Chapter 7

• After clocking out from work, Moiraine walked down the polished Luave hallway with confident but measured steps. The day had been exhausting, but her expression remained unreadable as she stepped out into the fading evening light. The chauffeur offered to open the car door, but she raised a hand and said, “Not today. I need a walk.”
• The man bowed slightly and stepped back without question.
• From across the street, a figure leaned subtly against a lamppost, casually lighting a cigarette. He wasn’t just anyone. He was one of Dihanna’s eyes, assigned earlier that day when Moiraine left for work. She had started to get too involved. Too visible. Too dangerous.
• But Moiraine knew she was being followed.
• She took a turn into one of the narrower alleys near the older part of the city, a route that didn’t seem suspicious—until she reached a dead end, pressed a brick, and slipped through a hidden side path that led to an abandoned building. From the outside, it looked like it hadn’t been touched in years. But deep within its walls, life stirred.
• A circular room beneath the building flickered with candlelight and whispered urgency. Black hoods, steel boots, sharp eyes—these were the Raven Circle. The loyal few who had once served her with blood, shadow, and silence. And tonight, they bowed the moment she stepped in.
• “Queen,” the tallest one said. His name was Halvor, a scar down his left eye. “All units are in place. Just waiting for your orders.”
• Moiraine took her hood from the table and pulled it on. “Our mission has changed,” she said coolly, tossing a folded document onto the table. “We’re not just watching Dihanna anymore. We infiltrate both sides—Luave and Sokolov. I want everything she’s touched turned inside out.”
• Another girl stepped forward, youthful but sharp. “What if we’re discovered?”
• Moiraine smirked. “Then we erase the trail. Like always.”
• From the shadows, Halvor added, “One of her men followed you tonight.”
• “I know.” She glanced behind her, lips curved in a sinister smile. “He’s already been handled. No corpse left behind.”
• Gasps circled the room, and a few exchanged glances. It was clear—the queen they once knew was back.
• “Any signs of her moves against me yet?” Moiraine asked, walking slowly around the table.
• Halvor handed her a scroll-like file. “Nothing concrete. But she’s been gathering names… and trying to bribe your remaining supporters. She’s playing the long game.”
• “Then we play the deeper one,” Moiraine said.
• A silent moment passed before she looked up again. “By next week, I want someone inside her personal staff. I want eyes in the Luave boardroom. And if she tries to twist Dylan’s mind, I’ll be there before she even breathes.”
• When the Raven Circle meeting concluded, Moiraine exited through a concealed tunnel that led her to a bustling main road. Slipping into the crowd like a shadow, she hailed a taxi and gave the driver her current residence—the Sokolov mansion. But tonight would be the last time she'd call that place home.
• She had plans. And Dihanna wasn’t going to see it coming.
• By the time she arrived, the night was heavy with silence. The mansion stood still, draped in dim golden lights. Inside, the scent of dinner still lingered in the air. As she stepped in, she spotted Dihanna seated gracefully at the dining table, swirling a glass of wine like a queen basking in her comfort zone.
• Dihanna looked up with an easy smile, the picture of elegance and poison wrapped in silk. “Good evening, dear. How was work today? Hope it wasn’t too stressful,” she said sweetly, already motioning for the butler. “Bring Moiraine’s dinner.”
• Moiraine paused.
• That smile. That tone. She’d fallen for it once.
• In her past life, she remembered a subtle decline in her health. It started slowly—a bit of dizziness here, a faint weakness there. A year later, she was a pale ghost of herself, slowly wasting away. No evidence. No culprit. But now, the thought struck like a blade.
• Could it have been Dihanna poisoning her all along?
• She smiled gently. “No worries, sis. I’ve got a few things to handle first. I’ll eat later.” Her voice was calm, even sweet.
• Dihanna blinked at her, taken aback for just a second. But she nodded. “Alright then. Don’t forget to eat.”
• Sis.
• Even that word made Moiraine’s stomach turn, but she hid it beneath a well-practiced smile and turned toward the stairs.
• Just as she reached the first landing, she nearly bumped into a familiar face—one of the younger maids. It was the same girl who had served tea during her last confrontation with Dihanna in the study.
• “Oh, it’s you,” Moiraine said lightly.
• The maid froze like a deer in headlights, instantly bowing low. “I-I’m sorry ma! I didn’t mean—”
• Moiraine sighed and gently pulled her up. “No need to panic, baby girl. It’s just a slight brush.”
• The girl straightened herself, still unsure.
• “Actually,” Moiraine added, “good that I met you. Come with me.”
• She walked ahead elegantly, aware of Dihanna watching them from the dining room below. Let her watch. Let her wonder.
• Inside her room, Moiraine headed straight to her walk-in closet. “I’m packing some things. I’ll be moving to my villa tonight,” she said while casually shifting through her clothes with purpose.
• The maid silently obeyed, folding dresses into the open boxes.
• Moiraine, from the corner of her eye, watched closely.
• Earlier, she had carefully tucked small bundles of crisp cash into various dress pockets—an intentional test. One that could determine whether this girl was truly loyal… or just another pawn bought by Dihanna.
• But to her surprise, the girl didn’t flinch. She didn’t pocket a note or pause at the sight of money. She folded everything with the same calm efficiency.
• After finishing, the maid walked over to the balcony where Moiraine sat and extended a sealed pouch.
• “Madam, this is yours,” she said simply.
• Moiraine blinked. “You noticed.”
• “I don’t know what you’re planning, ma,” the girl added, voice firm but respectful. “But I know for a fact you didn’t forget all that money in your clothes.”
• For a moment, Moiraine just looked at her.
• Then—she smiled. Wide, warm, and impressed. This girl might actually be worth keeping.
• “Well since you know so much,” Moiraine teased, “I suppose you also know I need someone I can trust to help get things done.”
• The maid paused. “Isn’t that why you have Miss Dihanna?”
• Moiraine’s laughter rang out like a blade slicing silk. “Oh, honey… you’re funny.”
• She stood and extended a hand. “What’s your name?”
• “Julia Luther,” she replied.
• “Well then, Julia... welcome to my team.”
• Downstairs, Dihanna sipped her wine slower than usual, eyes narrowed as she watched the quiet storm rising upstairs.
• “Good, Julia. It’s nice meeting you properly,” Moiraine said, offering a handshake. Her voice was smooth but carried an undercurrent of authority that made Julia pause for a beat before slowly reaching out.
• “Would you like to come work for me?” Moiraine asked casually.
• Julia blinked, visibly confused. “But… I already work for you, My Lady.”
• Moiraine let out a small, amused laugh, folding her arms. “Don’t play dumb, silly girl. I’m moving out—one of the villas, of course. I’ll need someone to manage it for me. Someone reliable. I don’t like strangers poking their noses where they don’t belong.”
• Julia hesitated. This wasn’t just a transfer—it sounded like trust, and responsibility. And from the infamous Sokolov heir, no less.
• She lowered her gaze, hiding the swirl of emotions in her eyes. Why me?
• Memories clawed at the edges of her mind. Her family had once been loyal—perhaps too loyal—to the Sokolovs. And yet, without warning, everything had fallen apart. The whispers, the shame, the sudden downfall. Julia had never been told the truth, only fragments. Her mother used to cry at night, whispering that they should’ve stayed silent. That they should’ve “never trusted her.”
• But who was “her”? And what had they done to deserve the Sokolov wrath?
• Shaking herself mentally, she masked her thoughts with a polite smile. “If that’s what you wish, My Lady, then I’m honored.”
• Right on cue, a loud car horn blared from outside. The moving truck had arrived.
• Moiraine smiled in satisfaction. “Good. Let’s get to work, shall we?”