A MAZE OF GREED

"I heard about what happened between Eloise and you!"

Ruth's heart missed a beat in fear. He knew!

They both faced each other, but Ruth was too afraid to look at him, so she kept her eyes cast down, her fingers fidgeting with her uniform.

"Would you care to explain Miss Moore?!"

Ruth bit the insides of her cheek. She had talked with this man before. Hell! She had even insulted him. Then why did her tongue feel heavy when he was only asking her a simple question?

Edwin leaned his back on the side of the table. His right foot rested to the left of his other foot, and he crossed his arms over his chest while waiting for her to speak.

Edwin could hear how loud her heart was pounding, the way she was biting her cheek and her fingers fidgeted with her dress showed how nervous she was.

Edwin would have never interfered in this matter, not when his interference could draw unnecessary attention towards Ruth. But when Eloise came to him and narrated her side of the story, he was shocked.

Unlike his youngest cousin, Eloise was bold and did not take bullshit from anyone. Edwin was confused to see the emotion so prominent in her eyes that he could not recall seeing before- fear!

Curiosity got the best of him as he wanted to know what exactly his enchantress had done to put that fear in his cousin's heart. Besides, if not him, then Eloise would have not hesitated before dragging Lord Augustus into this matter.

She was ready to go to any lengths to satisfy the alter of her ego.

"Erm... I... I am sorry. Please forgive me! I will be careful to not repeat such mistake from the next time."

That was not what Edwin expected to listen to. And that was definitely not what she had to say.

After a brief pause, he noted, "You were not this polite before."

That made Ruth's eyes snap at him. He smiled inwardly. Was not that what he wanted?!

Ruth narrowed her eyes at him. She understood very well where his words were pointing.

"Is this all?" She asked, now annoyed.

"No. It is not! I want to hear your side of the story." He said simply.

"But why? You must already know what happened."

Edwin tilted his head, not breaking their eye contact. "To do the justice you always need to hear two sides, Miss Moore. One is of complainant's. The other is of the suspect's."

"And what about the truth? Are you always willing to hear it?" She asked.

Edwin straightened up to his full height and took a step ahead, to which Ruth reacted by taking one back instinctively. His face turned serious, and that made him look more intimidating.

"No one tells you the truth, Miss Moore. You have to discover it yourself."

As he said that Ruth found Edwin only a step away from her. Something about this man stirred her curiosity, yet the need of protecting herself from him always made her apprehensive of him.

"And what do you do after finding the truth?" She asked breathily.

Crossing that small distance between them, Edwin neared her looking down at her.

"It is subjective." Came his curt reply.

He wanted her to end their conversation and walk out on him. For he was not sure what he and his wolf would do if she kept on prolonging it.

Ruth could see alarm going off in her mind, but his words always made her amazed. They forced her to ponder, and in the end, they gave her a new perspective to look at the world.

"How?" She whispered, now not trusting her voice.

She could hear his loud breaths and found her lungs following the same rhythm.

"Truth may help you discern the justice. But it is not always helpful. Sometimes, some truths needs to be hidden in the closet of obliviousness."

Ruth felt her throat running dry as the pull in his eyes grew stronger.

"Every truth is not worth knowing, Miss Moore. You do not always have the strength and will to face it!"

Ruth was speechless. She tried to remember how the course of their conversation led them to this point. She was about to open her mouth to say something when his face turned hard. The anger rose in his eyes.

"Get out!"

The words stuck in her throat as she blinked dumbfoundedly at him.

What happened?

"I-"

"I said GET OUT!" He again created distance between them that made Ruth feel like complaining.

Why he has to do that? Was not he better only inches away from her?

The way he threw that command in her way, made her heart sink. She did not understand why his mood changed suddenly. But she was not willing to stand in that room with him.

Wordlessly, Ruth started walking towards the door when his words made her pause in her way.

"Be careful of what you say and how you behave Miss Moore. I can not promise of the same leniency next time! Stay out of the radar!"

Just like his personality, his words were also confusing. He was warning her, reprimanding her, yet her mind found the hint of concern and request in them.

"I will!" She stepped out of his office with a heavy heart and confused mind.

She was not in the right place in her mind, and this man was adamant about making her go insane!

Ruth lingered in the corridor while thinking how to face Elsie. She could not keep running away from it. After spending ten minutes, and getting strange looks from the guards and the maids passing by, Ruth's feet took her to Elsie's chamber.

She found Elsie with Ida. The tension in the room was still evident.

As Ida saw Ruth, her face relaxed a little. Elsie moved her head to tell Ida to leave them alone. Ida bowed then left.

Now Ruth was more awkward than before. Elsie did not say anything for a long minute. She had something else on her mind.

"Please forgive me, My Lady! I should not have crossed my line. I am ready to take any punishment that you deemed fit for my inappropriate behaviour." Ruth said, breaking through the silence.

Elsie gestured for Ruth to sit in front of her in a chair. Ruth did as she was told.

After a few more minutes, Elsie said, "You must be thinking what kind of a fool I am, are not you?"

Ruth studied her face. It did not give away much. But her eyes spoke of her insecurities and sadness as clear as daylight.

"No, My Lady. But I have questions that I am not sure if I should ask and if you should answer." Ruth told truthfully.

Another minute later, Elsie was giving answers to Ruth's most questions willingly for Elsie, Ruth was not only a servant but was a part of her family.

She had accepted Ruth as her family the day she got to know that her cousin's fate was entwined with hers. That was enough reason for her to trust Ruth wholeheartedly. She was yet to be sure if Ruth was capable of becoming a Luna, but that was not her concern at that point.

She was happy to have someone other than Edwin with whom she could share her secrets, and could rely upon.

"My mother- Agatha O'Dell died while giving me birth. My sister was very close to her. I do not remember my mother but sister Eloise... she still misses her so much, Ruth.

She is bitter, I know. But I love her because she is my family. After my father married Lady Theodora, I was too young and accepted her as my mother. If my father married her, then he must have thought about our welfare, right?!

Was I wrong in accepting her as my mother?"

Elsie's voice was unsure. As if she herself was yet to find an answer to her question and needed someone to do that for her.

"No. Lady Elsie. You were not wrong and you still are not. I have also lost my mother when I was thirteen. I had no one else beside her to call as a family. But you have Lady Eloise and that is why you love her. And there is nothing wrong in it!"

Elsie gave a small smile hearing that.

"Sister Eloise never forgave me for that. She thought that I betrayed my mother's love by accepting Lady Theodora as a mother.

Can you answer my one question, Ruth?"

Ruth did not know what she was going to ask. "I will if I can."

Elsie smiled. She was just like Edwin. Picking their words carefully when they want to.

"Does giving same title to relationship with different people permits the new person to replace the previous one?"

Elsie had asked that question to herself over the years numerous times.

"I do not think so, Lady Elsie. Every person holds a particular place in our hearts and lives. No matter who the other person is and how much we love them, they can not replace the others.

We put them in a different position which is exclusive only for them. Just like friends. Thea and Rees both are my best friends. I love them both equally, and they love me the same way.

But it does not mean that any one of them can replace each other in my life or heart. They both hold their individual positions and will remain to hold them till the end." Ruth explained.

Elsie stared at Ruth for a moment longer, then smiled.

"You are just like him!"