"What are you up to, Mandy?" Ace asked, his voice barely audible over the cart's hum and the rustling pine needles. Mandy focused on the winding road ahead, leaning back with a knowing smirk.
Ace wanted her to take him to Janice's, but Mandy's silence gnawed at him. She hadn't forgotten the morning's incident, and her quiet demeanor was far from her usual bubbly self. She was the biggest unknown in his plan.
Emi had assured him that his proficiency in the Curse Concealing Art met the minimum standard, meaning his identity as a Cursemaster would remain hidden unless he used curse energy. As long as he avoided using curse energy around Delores, his secret was safe thanks to his passive curse concealment. Except for Mandy, he had everything else under control.
"Where did you find the ring box?" Mandy's sudden question startled Ace. He collected himself. "Outside the resort, a few yards into the woods."
"Was Rose with you?" she asked. Ace feigned confusion. "Rose? Who's Rose? I was alone."
"Ace, stop pretending. I heard you last night," Mandy said. "Come clean, and I might help."
Ace sighed. "Fine. When I'm ready, I'll tell you everything."
"Fair enough," Mandy replied, surprising him. A breeze tousled her hair as she steered the cart effortlessly, her relaxed demeanor captivating. Ace thought, 'So cool.'
Sensing his gaze, Mandy smiled. "I was a teenager once too. Just make smart choices."
"Thanks for understanding," Ace said, relieved.
As they neared Janice's villa, Mandy suddenly asked, "So, you're not sharing anything with a cool, considerate aunt?"
"Like what?" Ace asked, wary.
"You and Rose—how did you meet? How long has this been going on?"
Ace frowned. "Didn't I say I'd tell you when I'm ready? Was all that 'cool aunt' stuff just an act? Why can't you let it go?"
Mandy's eyes sparkled mischievously, but she let it go—for now. She signaled the guards and drove through the grand gates. As they neared the villa, Delores and Janice came into view, jogging.
"Isn't it a bit early for a jog?" Mandy teased, steering toward them.
"Mandy, I'm dying here. Just get me to my room," Janice gasped, flushed and panting. Mandy and Ace exchanged concerned glances, wondering how far they had run. Yet, Ace's eyes couldn't help but linger on their tight athletic attire—sports bras and Lululemon yoga pants stretched to max trying to cover their ample curves . A smirk tugged at his lips, emboldened by the Curse Concealment Art.
"Like what you see, Ace?" Janice teased, catching his gaze. Delores, unfazed, jogged ahead. "Focus, Janice. Just a few yards more."
"Mandy, go on. I'll catch up," Janice said, her attention on the path.
Arriving at the villa, Mandy hurried inside to grab towels and prepare protein shakes. When Janice and Delores finally arrived, she handed each of them a towel. As the two women wiped the sweat from their necks, Ace couldn't help but stare, his gaze lingering a moment too long.
Feeling a pang of shame, Ace resolved to train himself with some adult playtime with Emi and Dame Wasp as soon as possible. After all, that was why he was here. Janice's DNA was the key ingredient to making that happen.
Though Janice's villa was grand, it seemed devoid of servants, yet immaculately clean. Ace suspected Janice and Delores maintained it themselves using their curse abilities. Given their status, one would expect multiple curse slaves at their beck and call, but he had never seen any during his visits. This led him to believe that dealing with Janice, despite the risks, might be feasible. After all, he had to do it for Dame Wasp's sake.
Taking the protein shake from Mandy, Janice asked, "Since you came without me begging, I'm guessing you have some work for me. What is it?"
"By 'me,' you mean 'me,' right? Mandy, What is it this time?" Delores added, irritation evident, though she didn't refuse.
"It's not work. Girls, it's a treasure. Come on, Ace, show them," Mandy said, gesturing toward Ace, who handed her the petrified ring box.
"Whoa, it looks like a wooden ring box. Haven't seen one of these in ages. Ahem, I remember seeing one with my great-grandma," Delores said, adding fake details. Ace knew better. She was over 170 years old—her "great-grandma" was herself. Her youthful, alluring appearance belied the truth.
"Ace found it by the lakeshore in the past hour and I brought him straight here," Mandy explained. "We were hoping you could get a few experts to open it and estimate the value." She handed the box to Janice. Without warning, Janice snapped the petrified box in two, revealing a large, vivid yellow diamond embedded inside one of the halves.
"What the hell, Janice?" Mandy shrieked, her shock briefly outweighing her anger. But as she stared at the dazzling gem, her awe replaced her fury. "It's beautiful—and huge!" she whispered in wonder.
"A 21-carat, fancy vivid yellow, flawless, round-cut diamond ring. That's Duke Lambert III's lost ring," Delores exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief. She couldn't fathom how someone like Ace had stumbled upon such a infamous lost ring when many failed.
Mandy, oblivious to the diamond's historical significance, snatched the half containing the gem. Her eyes sparkled as she turned it in her hands, fingers tracing its contours. "What Duke Lambert? Ace found it; it's his," she declared with a sense of ownership.
"It has a $10 million finder's fee," Janice added, hoping to dissuade Mandy from any ideas about keeping the ring, knowing the trouble it carried.
"I think it'll fetch more at auction," Mandy retorted, still entranced by the diamond.
"No auction house will touch it, and no buyer will risk it," Delores said coldly. "At best, they'll pretend to agree, then sell your information to the Duke's house for the finder's fee." Her tone dripped with disdain, knowing Mandy's mortal mind couldn't grasp the true danger involved.
Mandy ignored Delores's warning and tried to pry the ring from the petrified box's half to slip it on. Meanwhile, Ace panicked, watching his plan unravel at the last moment. According to Dame Wasp, the ring would fetch $7 million at auction at best, but now he had learned it carried a $10 million finder's fee. He instinctively wanted to contact Dame Wasp to ask who Duke Lambert III was and why Janice and Delores seemed to fear him—but he forced himself to stay calm.