"What an unpleasant surprise, Madam Dorve." Madam Lombardi said.

Slim appearance, fancy attire, and loud makeup, Lily Lombardi's presence is something that cannot go unnoticed.

"You should fix your habits, Lily. Why didn't you knock?" Regina said.

"Why didn't you inform me before coming here? Anyway, I will fix that bad habit of mine only after you tell me about the hot news," Lily said.

Lily winked at Regina and stared in curiosity. 

Regina was confused.

"What hot news?" Regina said.

"Ohh! Come on! The passionate love story of the Duke and The Duchess became news in the 'Noble Affairs' section of the newspaper you are holding. It says you are expecting a child."

"What!" Regina said.

One can find all kinds of gossip and rumors about the Nobles and Royalty in this section. Regina rushed and flipped over a few pages until she found the article.

"The reason why Crown Prince doesn't marry" took about half a page, and to the bottom-right corner of the page, she saw her passport-size picture.

Regina read the heading for the article "Duke Dorve bought baby shoes. The heir to Northern Duchy is on the way." She kept reading. The paragraph wrote about their public display of affection over the years and how the Duke showers her with love and care like a "Dream Husband." The fact that he entered a store that sells baby shoes. He took forty minutes to exit the store. He had a parcel in his hand when he stepped out of the store. The article was exhaustive, with unnecessary details and speculations about Regina being pregnant. 

What was he doing in the baby store? Regina was in deep thought.

"At this rate, you will be on the front page if you birth a child," Lily said.

She passed a playful smile.

Regina blushed. A child? A child who has his eyes. Her eyes twinkled. Her expressions were a reflection of her thoughts. She was flushed.

Lily leaned towards Regina and stared at her. Giggles and blushed cheeks, Lily was in the mood to tease Regina.

"I pray for your child to be healthy and beautiful like you," Lily said.

Regina was shy. She swallowed a big gulp silently and took a deep breath, followed by a loud exhale. Avoiding Lily's face, she looked away from Lily and said.

"Why don't you stop wasting my time and tell me where Mariana is."

Regina's motive behind the unnoticed visit to Lombardi was to know more about her best friend's whereabouts.

"Huh! You are a buzz killer!" 

Pouting and arms folded. Lily walked away from Regina and sat on the sofa right in front of the couch on which Regina was. 

"To answer your question, I am afraid I cannot let you know. I have strict instructions not to disclose Lady Mariana's plans until she tells you by herself." Lily said.

Regina knew dealing with Madam Lombardi won't be easy, a loyal ally to Countess Mariana Maybern.

"She wrote me a letter saying she has a lead, and I can trust you for more information." Regina lied. She was right about receiving a letter from Mariana, but she lied about Mariana asking her to get information from Lily. [Refer to Chapter 7]

Lily straightened her back and smirked.

"I beg to differ, Duchess Dorve. The letter I received from Lady Maybern had clear instructions about not sharing any information about her whereabouts with the Duchess."

"Mariana! Why do you have to be stubborn?" Regina thought.

Regina knows Mariana could go to any lengths to find the truth. It could get dangerous for her if things were left as it was. Regina had to find out about Mariana's intentions no matter what!

Regina's body language changed. She placed her fist under her chin, intimidating Lily. With a sharp look in her eyes, she spoke.

"You know, I have been wondering, how about I change the interior of this building and make it a residential building? People will be willing to pay a high price for a house in this prime location. Don't you think so?" Regina said.

Lily's smiling face turned pale.

"Are you threatening me?"

"I am just speaking my mind. Did it look like a threat to you?"

The tension between the two increased.

A year ago, when Lady Maybern introduced Madam Lombardi to Regina, Regina openly discussed her intentions and her mission to find the culprit behind her family's destruction. To make communication between Regina and Lily fast and convenient, Regina helped Lily open her boutique in the Capital City of North. Lily moved to the North temporarily. Unbeknown to the two, Regina and Lily, the same boutique became the most valuable asset to Lombardi. The boutique became famous among Northern Nobles. It's always busy with customers. All profits go to Madam Lombardi after deducting the rent of the building. The rent goes to the owner of the building, and Madam Lombardi refused the very person. The owner of the building is none other than Duchess Dorve.

Lily smirked and said.

"It's not that. I was surprised by your lack of knowledge in the real estate business. If you convert this commercial building into a residential one, you shall bear a hefty cost. Furthermore, the value of the residential building in this area won't even match the rent I pay you annually."

Regina knew it was a lost cause from the beginning. She wanted to try anyway. It was evident where Lily's loyalty lies. Madam Lombardi resembles Malvin, totally devoted to their masters. 

"How can Mariana get such a loyal ally? Isn't she lucky?"

Regina sighed and spoke.

"At the least, you can tell me about the information Mr. August suppose to bring to me."

"This is what I have been waiting to ask you, Regina," Lily said.

Both stared at each other for a minute in astonishment.

"You haven't heard from Mr. August yet?" Lily said.

Mr. August entered the Northern territory days ago. His priority was to meet the Duchess and deliver the documents from Mariana.

"Mr. August sent me a letter when he arrived in North four days ago. He should have handed over the documents to you by now." Lily said.

Regina paused. She recalled her being busy with the Duke for three days. What if Mr. August tried to contact her at that time? No! Stella would have informed her about any visitors who came to meet her. Does that mean he didn't come to Evermount estate in the past four days? Where is he? What is taking him so much time?

Regina's mind was all over the place. She felt horror down her spine. She had a bad feeling about this.

"No, He didn't, and I feel something gone wrong," Regina said.