the treasure hidden within the "Declaration of Independence," would undoubtedly captivate audiences regardless of the period.

Consequently, Monet intended to rewrite a novel based on this movie. Thus, he invested most of his energy into this project during this period.

On the day of the scheduled meeting, Wendy embraced Monet somewhat dramatically before leaving. She even whispered softly in his ear, "Tony, I'll miss you!"

"Why are you acting like it's a farewell forever? You're just going to have coffee with Rose; there won't be any danger. Even if there were, it'd be directed at Rose, not you. What's there to fear?" Monet reassured her with a smile.

"Well, I'm a bit timid, you see," Wendy responded with a complex expression.

Though Wendy seemed a bit peculiar today, Monet didn't pay it much heed. He continued writing his work, "The Hidden Treasure in the Declaration of Independence" (a title should be both direct and intriguing, after all). Unbeknownst to him, dinner time had arrived. It was only then that he realized Wendy hadn't returned until now. Something was amiss. He immediately headed to the coffee shop where he had agreed to meet Rose. However, Wendy was nowhere to be found. Fortunately, a waitress handed him a note and said, "This young lady asked me to give this to you if you came looking for her."

Upon opening the note, he read: "I'm sorry, Tony. Please forgive me. Wendy."

Upon reading this note, an ominous thought crossed Monet's mind. Yet, honestly, he didn't want it to be true. Just then, the waitress handed him another note, saying, "This is from another gentleman for you."

Opening it, Monet read: "Mr. Monet, although you didn't follow through this time, I'll forgive you once, out of consideration for Wendy. If you wish to see Wendy or Rose, come to my house as a guest. Here's my address. Carl!"

Seeing this, a loud "boom" resounded in Monet's mind. Clearly, Wendy had betrayed him and Rose. She had divulged the meeting location to Carl, leading to Rose's recapture. In retrospect, he realized he was at fault too. When he mentioned Rose's elopement to Wendy before, she expressed confusion and envy. This clearly indicated her affinity for a luxurious lifestyle. How could he have let her meet Rose?

Although he now knew the truth, Monet believed he should still pay a visit, if only to explain things to Rose. He hailed a carriage and headed for Carl's mansion.

Upon meeting, Carl grinned at Monet and said, "Mr. Monet, I actually waited for you at the café for over half an hour. Unfortunately, you didn't show up."

"Mr. Carl, do you not find your behavior ungentlemanly?" Monet queried.

"Reclaiming my own fiancée, how is that ungentlemanly?" Carl retorted.

"But the issue is, Rose doesn't want to marry you!" Monet pressed further.

"Then she and her mother shouldn't have allowed me to settle their family debt. After I repaid their debt, they declined my proposal. This goes against the spirit of the contract!" Carl answered, his tone firm.

"But love isn't business!" Monet argued.

"Letting go of this marriage is possible, but first, Rose needs to repay the debt I cleared for her family and compensate me for the emotional distress. After all, I've publicly announced my engagement to Rose among my relatives and friends. If the wedding doesn't proceed as planned, it would damage my reputation substantially," Carl explained.

Just as Monet was about to continue the debate, Rose suddenly descended the stairs, exclaiming, "Carl, you needn't say more. I agree to marry you. But for now, please leave. I wish to speak with Mr. Monet!"

P.S.: This kind of betrayal doesn't feel like true friendship, considering the protagonist and Wendy aren't that familiar.