Chapter 119: Missing Lucy

119.  Missing Lucy

Aurther entered his house after a long absence, his mind weighed down by worries about the election and Eirene. Habitually, he removed his coat and extended his hand to pass it over, but no one was there to take it.

For years, it had been second nature to hand his coat to his wife, Caser, who never failed to greet him at the doorstep. His tired eyes scanned the room, and after a moment, a servant, noticing his extended hand, hurried over to take the coat.

He was home after more than a month, yet for the first time, Caser was not there to welcome him. In the early days of their marriage, she would smile brightly and bombard him with questions:

"Have you eaten?"

"How was your day?"

"Did something happen?"

But over time, her smile faded, the questions ceased, not because she gave up, but because he never responded. Yet, she had never stopped welcoming him.

As he stepped further inside, his gaze landed on her. Caser sat elegantly on the sofa, poised as ever. Time had not dulled her grace; she still carried herself with the same dignity. She cast him a fleeting glance, not even offering a greeting, before resuming her discussion with her assistant, sorting through a pile of documents.

Aurther ignored them and headed straight to the bedroom.

After a bath, he emerged to find Caser sitting on the bed, a few papers in her hand. She looked at him briefly before extending them toward him.

Aurther wiped his hands on the towel draped around his waist before taking the papers. His expression darkened the moment he registered what they were, and in a burst of temper, he threw them to the floor.

"What the hell do you mean?"

He demanded.

"Divorce papers. I want to separate from you."

Caser’s voice was calm, unfazed by his rage. After decades of marriage, she was used to his temper.

"Stop talking nonsense,"

He dismissed her outright, snatching his clothes and hastily getting dressed.

She watched him, a small smile forming on her lips, one that never reached her eyes.

"You always paint me as the villain,"

 she said quietly.

"First, you didn’t want to marry me, and now you refuse to divorce me. What else do you want from me?"

Though framed as a question, she already knew the answer.

“That should be my line, first you forced me into marriage and now you are forcing the divorce”

Aurther replied his movements quickened as he buttoned his shirt, but Caser’s next words made him pause.

"Did I really force you? Didn’t you just want power and wealth more than love?"

Her question struck a nerve; one he had buried for years. He didn’t respond, but the brief hesitation was enough for Caser to understand.

Not wanting to drag the conversation further, she returned to her original point.

"I’ll have to take this to court if you refuse to settle it peacefully."

Aurther didn’t acknowledge her, merely heading for the door.

"Mellisa."

His steps faltered just for a moment.

"She’s getting bailed today."

She hadn’t expected a reaction, but the way he walked away, completely unbothered, still managed to wound her.

As Aurther disappeared through the doorway, Caser’s eyes welled up. She had dedicated her entire life to this man, from her teenage years to now. Everything, her love, her sacrifices, even the questionable things she had done had all been for him. She had spent decades trying to capture his heart.

Is love something that can ever be forced?

Silently, she wiped her tears before they could fall. Picking up the discarded papers, she signed them without hesitation.

Then, without looking back, she left for forever.

Unaware of Caser’s departure, Aurther shut himself in his study. He sprawled on the single couch, eyes closed, dismissing Caser’s words as nothing more than a tantrum.

His phone rang, the same old model. The caller was an unknown number.

“We’ve taken the girl, but another boy is clinging to her. What should we do?”

A voice on the other end asked.

“Take both of them to the designated place.”

Aurther ordered without hesitation. His expression shifted, the weight of his wife and daughter forgotten in an instant. A wicked smile curled on his lips, like a man who had finally won the lottery after countless failed attempts.

On the other hand, Samuel arrived at Lucy’s kindergarten, which his men had thoroughly searched. The teachers, staff, and students had all been questioned about her disappearance. He deployed his men across the city, even pulling back those assigned to station the goods, ensuring every possible route was checked.

After overhearing last night’s conversation, Samuel hadn’t dared to face Lucy. He had left early for the office, and Eirene had also departed for an executive meeting, leaving Lucy under the care of bodyguards and servants. It was a routine occurrence once a week, but now, he deeply regretted it.

As soon as he stepped out of the car, he landed a punch straight into Robin’s gut.

“You had just one job, bastard!”

Robin clutched his stomach, clearly in pain, but still managed to speak.

“I saw her enter the school gates. Our men were stationed at every entrance… no one saw her leaving the premis—”

Before he could finish, Samuel struck him again, fueled by frustration rather than reason.

“Samuel, the CCTV footage is ready,”

Victor announced. Without another word, both men rushed inside to check.

“Who’s that boy?”

The footage showed Lucy willingly walking away with a boy, but only his back profile was captured.

“He’s not one of our students. We don’t have any boys that tall,”

the teacher informed them.

Samuel immediately issued an order to search for the boy using whatever little information they had.

Just then, Eirene stormed in with the bodyguards, her face pale with worry.

“Where is Lucy?”

she demanded, her voice trembling.

Samuel met her gaze, his own anxiety evident, but before he could speak, Victor stepped in.

“Eirene, you need to calm down. We’re doing everything we can to find Miss Lucy.”

But Eirene wasn’t listening. She pushed past Victor and grabbed Samuel by the collar, her eyes burning with desperation.

“Are they connected to you? Did your people kidnap my baby?”

Samuel exhaled sharply, gently removing her hands from his shirt. His mind was a mess, but he forced himself to speak calmly.

“I don’t think it’s someone from my side. If it were, I would have received a threat by now.”

“Then who?”

Eirene asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Before Samuel could respond, Victor’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen before turning to Samuel.

“Samuel, it’s Sia. She says it’s urgent.”

Victor put the call on speaker.

“Sir, it’s about the box you asked me to unlock. It’s done, and—”

Samuel cut her off, his patience already razor thin.

“Sia, this isn’t the time, stupid woman.”

“No, sir! It’s related. Please check the picture I’m sending.”

The moment the images appeared on the screen, both Victor and Samuel froze. A sharp silence filled the room as they processed what they were seeing. It was completely unexpected.

Eirene, still trembling with anxiety, stepped closer.

“What is it?” she demanded.