Between the lines

Chapter 9: Stella

I follow along shortly after Quincy left the room and spot a black limousine parking in front of the mansion. The driver is awaiting our arrival, and as soon as we step in, he greets us with a polite nod.

"Where are we going?" I ask Quincy, but he completely ignored me as if I weren't there.

Before taking our seat, he looks at me with stern eyes, then says in a low voice, to avoid someone overhearing him.

"Don't speak unless you're spoken to."

The limousine is already occupied with several other men dressed in black suits that gave me a glance as I arrived.

He continues walking then sits down in the rear section of the vehicle, he gives me a quick glance which I believe was a way of him saying
"Sit beside me."

As the limousine pulls out of the driveway and onto the road.
The men in the rear section are inspecting me like I'm a piece of meat, but Quincy doesn't seem to notice or care about their behavior. He simply stares out the window.

Then his gaze shifts from the road ahead to them. His expression calm and collected.

Their looks convey an air of disapproval and suspicion, their eyes scanning my movements for any signs of treachery or danger.
Quincy's face remains stoic as he continues to monitor the situation from his place beside me.

He suddenly speaks up, in a nonchalent tone.
"She's emblem free, checked her a few days ago."

I feel my face flush and pretend not to hear him saying that, but he glances over at me, his expression changing to one of concern.

"Ignore them. It was a disaster the last time a woman stepped foot on here."

Muffled whispers and snickers could be heard coming from their direction. I personally didn't pay much attention to them at first but that was when one of them walked over to sit beside me.
Judging from his appearance,
I would say he was in his early-twenties.

But instead of looking at me, his eyes were on Quincy, and as the intimidating person he is, Quincy stared back him.

"Is her body as beautiful as it is when she's wearing this dress"

There was a few seconds' pause.
"Or is it even better?" getting me a shiver down my spine.

"Don't speak unless you're
spoken to."

If that wasn't an order from him, I would've done way more than just speak.

I take a deep breath, close my eyes and let it go.

"Piss off, Sullivan." I hear Quincy's voice say. His tone was no longer calm, this time it sounded like the man struck a nerve.

"Oh, come on, Q. You can't just keep that to yourself." He displayed a playful look on his face.

"Now, I don't think you should go there if you don't want your neck snapped today, Tony." Normal people would think that statement was a joke but as for someone who's seen him in the gym, he was dead serious.

"You always get all the girls, man.
At least leave me some pretty ones"
Sullivan rolled his eyes.

"Might I remind you of the incident that happened last time, Anthony?"
Someone from the back spoke up.

"Oh, there's no need, sir. I think we all remember what happened well enough." He goes to back to his seat.

As the limousine pulls up, the driver eases the vehicle to a halt. Everyone gathers their belongings and step out.

The location was unclear to me, but I was staring at a building that looked similar to Quincy's mansion.  However, there was a different vibe to it. Whereas Quincy's has a brooding and gloomy ambiance, this building has a sinister air that leaves no doubts as to its purpose. There are no traces of luxury or elegance; instead, it exudes a sense of danger and darkness. There were guards patrolling all over it, it's safe to say this place had top notch security.

As we enter the place, my anxiety increases. The room we were in has a dim atmosphere and a serious vibe, which makes it difficult to know what to expect. I see men wearing suits, just like Quincy gathered around the table, planning war strategies.
This must be the war room

I wasn't thrilled to hear them plan their attack on Aurum, my own kingdom, but we've done much more to theirs. I knew this day would come, I knew I would see the Cerulan military soon enough,
but I will say, I did not expect it to be that soon, and I certainly did not expect Quincy to be apart of it.