Page 77 of Alone with the Beastly Duke
“How do you plan on paying Lime, the gaming hell owner?” he asked. “You know that a criminal like him will not stop until he gets his money back. The next time, he may not send petty criminals like the ones he sent to abduct Jasmine.”
William looked crestfallen, and he did not say a word for a while.
“I... I will find a way,” he uttered, and Axel suspected that it was more to himself than to Axel. “I have to find a way.”
“William,” Axel said, placing a hand on his shoulder, “I know how hard it is to be the heir. You are always under constant pressure, and you always feel the need to be perfect.”
William nodded.
“I also know how easy it is to slip down the hole of gambling, drinking, and living a reckless life. I can tell you, however, that it is simply not worth it,” Axel related.
“I regret ever getting involved in this. By the time I realized what I was doing, I was far gone and knee-deep in debt,” William explained, “If I ever found a way to resolve this, I would never get involved with that crowd again. I could have lost my sister.”
“William, I will pay off your debt,” Axel announced.
William stared at Axel, too shocked to say anything.
“I…cannot possibly accept this, Your Grace,” Williams said, still in shock.
“You are a young man, Williams,” Axel said, “a debt like that would simply ruin you. Let me handle this.”
There was a moment of silence.
“I cannot believe this!” he finally said. “Thank you so much, Your Grace. I promise, I will never get involved in things like this ever again.”
“If I catch a whiff of you going back to that lifestyle, I will have no choice but to tell your parents what you have done,” Axel warned.
“I would never go back to that life again,” William announced.
“Here you are, Your Grace,” a voice said, and they turned around.
It was Daphne.
“The constables are here, and Papa said you should be there to hear what they have to say,” she informed him.
With that, William and Axel returned to the house.
* * *
“The constables just left,” Jasmine’s father announced as they went back to the room, “they wanted you to be there when they gave the report.”
“I took a quick walk with William,” Axel replied.
“They said the abductors would be sent to prison tomorrow,” the Earl said.
“That is good news,” Axel replied. “Did they mention why they did it?”
The Earl shrugged. “They said they tried earlier to break into the house but were unsuccessful. They said some other criminal hired them to kidnap Jasmine. However, if you ask me, I would say they are simply lying in order to reduce their punishment.”
Axel nodded. “I agree,” he said. “I would like to leave for home now.”
“Of course,” the Earl agreed, “and I have to say, again, thank you for saving Jasmine. I would be eternally grateful.”
“Papa, I would like to discuss an important matter with His Grace,” Jasmine said.
The Earl looked like he disagreed, but he finally brightened up.
“I would normally not agree to this, but since the Duke has proven himself time and time again, I will permit you to take a walk with His Grace,” the Earl said, beaming. “But you shall have Rose as your chaperone.”
