Chapter 135 - Panic

Victoria quickly rushed to see how Stacey behaved. She's pushing and kept screaming as Butler Reinheart approached her and told Maverick to stay away. However, she approached Stacey and scooped her face. She noticed a scratch and both of her cheeks were swollen. Stacey breathed heavily and clutched Victoria's arms. 

"Vi…" Her voice was shaking and her eyes were terrified. 

"Shh, I'm here now." Victoria tried hard not to cry but her tears already rolled down to her cheeks. 

"I don't want to die." Stacey gently pushed Victoria. "Don't let them kill my baby, okay?" She looked desperate, frustrated, and not in her right mind. She started hiccuping and Butler Reinheart reached her pulse and pressed something as she slowly calmed down. 

Victoria wiped Stacey's tears and kissed her forehead. Stacey holds Victoria's hand tightly. 

"I'll take her to her room. You can come, Duchess Victoria." 

Victoria nodded as the Butler pushed the wheelchair while she's holding Stacey's hand. They passed by a woman in the shadow and Victoria bowed her head as the woman curtsied. Then, Butler Reinheart takes them to what seemed to be a master's bedroom. Then, Butler Reinheart helped her to her bed. Stacey seemed to struggle with sitting or standing. 

"What happened to her?" Victoria asked the Butler as she sat beside Stacey who clung to her like she's afraid that she might not see her again. 

"She's been punched many times in her abdomen. Flogged on her legs. Slapped and punched… and…" The Butler paused.

Victoria already noticed the bandage on her pinky finger and it seemed like she couldn't move it. 

"And this?" she asked as Stacey kept biting her nails on her other hand. 

Butler Reinheart bowed his head. Victoria already guessed about what happened but she had imagined the worst. She exhaled slowly and hugged Stacey. 

"Do you need anything, your grace?" 

"How about breakfast?" She asked. "Did she already have it?" 

"We tried to feed her." The man said softly. 

"Uhm, please prepare something. Like soup? I'll try to feed her." 

The Butler nodded and he left quietly. 

Victoria's heart ached more as she gently pulled Stacey's fingers from her mouth. She caressed her hair and kissed her temple. 

"Hey, babe. What happened?" Victoria asked. She noticed that Stacey's eyes were wide and probably dilated. "Babe," She called again. 

"Maverick's lover… I already stay away from him." Her eyes started becoming cloudy. "I don't want them to rape me or… or ruin my… my uterus… my baby might not be able to form. I~~I won't show up to him… just please, don't let them hurt me." 

Victoria never felt so angry and so in pain in her life. She loved Stacey so much and hearing what she had gone through made her so in pain. 

<><><> 

This is the first time that Kenzo saw Maverick in a lot of shocks. It's not just shocking, but he's in distress. He approached Maverick who was sitting on the floor of the balcony and pulled him up. He looked lifeless. Like all of the energy from him has been sucked until he is drained. Kenzo smacked his chest. 

"She's alive," Kenzo said. "You should be grateful at least. Her trauma can be healed anytime and she could go back to her old self although the memories will stay still inside her head." 

Maverick let out a sigh and reached his chest. 

"I~~I had seen how she suffered although it was a glimpse." 

"Uhuh," Kenzo bounced his head. "My wife is as mad as you. I think you shouldn't see her when she's awake. I also set up a psychiatrist for her, if you don't mind." 

"As long as Stacey is safe…" He bowed his head. "Then, I have to meet the Empress." 

Kenzo holds his arm. 

"You have to be ready no matter what, Mave. You are also going to ruin your family." 

"Belmont is not my family." He said strongly. "I may have their blood, but they are not my family." 

"Hmm," Kenzo watched as Maverick went upstairs and demanded gently to ask about the owner of the house, but shortly Butler Reinheart faced him. 

Kenzo watched how desperate Maverick was to find out about the Empress. He sighed in frustration and climbed up to reach Maverick and calm him down. He had lots of things to do and Maverick had to participate. He then smacked Maverick's chest and threw his arms around him. 

"Okay, let's stop bugging everyone here. Stacey is safe here and she's with Victoria. Why won't you visit your lover?" 

He creased his brows. 

"Stacey?" 

"No, dummy. The girl that you are dating from the party." 

"I am not dating her." He growled and Kenzo raised his hands. 

"Alright, chill. I got you there. But at least, you have to visit her?" Kenzo suggested. 

"Fuck," Maverick sighed in frustration. He doesn't know if he could handle any anger right now. He didn't know how to handle anything after seeing Stacey. 

"Here I thought that seeing Stacey would make you feel better." Kenzo sighed and shrugged. "Do you want me to take this case or what?" 

Kenzo waited for his answer. He knew that Maverick wanted to handle this case and so, this time is the right time to move. There might be someone who already tells the Kennedy to leave but he got it undercover. Maverick exhaled and signed Butler Paul. 

"Butler Paul, ready anything and hit me if I go berserk." 

"Yes, sir." Butler Paul who looked frail still walks briskly with Maverick without panting. 

Kenzo smiled watching Maverick walk through the door. 

"He's a little naive." A woman approached him and she crossed her arms. Kenzo faced her as he bowed. 

"Your highness." 

"I am not a highness, Duke Kenzo." 

"You are." He smiled as he reached her hand and kissed it. "So, let's go back to business?" 

"Of course, let's go to the Empress." 

The woman led her to a few doors and a few secret secured doors until it's in the basement. He looked at the big screens and doors probably for the supercomputers or known to be servers. Then, there are expensive cars that were customized and he noticed new technology that she's building. The woman gestured to the swivel chair next to another swivel chair that was customized to look like a royal red throne. 

He sat down as she started operating it and showed him the full video on how they hurt Stacey starting from when the Agent came. Hearing Stacey's suffering from her screaming, and begging made his heart clenched and his hands cold. He clenched his fist to calm himself and the crazy noblewoman who scolded them on what to do made him more agitated. 

"Unfortunately, my wife can't see this." 

"She won't." The mysterious woman said. "Now, let's see how Maverick does." 

"I'm sure that he's pretty mad." 

<><><><> 

Maverick drove his sports car fast and he was even escorted by a few police to clear up the way. Also, his computer gave him ways where there was no traffic and so he could drive freely in his sports car. He doesn't care but he's angry. But there's Butler Paul who started telling him about reputation and that Lady Stacey didn't want him to hurt anyone. 

"I already had a few samples for the wedding. Lady Stacey might like it simple or glamorous. So, I set up plans for both. Also, the honeymoon was on a private island of Edward~~" 

"Woah," Maverick glanced at him. "Really?" 

"Yes," Butler Paul smiled at him. "You'll have a week off from stress.

"Just a week?" He creased his brows, unsatisfied. 

"Two weeks then." 

He sighed and shook his head. 

"I'll plan better." 

He never thought that they had already reached the Kennedy house; they already opened the gate for him. It wasn't trespassing. They already have a warrant of arrest and search warrant for the family. When Maverick reached the house, they were relieved that it was him. They thought that since they were family, Maverick would save them. But instead, his bodyguards surrounded him in U shape while he's in the middle. 

"Mave," Eloiza called in teary eyes. The narcissistic woman made his blood rush up to his head. The time that she flung her hand to his arms, his bodyguards surrounded them with their backs on Maverick. Then, Maverick pushed him and Butler Paul raised his hand and slapped Eloiza on her left cheek. Paul's hand came back to slap the other cheek. 

They were shocked and Count Kennedy quickly pushed the bulky bodyguards but they were hard and they didn't even step back a bit. 

"What are you doing?!" Count Kennedy exclaimed. "How dare you hit my daughter!" His wife started screaming and then, they gave way and Butler Paul stood by Eloiza's left, lifting her wrist. 

"Where's the nail?" Maverick asked coldly. "You dare touch my Duchess, you even hurt her."

Everyone was shocked. 

"Yes, say her name," Maverick mumbled as Butler Paul twisted Eloiza's arm to her back and she screamed in pain. 

"Daddy! It hurts." 

Count Kennedy was shaking a little bit. 

"Say the name of the girl you took!"

"Stacey Tanner!" Count Kennedy exclaimed as he raised his hand. He was in pain seeing her daughter in pain from the assault and Butler Paul let her arm go. 

Eloiza glared at the old man and was about to attack him but Butler Paul was fast as he caught her wrist and some vital nerves that made her lose her energy and almost paralyze. 

"No!" Count Kennedy begged. 

"Where's the nail?" Maverick asked. "Where's the nail that your daughter took from my Duchess?" 

They looked at each other in horror.