QT: Against My Will-Chapter 554 - 8.71 - Let’s Visit Juliet’s Family - Monster Heist
The team prepared to embark on their journey the following day. They collected all the necessary supplies and filled their bus with provisions that Laura had arranged for delivery to Liam’s house in advance.
According to Juliet, there were some pieces of equipment at her house that she wanted to pick up. Hence, her home was their next stop. Henry lived nearby, so they would give his home a visit as well.
When Shina and her team arrived at the grand, timber-clad residence of Juliet’s grandfather, the air was tense.
The mansion, old yet magnificent, stood as a testament to the family’s once-great lineage. The grandiose architecture, adorned with intricate carvings and covered in layers of time, spoke volumes of its glorious past.
A seasoned alpha, a man of towering height, met Shinsa’s team at the entrance. His stern eyes scanned over the group of people. They all wore regular clothes (simple cargo pants and plain shirts), so it was difficult to see their ranking in the military.
Juliet’s grandfather was a man of few words. He gave a curt nod of recognition, acknowledging Shina and her team’s arrival, then gestured them inside.
"You," he finally spoke, his voice low, directed at Juliet. "You carry our blood, our legacy. You should be leading, not trailing behind." He had spotted that Juliet’s presence was the same as the betas’ and deltas’ in the group.
When her grandfather criticized Juliet, she didn’t back down. Instead, she silently accepted his words, "I understand your disappointment, grandfather."
His harsh welcome and the sharp criticism of Juliet left everyone feeling on edge. They’ve never seen Juliet being so timid around anyone like this before.
"I just came to pick up a few things," Juliet said, her voice calm yet firm. "I won’t be staying long." She glanced at her group as if saying: I told you to stay inside the bus.
"Enough," her grandfather interrupted her harshly, his voice echoing in the grand hall. He turned and pointed to a young figure standing quietly away from the main group. "Juliet, meet Linda. She is an omega, your future mate."
His words were sharp and clear, leaving no room for debate, "It’s high time you stopped running away from your responsibilities. Before you depart this time, ensure you leave behind an heir first."
"Hold on a sec!" Douglas interjected, his goofy grin changing into confusion, "I thought we were here to help Juliet carry some old equipment. If I knew we were waiting for her to make a child with an omega, I would’ve..."
’..." Aria squeezed his back in disbelief, "Hush!"
Victor’s sharp eyes landed on a familiar face. His brows furrowed in recognition as he studied the girl standing quietly in the corner, "Leon," he said, an incredulous look on his face, "Isn’t that your ex-fiancé?"
Victor’s casual declaration managed to add a new twist to the already dramatic scene unfolding in the grand hall. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖
Upon hearing Leon’s name, Linda’s eyes shot up towards the group, looking for the mentioned man. Her innocent and inexperienced nature was evident in her demeanor.
Her blue, doe-like eyes held a sense of wonder, like a young soul encountering the world for the first time — her soft features adding to her aura of naivety.
Bing Shi covered her monkey mouth, looking up at her husband.
Ru Quan gave Linda a slight nod, "Long time no see," he said, acknowledging their shared past. He subtly shifted his stance, draping an arm around Shina’s shoulders. His touch was casual, yet it spoke volumes of his claim, "This is my wife, the one I spoke to you before."
Everyone’s eyes moved between Leon, Shina, and Linda. The pieces of the puzzle seemed mismatched, and no one could comprehend why Leon would choose Shina over Linda.
(Alphas didn’t usually look at the omega’s status or wealth. Looks were more important as it was a sign of good genes.)
The unspoken accusation became clear — to them, Shina appeared to be the homewrecker who had torn apart a seemingly perfect match — not that they cared, of course. Well, Shina was a mix of Alpha now, so who knew, her genes might be even more superior now.
Bing Shi waved cutely at Linda, "Hi, Linda! My name is Shina! How did you end up here?"
Linda’s eyes flickered towards Leon, and a mix of emotions played on her face, "I..." she stuttered, "I was looking for you," she finally managed to say.
Bing Shi pointed at herself, "Me?"
"Yes..." Linda nodded innocently, stealing glances at the monkey mask, "I wanted to...to see what type of women sir Russel liked."
Bing Shi opened her mouth in realization, "Looks like you didn’t miss out on much. I can see Leon’s taste in women hasn’t improved much since you first met him."
Her comment elicited a few chuckles from the group. Linda’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and Leon could only muster a sheepish grin in response.
"I’m going to grab my pillow," said Douglas, "This feels like it is going to be a long day."
Henry and Alain followed lead since Douglas’s instincts were always spot on.
Shina stopped everyone in their tracks, "Help Juliet carry her stuff first. We are leaving right after. Liam, don’t forget to take Linda with you, now."
Liam flashed before Linda, throwing her over his shoulder, he swiftly dashed outside.
’That’s literally the worst person she could have assigned that job,’ thought Victor. Liam wasn’t the most reliable alpha when it came to being around other omegas, and Shina just gave them a chance to be together alone.
"Douglas, go with Leon and Victor to have a look around the mansion and keep an eye out for anything valuable. Be sure to stay together," Bing Shi stared at Juliet’s grandpa, "I’m going to keep a close watch over Grandpa here."
Juliet’s grandfather’s eyes widened in surprise as he witnessed everyone naturally follow Shina’s instructions without question, catching him off guard.
The subtle nods of approval, the immediate execution of her instructions, and the quiet respect with which everyone treated her were unmistakable signs of her authority.
His sense of hierarchy had always been clear-cut. In his eyes, individuals like Liam and Victor exuded dominance and leadership, fitting the archetype of alphas in every sense. He heard a lot about Shina Night, and he couldn’t fathom why they would listen to someone he considered inferior in terms of power and status.
His body tensed, wanting to voice his disbelief, perhaps even challenge the situation, but his limbs felt unresponsive and his voice simply wouldn’t emerge — it was as though an invisible force had pressed a mute button.
· · ────────── · ⊱❈⊰· ────────── · ·
The trio of men, Douglas, Leon, and Victor, ventured through the dimly lit corridors of the grand mansion, trying to solve Shina’s cryptic instructions to search for anything valuable.
Douglas looked at the portraits on the walls and touched a statue here and there, "There is nothing valuable."
The trio soon found themselves face-to-face with Henry and the girls. They were carrying various pieces of equipment they had gathered from Juliet’s study room. However, Juliet herself was nowhere to be seen.
"Where’s Juliet?" Douglas asked.
Henry exchanged glances with the girls before responding, "She was here a moment ago, but then she disappeared."
Douglas scratched his head, "Wait, guys," he said, "What if the valuable thing Bing Shi mentioned is Juliet herself?"
Henry nodded in agreement with Douglas’s observation.
"Let’s go," Leon said firmly, "There must be a reason why she wants to leave so fast."
They quickly explored various rooms and finally stumbled upon Juliet.
Standing by one of the walls, her expression was intent and focused. Her fingers gently traced the surface of the wall as if she were trying to decipher a hidden message.
Intrigued, Douglas approached her, "Are you looking for something?" he asked.
Juliet turned to face them, her eyes shining with a mixture of reluctance before she sighed, "I have a feeling there might be a secret chamber or passage behind this wall," she replied, "There must be some hidden clues, I just know it."
Victor placed his hand on the wall. As he did so, a soft glow emanated from his palm and an array of symbols on the wall began to shimmer with newfound life. The wall began to crumble, revealing a long dark path.
The air was heavy with a suffocating sense of despair. At the end of the path was a small room and there were several figures huddled together, their faces pale and haunted.
Juliet opened her eyes wide, "Mom...?" The emotions in the room were raw and overwhelming, and no words could describe the pain and anguish that filled her heart.
They bore some scars of torment, with some missing fingers, teeth, or eyes and visible signs of mistreatment.
Douglas, Leon, and Victor’s frowns deepened as the reality of the situation sank in. From Juliet’s reaction, it must have been her mother and siblings. The people before them were held hostage by her own grandfather to control and blackmail Juliet.
In the dimly lit chamber, the atmosphere turned even heavier when Juliet’s mother bore the weight of resentment and bitterness as she spoke with callous disregard.
"If it weren’t for you," her mother spat out bitterly as she cradled what seemed to be the remains of a dead child, "We could have lived a peaceful life."
Juliet nodded and checked for any life-threatening injuries, despite the hurtful rejection, "Where is Father?"
"Possibly there," said Douglas when her mother became unresponsive, pointing at the man without a presence, shackled to a corner of the room, "There is not much left of him."
