The abrupt arrival and swift departure of Mr. Darcy left an air of foreboding that clung to Elizabeth like a second skin. The lingering pain in her body and the cold band around her neck were stark reminders that she was indeed found by Mr. Darcy. The fearful life she had been leading for the past five years had reached a tipping point.
No matter how Mr. Darcy chose to retaliate, she was determined to protect Lily at all costs. The next morning, as she watched her child wake up and go about her day as if nothing had happened, Elizabeth felt a small measure of relief.
She continued with her routine, taking Lily to kindergarten as usual. However, as she turned to leave, she was intercepted by two men who brought her to a luxurious club. The vast room was dotted with clusters of people, among whom Mr. Darcy was also present, and Elizabeth could hardly breathe.
There were a few familiar faces in the crowd, those she had "worked" with in the past. Facing her former "comrades," they naturally wore expressions void of any warmth.
"Look who we have here," a man with a mocking tone said, his eyes filled with both glee and disgust.
"Long time no see," a woman in a white dress, Isabella Thorpe, smiled warmly, though her address was laced with malice, "Officer Bennet."
The sound of those two words caused a ripple of mocking laughter to spread throughout the room.
"I resigned a long time ago," Elizabeth replied, her gaze lowered.
Isabella Thorpe, as charming as ever, had been her rival in the past. Now, it seemed she had Wish Come True in being with Mr. Darcy.
"Today, weve brought this woman here to give an account to the brothers," Mr. Darcys cold gaze swept over the scarf around Elizabeths neck,Look at her eyes as if she were a mere insect, "kneel down and apologize."
Those who followed Mr. Darcy knew that he would not let the matter rest; this was merely the beginning, but it was titillating enough.
Elizabeth, her heart trembling, forced herself not to look at the remote control that Mr. Darcy was toying with. She shook her head resolutely, her eyes filled with defiance.
"No, I havent done anything wrong."
In the next instant, Elizabeths body stiffened and collapsed to the ground as her heart rate erratic, her vision darkening, and a buzzing filling her ears.
She was prepared for this, but this time it was unbearably agonizing.
Mr. Darcy had increased the voltage...
The buzzing passed, and the ridicule around her reached her ears, "Officer Bennet has survived for five years; thats quite a feat. Your bones are still so unyielding. What was the name of that officer who was with you back then? He died in such a..."
Painful memories came rushing back, and Elizabeth clenched her fists. Although she had resigned, her blood still ran with the fire of her duty, making it hard for her to remain indifferent.
"Mr. Darcy!" the room fell silent.
Mr. Darcys lips curled into a slight smile, thinking that Elizabeth was about to give in.
"If time could turn back, I would make the same choice. My stance towards you will never change."
Elizabeth remembered her duty; even though she had hesitated and wandered, she ultimately chose justice.
But she was ashamed of her hesitation and wandering, and thus submitted her resignation to her superior.
Mr. Darcy would never know that she would wait for him, no matter how long the wait would be...
Waiting for him to stand together in the sunlight.
Each word of Elizabeth was like an awl, piercing the softest spot in Mr. Darcys heart.
Mr. Darcy would never admit that it was Elizabeth who had any effect on him; everything stemmed from his resentment towards the betrayer!
"Since she refuses to admit her mistake, how should you account for this? You decide," Mr. Darcy sneered, his tense body betraying his anger.
The crowds excitement grew, with various Novelty punishments being bandied about.
Elizabeths face was wooden, while Mr. Darcy frowned, seemingly not hearing anything satisfactory.
"Brother Darcy, Id like Officer Bennet to accompany me in some uniform play~" a man winked, making no effort to hide his vulgarity.
The brothers jeered, "Truly fearless, you dare to want this woman..."
The man looked straight at Mr. Darcy, "Ill take Brother Darcys cast-off shoes; its up to Brother Darcy to give or not."
"Uniform play? That sounds interesting," Mr. Darcy was actually a bit interested and ordered it to be done.
Soon, two sets of clothes were placed in front of Elizabeth. One was the familiar uniform, and the other was a flimsy nightgown of thin gauze.
Mr. Darcy leaned against the sofa, his posture casual as he spoke so coldly—
"Wear the uniform to apologize or wear the lingerie to entertain clients, choose one."