Making a deal with devils - William James Moriarty x OC

Chapter 7 - The Noahtic Act 2

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"The truth of the innocent is the liar's most useful tool." – Stephen King
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Once Lady Victoria left the dining hall, she headed back for her own sleeping quarters. She opened the door and headed inside, seeing Lisa gather the last of the information she had asked her to gather. She swiftly closed and latched the door before changing into her usual outfit. Black suit pants with a white dress shirt, a ribbon acting as her tie and her usual black heels*.

Lisa handed her the documents for her to look over once more before she went and met with the Lord in question.

"Last I saw, Lord Hartfield was in his room." Lisa explains.

"Good. We will need to relocate him before tomorrow's ballet. Can I trust you to do that for me, Lisa?" Victoria asks.

"Yes, my lady." Lisa replies.

In her own opinion, her current target was far worse than the last. Lord Reginald Hartfield. A man born into an esteemed aristocratic lineage. The man enjoyed immense wealth and privilege but behind his refined veneer, he harboured a dark secret that Lady Victoria was about to expose. A propensity for sadistic pleasure and the exploitation of others.

She did not really need to look far to find out the Lord was involved in human trafficking among other sickly, twisted things. His insidious network spanned more than just London, orchestrating the clandestine trade of innocent lives. He very much profited from the misery of human trafficking, treating vulnerable individuals as commodities to be bought and sold. He really had no care for anyone who was considered beneath him.

She found the Lord himself was involved in countless illegal and almost sickening businesses which he kept hidden. Of course, his pockets and name were most likely the reason for none of his evil deeds ever coming to light. Though, evil would not be a strong enough word to describe the Lord in her own belief.

His increasingly high wealth meant blackmailing and extorting others would hardly cost him a penny. His web of deceit extended into the highest echelons of society. Through meticulous surveillance and manipulation, he acquired damning information, using it to coerce and blackmail influential figures into submission, furthering his own ambitions.

Most did not even know Lord Hartfield was an organised crime syndicate. Beneath his usual aristocratic façade, he operated an intricate network of criminal activities. From smuggling contraband to controlling illicit gambling dens, his criminal empire thrived, leaving deviation in its wake.

In the lead up to their cruise, Victoria had asked Lisa to pose as a patron at one of his own gambling dens to gather information on the man. With her only being in the room for a matter of seconds, she could easily tell this man hid nothing when he was not using his aristocratic façade. He did not care how people saw him as he knew, deep down, no one would dare to broadcast his business to the public. Until Lady Victoria found out exactly what his business was and decided that the public needed to know.

Especially since the man was known for exploiting workers. He ruthlessly exploited the working class, subjecting them to inhumane conditions and meagre wages. He capitalised on their desperation, further enriching himself while perpetuating a cycle of poverty and suffering.

Lady Victoria secretly wondered to herself why she had not targeted this man to begin with. Why she left it until now. In her own eyes, she saw this as the best opportunity to display his misdeeds to the public. What better place than to showcase it after a ballet? Where everyone's attention would be fixated to the stage. She wanted mass panic to start, but her mind quickly crossed to Moriarty. She wondered if he had any plans to expose someone aboard this cruise ship. If so, how would she expose her target without overshadowing Moriarty's own plan?