Chapter 7 — The Real Culprit

Two Hours Before the Wedding:

Everyone in the mansion, especially Lucy and Kent, was occupied with their outfit and image for the wedding. They focus on themselves even checking their son is not their priority since everything that's about Austin will be handled by Lucy's friend and now Austin's nanny Cassandra.

"Nanny, I want this pair, please!” Austin said while showing it to Cassandra.

She smiled and put on his chosen clothes for the wedding.

“Wow, Austin, it suits you well! I'm so proud of you,” she praises him while putting the tracking device under Austin's white polo shirt.

This device helps Val to locate Austin if he was outside the venue. It's easy for him to take the child without everyone notices him.

"Wait, Austin!” Cassandra said and went to the corner to answer her husband's call.

“Hello, hon, is everything okay?” she checks their plan.

"Yes, honey, smooth and clean!” he told his wife from the other line.

Cassandra set a wide smile on her face.

“Good! See you later!” she said and bid goodbye to her husband.

"Cas, is Austin's ready?” Lucy called from outside.

Cassandra was startled to hear Lucy's voice. She's glad that Lucy didn't hear her. She walked closer to the door and replied to Lucy.

“Ye-yeah, we're ready!” she said.

“Okay, we'll wait inside the car, Cas!” Lucy said and left.

Cassandra felt relieved when Lucy left.

***

Ten minutes before Austin disappear Cassandra roamed her eyes around and she saw everyone looks busy especially Austin's parents. She took Austin to the magic show where the kids of the guest are all watching and enjoying it.

"Come, this looks fun!” Cassandra said to Austin, and the kid was excited.

“Wow! This is awesome. Can I call mom and dad to watch too?” he told Cassandra, but she stops him.

"No, let them enjoy the night. Your parents are well-known business tycoons, and they have to meet investors here so we can't disturb them, okay?” Cassandra told him and he just obeyed his nanny.

While the show is about to finish, Austin asks her that he's going to pee.

“Okay, I will come with you. It's dangerous here!” she told Austin.

They walked together outside the venue. Cassandra looked around to see if someone was there. When she finally certain about the place's weak security, she took the cloth from her pocket and covered his mouth.

"Sleep, now child. Daddy is waiting for you,” she whispered in his ears until Austin falls into a deep sleep.

***

"Sir, we finally retrieved the CCTV footage, and the culprit was identified!” officer Nicholas, the IT expert police reported the good news.

Kent, Lucy, and the newlywed couple rush near the video player to see who the real culprit is in Austin's disappearance.

Detective officer Damian took the USB and inserted it into the laptop to play. The Hotel has four CCTVs outside the venue. Two CCTVs were blank and the remaining two were playing.

In the video, Austin was walking alone for five seconds going to the bathroom when they saw someone appeared in his back. It was Cassandra, their childhood nanny.

Lucy's eyes widened to see her trusted friend in the footage while putting the cloth to their son's mouth.

Lucy can't believe whom she saw. Tears started to fall down her face.

“No! This can't be happening. Cassandra took Austin? Of all people? hand she slowly kneeled when Kent supported his wife.

"Find her! Maybe she's not far yet," Damian ordered his men, and they secured the whole area of the mansion.

"Don't worry, honey, we can find our son! We can catch that crazy friend of yours. We shouldn't have let her into our lives!” Kent said.

“No, it's my fault! I trusted her so much and I even let her take our son. I let her take care of him, and I lost my duty being his mom." Lucy blamed herself.

Kent wrapped his arms around his wife to comfort her.

"Don't cry, honey. They're now searching for Cassandra. Sir, can you do a better operation? My son's abductor is now on the run! Why can't you catch her? What kind of…never mind." Kent started to become paranoid too.

Gale quickly came closer to comfort his brother too.

"Let's just relax. The police are doing their best to find her and your son," he said.

The time is two in the morning, six hours since Austin went missing.

"Did you find her?” he asked Nicholas after they arrived without Cassandra.

He shook his head as a sign of bad news. Damian took a deep breath.

“She's smart. She knew this will happen. I think someone is helping her because we found a man's watch inside her room." Nicholas raised the Rolex watch and Kent seems recognized it.

“I think, I saw it to someone. Let me think, ah, one of my dad's employees had a watch like that. I can't remember his face." Kent tried to recall it, but he had a hard time.

"Many people have the same watch," Detective Damian informed them.

"We can't suspect someone because he has the same watch as Cassandra. We must check it thoroughly, but I guess this has something to do with Austin's disappearance." The detective officer added.

Eloisa helps Lucy to relax. She brought her back to her room to get some rest.

"Don't worry, that crazy bitch will be caught soon, and I will skin her alive!” Eloisa said with her fearless face.

Lucy stayed quiet. She's been asking herself what and how everything turned out like this. What could go wrong?

***

The flashback  

“I'm glad I found someone to lean on!” Cassandra holds Lucy's hands.

Lucy smiled at her.

"I'm glad I found a good friend here,” she mumbled while her face was covered with a bruise.

They just fought with their rivals inside the cell especially Arian. She hated Lucy so much. Lucy thought she found a true friend, but the truth was, Cassandra had a motive to help her. Everything had a price. 

"Do you know that Mr. Kent Oliver Stone has a mistress? And today, she will be detained here!” Arian came closer to Cassandra who was looking at her daughter's photo. 

She heard Arian. She put back Taly's photo in her wallet. Her eyes shifted to her inmate Arian. She set a smile on her face.

“So, shall I befriend her to win her heart? Well, lying is one of my specialties, right?” she told them. 

Arian, Rica, and Cassandra stared at each other. Their gazes have a strange meaning. 

***

"Poor Lucy. She's a fool. She trusted strangers so much,” she murmured while preparing food for Austin.

Austin curled his body like a ball at the corner. She hid Austin in an old basement inside their house. 

"Nana, when are we going to see mom?” his voice was trembling. He looks scared.

She started to get angry. She tosses the stirring spoon at him. The ten-year-old started to cry out. 

Cassandra went closer and cupped Austin's face so hard. The little boy whined with pain. She burned his arms. Cassandra saw it and she quickly asked Austin for forgiveness. 

“I'm so sorry, dear. Mommy was careless. Can you be good for mommy?” she said to Austin while putting treatment at his burned skin. 

Austin was confused. 

"You're not my mom! You're crazy, nanny! I hate you!” he screamed and bite her hands. 

Cassandra whimpered in pain. Austin got up and made his way to the main door. He was glad to know that the door was open, but his face turned pale when he bumped into someone. 

Val crossed his eyebrows to see Austin at the main door. 

“What is this child doing here?” he affirmed.