Chapter 132 - Finding Stacey

Victoria woke up at seven in the morning and just noticed Stacey's message. She quickly went to Stacey's room and checked the room and found no one. Her biological mother smiled at her while she's pushing the dining cart. 

"Good morning, dear." 

"Mom." She smiled and hugged her. "I'm looking for Stacey. Did she come home?" 

"No, dear." She shook her head. "I thought that she's with Maverick." 

Victoria was a little bit puzzled. She brushed it off and called Maverick. His phone was ringing and after a few moments, a Butler came running. 

"Milady, Duke Maverick is here." 

Victoria quickly rushed to her bedroom and put her thick robe on. She washed her face quickly and gargle some mouthwash. Her husband just woke up and stretched his body. 

"Love," he called. 

"Mave is here." She said and rushed downstairs using her slippers. Maverick smiled while he's holding flowers and gifts. 

"Looking good," Victoria said and looked around. "Is that for Harriet?" 

"No." He shook his head. "It's for Stacey." 

Victoria was confused for a moment. 

"What do you mean? Stacey isn't with you?" 

"She was with me so I made it here quickly to visit her. She left without any words." 

Victoria frowned and she crossed her arms. 

"Are you supposed to protect her?" 

Maverick froze as his gifts dropped. 

"Stacey isn't home and how did she get past your guards?" 

He quickly pulled out his phone and mumbled. His hands started shaking and Victoria was also puzzled. She thought that Maverick would come back with Stacey. 

"Where's Stacey?" She asked again. "Don't tell me that she's not with you all this time?" She crossed her arms. "Then, where is she?" 

Butler Paul came and whispered to Maverick. He quickly left while Victoria was screaming at him. 

"Victoria!" Vivien reached her and hugged her. "We will find her." 

Victoria's mind had lots of unnecessary things. She's too worried about Stacey after she found out that she didn't make it back home. 

<><><><> 

Four Hours Ago

She was just passing by the hotel at three when she saw Stacey enter the cab. She knew that at that time, Stacey must have left Duke Maverick alone in the hotel room. 

"Follow them." She told her driver as the driver turned around the car. She was focused on looking out at the cab. But there's another car in front of them. She knew at that moment that there's something wrong. She opened her windshield a little and took out a device and threw it. She quickly took out her phone to control it. Then, it stuck to the car in front of them where they used to take Stacey away.

"Madam, that's Lady Stacey." The driver said. He quickly adjusted the car back when one of the men noticed the car. "I'm sorry, Milady." The driver said and drove backward so fast. The van quickly left. 

She took out her computer and started checking for all of the CCTV cameras in the whole city of Marduque. She also kept the tracker to make sure that Stacey will be safe wherever they are taking her. Her driver went a different route and at the same time, changed the plate number and color of the car with just a few buttons. She then continued facilitating their routes and if she lost them, she still had the tracker on them. 

"Madam, should we call Duke Maverick?" 

"No. I saw her and will take care of it right away." 

They entered a tunnel and somehow, the car stopped there. When they reached the car, it was already abandoned and she cursed. 

"How about Lady Stacey's phone?" 

"It's also in the same location." She said, "Drive forward." She ordered and continued typing on her keyboard. 

She breathed and relaxed a bit. 

"There's another van." She mumbled. "This is the only van so far that would exit from the tunnel in the said time." She opened the window shield and released the small magnetic tracker. "Drive past them." She said as he stepped on the accelerator and drove past the van as she threw it to them. Even the glass was heavily tinted. She gives instruction further. 

The driver was accurate with the instructions as they turned off the car lights and the car turned black and they stopped under the tree. It takes twenty seconds when the van passes by. She exhaled slowly and thought that they are going far from Marduque where there will be a place that doesn't have cameras. 

"Let's go home." She lacks resources and connections now. 

The driver drove fast back to the manor. She quickly went to her basement and sat on her computer. 

"Empress, use a satellite to find this car." She told the AI as she crossed her legs and swiped the photo that she took. The van was black to red. It was seen through the small camera on her tracking device. "Find out who they are. I want to know the people behind this." 

"As you wish, Milady." 

She sighed and watched as the database worked as it scanned through the conversations of people. Then, a photo of Maverick and Lady Eloiza. Then, the video played in the garden of Grand Pavilion Residence. Stacey approached Maverick and they hugged and kissed. Maverick was extra careful of her and just a few meters away from them is Lady Eloiza watching them in anger. 

Then, inside the party, she seemed to speak to her father as they had a private moment. But never did they know that they were near the camera that had audio. The Royal Empire also set up high-quality cameras in the Grand Pavilion with the consent of the Marquess. It was for the protection of the Royal family. They spotted a few assassins and even messed up on the Marchioness's tea. 

She inhaled and exhaled slowly as she removed her fancy hat and clenched her fist. 

"Madam," Her Butler Reinheart arrived and extended her tea. "Butler Paul called. Lord Maverick requested for rings just last night for Lady Stacey." 

She bit her lip and there's a possibility that Maverick is sealing it because he thought that Stacey could get pregnant. 

"We will protect the bloodline. It means that Stacey is part of it." 

"Yes, Milady." 

"Kennedy and Belmont. The usual." She smirked. "They already lay a hand on her by taking her away. It means that twenty folds are not enough." 

"I understand, Milady."

Butler Reinheart wasn't just her Butler but also her driver. He's the most reliable person that she could lean on. Even from the start of the project, he protects her. 

"Location, Barton Warehouse." The Empress (AI) said. 

She sighed and closed her eyes and she sipped on her tea. 

"You don't have any sleep, Madam." 

"We don't have time. Stacey might already have the heir or heiress of Edward's family." 

"Yes, Madam. I'll assemble one of our best agents." 

"Please do." 

"CCTV, located." Empress continued with scanning as she typed fast on the keyboard. 

She shook her head as there's a car waiting. Then, a woman came out wearing fancy clothes. 

"Fuck." She mumbled and sipped on her tea. "How long is the agent?" She asked Butler Reinheart. 

"Thirty minutes." 

"I want a few more to assemble. Right now." She demanded. 

<><><><> 

Stacey was groggy as she felt someone slapped her hard on both cheeks and cold water was poured to her. She shuddered and looked up at the people around her but the first face that caught her was a woman standing a few meters from her wearing a tailored dress and coat. She's wearing a fancy hat and an amulet. She recognized her right away. Lady Eloiza Kennedy from the party flirted with Maverick. 

She tried to move but there were thick robes on her arms and legs. 

"Well, well, well." She crossed her arms. "Who dared to flirt with Duke Maverick?" 

Stacey scoffed. 

"So, you are the spoiled brat that Mavey complained about." 

Eloiza's nostrils flared in anger and she slapped her face and scratched her cheek. 

"Don't you dare talk to a noble like that!" 

The man beside her scolded her. Slowly, she felt both of her cheeks stinging but the left one was stingier and painful because of her scratching. She glared at the bitch but she's scared like a bitch. She never had encountered such a thing in her life and she wished that she never left Maverick's side. This is one reason why Maverick stays away from her. 

Eloiza reached her hands and admired them. 

"You have beautiful nails. Take out her pinky nail on the left first. I want to see it clearly and might put it in my collection." 

Panic was in her eyes as she started shaking. She clenched her fist and growled at Eloiza. 

"I'm not kidding." Eloiza laughed hysterically as her men approached with the tools. 

"No!" She screamed while shaking her head frustratingly. "I already stay away from him." Tears kept rolling down her cheeks. "I left him. Okay… please no…" She begged. 

"That's for acting like a bitch." Eloiza scooped her face. "You fucked him. Did you?" Eloiza's cold stare was like the eyes of a devil. 

"Let me go!" 

"Rape her many times. Use her as you like and~~make sure that her ovary is ruined after that. I don't want her to use the future kid as Maverick's." 

"No!" She kept screaming and screaming and the man came to remove the nail on her pinky. 

They forced her clenched fist to open and she watched as they took out a pulling tool and ripped the nail from her finger. She screamed in excruciating pain and felt nauseous because of it. She coughed and coughed as the pain just won't stop. Her left pinky finger kept bleeding. They wrapped it with a towel as her nail was put on a jewelry box. 

Eloiza's obsession with nails can be seen in her eyes, like a sick person.. She likes nails with blood still on it.