Chapter 23: The reveal (2)
The women watching lost their breaths for a moment. They almost swooned at the gorgeous sight in front of them'Was that...was that a smile? How could it be so enchanting?'
As for Queen, she froze as well. She certainly wasn't expecting that. While his smile was beautiful, at the moment it wasn't enough to take her focus away from the boxes in his hand.
Her breath hitched up in anticipation as she waited for him to choose the box. He chose box number 5 and inserted the key into the keyhole.
He twitched the lock open once.
The box did not open.
"Master Quince, you chose the wrong number." Queen said with a smile on her face.
"Not at all." Quince denied what she said. He then proceeded to unlock box number 5 once more.
'Ping' the sound of the lock tilted as it popped opened. The box opened up with ease to reveal another key hidden in it.
Before Quince could use that key to open number 2, Queen stopped him.
"Master Quince." She said, "Do tell me how you figured it out."
"It was quite simple. You said the clues have been given away, and the only time you did that was when you explained the proceedings." Quince said plainly.
Queen nodded in appreciation. Her cat was really clever. It was actually pretty simple. Her precise words were,'The evidence you seek is hidden in one of the numbers in your hand. This key will open only one number. If you open the wrong number, and you use the same key to open the other one, both numbers would be locked up permanently.'
She said if he used the key to open the wrong number and he used the same key to open the other one, both numbers would be locked up permanently. Hence he used the key to open the same number twice. That was the key to opening the box.
Meaning the key could actually open both boxes but you just had to use it twice. 'If he had opened the other box, he would immediately get the treasure' Queen couldn't help clicking her tongue in annoyance at that. He still chose the wrong number in the end.
'Oh well, I'll just teach him about my preferences later on.' She thought.
He opened the other box and he took the treasure out. It was a plain silver ring for men with a small diamond embedded.
Quince pulled the ring out as he gazed at it. He flipped the ring on his palm to see the words hidden underneath.
'Queen Rosalia Vancroft'
Quince eyes sparkled as soon as he saw those words. Vancroft. Now he knew who she was. The Vancrofts were on an equal standing as the Esplanadas. While his family ruled the hotels market, hers dominated the food and beverages.
As a matter of fact, all the De Roi Hotels' food and beverages were supplied by the Vancrofts family. They have been business partners with very good relationship over many years.
Quince now understood why she said her name was on the guests' list. She was actually the only VVIP here. There were a few VIPS around but there was only one VVIP. The food and beverages on this cruise were supplied by her family as well.
With how big their business is, it's not surprising for her to be aware of poisons. After all, the Vancrofts were always striving to create new menus and adventurous ways of eating. It's no doubt that the sole heir of that empire would be taught about everything there was.
"Everyone." Quince suddenly said as he suddenly pulled Queen closer and wrapped an arm around her waist. "It is my 25th birthday tonight. My fiancée here planned this lovely surprise for me. Please join us as we celebrate this day."
The crowd cheered at the prospect of another celebration. They were all looking at the couple and giving them their congratulations. The music started up again and the crowd kept themselves busy once more.
Quince took this chance to grab Queen and sneak out of the party. He certainly had things to discuss with her.
"Damn can you walk slower?" Queen protested as she was being dragged by Quince. Just because he had longer legs didn't mean he had to use them so efficiently!
"Miss Vancroft, I don't think it's your turn to speak." Quince said coldly.
"How rude Master Quince! I'm merely asking you to slow down." Queen said with her usual wide smile. Not that he could see it at the moment.
Within a few minutes they were both standing in front of a room beyond the VVIP section.
Quince unlocked the door before walking in confidently. As soon as he closed the door, he released his hold on Queen.
"Where's this?" Queen asked curiously. It was obvious they were in some sort of office due to the files and documents in the room. Not to mention the conspicuous mahogany brown table with a leather chair behind it.
Quince walked over to sit behind the table. He sat there, exuding confidence. She was in his domain now and she knew that he knew it.
'But' Queen mused, 'When have I ever been afraid of this little cat?' With that thought in mind, she strolled confidently to the chair in front of his table. Quince narrowed his eyes at her behavior but did nothing to stop her.
She sat down elegantly and bestowed him her sweetest smile before saying, "What would you like to discuss my dear fiancé?"
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