Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
Without solid proof and a court-ordered search warrant, they couldn’t simply barge into a suspect’s home, no matter how suspicious the circumstances. Not to mention the savage Aurora, where nobles had the right to kill anyone who entered their property, a law that gave them complete protection and control.
If they attempted to breach Davey’s villa, a deadly shootout was all but certain, and the consequences would be dire and unpredictable.
Davey’s strength was a force to be reckoned with, backed by a formidable army of highly trained and fiercely loyal elite soldiers who would stop at nothing to carry out his orders.
In Aurora, firearms and ammunition were unrestricted, and the nobles’ arsenals rivaled those of a police station.
Fighting Aurora’s nobles with guns was a losing battle, and a dangerous one at that. It would be nothing short of suicide.
After careful deliberation, they concluded that cunning and cleverness were their only weapons. They needed to devise a clever ruse to entice Davey away from his villa, and then exploit the opportunity to slip in unnoticed, conducting a stealthy search for clues while Davey was absent.
However, this plan was equally precarious. Davey’s acceptance of the invitation was far from guaranteed, and even if he did take the bait, the loyal guards stationed at his villa would pose a formidable obstacle.
Moreover, Erick’s current physical state was too frail to permit him to engage in such strenuous activities, rendering him temporarily incapable of taking action.
Audrey and Erick were forced to put their plans on hold, but this was only a temporary setback. When Landen discovered this, he felt utterly powerless and frustrated, unable to do anything to assist.
Landen had been wanting to rescue Casey, but his own fragile health, worn down by years of illness and reliance on medication and supplements, had left him weak, a constant reminder that he was no longer capable of saving her.
The Aurora’s entry rules for outsiders were very strict. Only a few people might be allowed in, but a large group would almost certainly be rejected.
But then, a name came to Landen’s mind, someone who might be willing to help.
Landen told Audrey and Erick to find Hector, who had a lot of connections from his years abroad. If it was about saving Casey, Hector would probably be eager to lend a hand.
Audrey was unaware of the intricate web of relationships between her mother and these men, and the complex history that bound them together.
Given Casey’s captivating charm and grace, it was only natural that she drew attention from many admirers.
Audrey inherited Casey’s beauty, but sometimes felt it was more of a burden than a gift. Casey’s life served as a vivid illustration of this very principle! They remained unsure about her location and circumstances.
By the time they reached out to Hector, he had already arrived in Aurora, having traveled at the quickest pace possible. His extensive international network and considerable influence effortlessly navigated the complex entry protocols, facilitating a seamless arrival.
By the next morning, Hector had already arrived at the Clifford family’s manor, surprising Audrey with his quick arrival. Stefan was absent, nearly exposing their fake newlywed cover.
Luckily, Hector’s focus was on the situation with Casey, and he didn’t question why Audrey and Stefan weren’t sharing a room as a newlywed couple, sparing them from an awkward explanation.
Once Erick had shared all the clues about Casey’s whereabouts, Hector vanished into thin air.
Three days passed before Hector reappeared. He reunited with Erick and the others, announcing, “I’ve scouted out that villa, and everything Looks good. Davey appears to be the only occupant, with no evidence of a woman’s presence or belongings.”
Erick and Audrey were left speechless, their faces frozen in shock and disbelief. This seemed unlikely. If someone had really been there, wouldn’t there be some clues, some hints, something at all?
Hector’s brow furrowed in concern. “Has anyone seen or heard from Casey…”
Hector coughed, attempting to cover up his mistake. “I mean, has anyone seen or heard from Mrs. Foster lately?”
Erick shook his head. “No, no one has seen or heard from her.”
Their investigation so far had been largely speculative, relying heavily on a single lead, Jimena’s purchase of medicine. They hadn’t found anyone who had set eyes on Casey yet.
This meant they still hadn’t received any definitive proof of Casey being alive or not, leaving her status as unknown.
As a result, the investigation had hit a dead end once again, with no new leads or progress in sight.
Davey’s manor was a peculiar and potentially dangerous place, and just because Hector’s initial investigation went undetected didn’t mean he could enter and exit Davey’s household at will without consequences.
Just then, Hector’s phone rang. It was Cornell calling from Ardlens.
He put the phone on speaker and said, “Hello.”
Cornell, aware of Hector’s ongoing investigation into Casey’s disappearance, shared a crucial piece of information that could help crack the case. “I’ve got something important to share with you Davey’s house has a massive secret underground basement.”
Audrey’s thoughts were suddenly jolted when she heard Cornell’s voice, leaving her feeling momentarily dazed and disoriented. So, he had been secretly digging into this case all along, without anyone knowing?
Hector revealed that the drunken vagrant who had previously snooped around Davey’s house was actually part of a plan orchestrated by Cornell himself.
Undeterred by the initial failure, Cornell persisted and arranged for another covert operation, sneaking the drunken vagrant into Davey’s house for a second attempt, and uncovered the shocking fact that the underground basement was being systematically filled with soil.
The motive behind Davey’s clandestine efforts to fill the basement was crystal clear. He must have had something to conceal, and with the overseas basement already demolished, the ones in Aurora were his last secret strongholds.
But the exact location of the basement Davey contained Casey remained a mystery.
Just when all hope seemed lost, Audrey’s receiver started blinking.
She cried out in excitement, and all heads turned her way.
They saw her grasping a tiny, button-sized device. It glowed with an urgent Light.
Overcome with emotion, Audrey’s voice trembled as she exclaimed, “It’s mom!”
Audrey had carefully sewn a button-sized tracker into the swallow design on the distributed gifts earlier. Each of the swallow pattern held one.
To ensure it wouldn’t be triggered accidentally, she employed a complex cross-stitching method that only Casey, with her specialized embroidery skills, could undo.
Despite the gunshot wound in his shoulder, Erick seized the notebook and, within five seconds, cracked the satellite tracking on the locator.
It pinpointed the Location of one of Davey’s manors.
This meant Davey had likely hidden Casey in his underground basement.
Their next step was to uncover the mechanism for basement access.
Hector quickly devised a strategy to revisit Davey’s manor.
However, on the operation day, Hector’s entry was thwarted when he discovered that Davey had brought in expert royal tomb craftsmen from Aurora to install a dangerous “quicksand fire” system throughout the premises.
This system could engulf the entire villa in flammable quicksand at the touch of a button.
Davey had effectively transformed his manor into a mausoleum. His actions were beyond comprehension.
Hector hesitated, recognizing the grave risks to anyone attempting entry and Casey, who Davey had stashed in the basement.
Davey’s extreme measures shocked everyone. Who would rig their home with such lethal traps? What could drive someone to these drastic measures?
Consequently, their plan to rescue Casey had to be delayed.
Hector sought advice from many seasoned craftsmen to decode the quicksand fire system, hoping to identify a flaw.
After days of investigation, they concluded there were no weaknesses.
The only option was to draw Davey out and search his house during his absence.
But Davey had rejected all reasons to leave his home in recent days.
This left everyone feeling anxious and uncertain about the next steps.
Audrey had been on edge for several days due to the situation.
Noticing her distress, Stefan suggested they go out for dinner at a restaurant, considering Erick needed some rest as well.
Although not particularly excited, Audrey felt compelled to accept, acknowledging Stefan’s continuous support, especially with the challenges involving her mother.
Today coincided with the Shaman Festival in Aurora, a celebration of a shaman woman and a commoner man who overcame obstacles to fall in love and bless their community.
The festival had turned into a local version of Valentine’s Day, attracting both single and married individuals out for romantic evenings.
Stefan had chosen this day for their outing, hoping the unique festival activities would cheer Audrey up.
The festive decorations along the streets briefly distracted Audrey from her concerns.
As they navigated the bustling crowds, Stefan was vigilant. He held Audrey’s hand tightly and used his other hand to shield her from bumping into people.
At one moment, Audrey thought she spotted a familiar figure on a shop’s staircase. Upon a closer inspection, though, the man shared only a resemblance in height with Cornell.
Audrey dismissed it as a mistake. Cornell was still in rehabilitation, far from able to come here. Logically, he still needed a month more of recovery, and would need to avoid strenuous activities for several more months.
“What were you looking at?” Stefan inquired, noticing her fixed gaze.
Audrey shook her head. “Nothing,” she replied. She couldn’t explain why she had mistaken someone else for Cornell, nor did she want to linger on the thought.
With recent troubles concerning her mother, Audrey realized it had been a while since she last thought about Cornell. Perhaps that was a good sign.
She was experiencing the subtle sensation of slowly forgetting someone. This gradual disappearance wasn’t painful but caused an occasional twinge in her heart, like when she glimpsed a figure on the street that reminded her of him.
By the time they reached the restaurant, Audrey had begun to sweat slightly.
Stefan considerately offered her a napkin to dab her forehead before they sat down at a table overflowing with seafood dishes.
Stefan knew Audrey adored seafood, and Aurora offered a plethora of choices. However, due to her pregnancy, Audrey had become more selective with her diet.