The men who abducted the girls dumped the unconscious women inside the empty carriage, bound their hands and feet with a rope, and put a gag on their mouth.

Done. ​​

The carriage began moving forward, getting out of the vicinity of the Mayor's residence.

Half an hour later.

The carriage was already traveling away from the town of South Pond.

~

Back in the Masquerade Party.

Nicholas looked at his sons. "Where are they - the girls? Why until now they haven't back here at our table yet?" he asked.

"I saw them in the koi pond earlier," Cooper said, sipping on his glass of wine.

Graven rose to his feet. "I'll look for them around..." he said and left the table.

He went to the koi pond and searched for the girls. He can't find them near the area. In the next hour, he went searching for them around the party venue, and yet he still can't find them.

Did the girls exit the venue?

He went to the guardhouse. "Guard, have you seen two women wearing a red and black long gown exiting the gate?" he asked.

"No, Sir! Five carriages already left since the party began, but I haven't seen two ladies exiting the gate in barefoot," the guard responded.

"Ah, okay. If they happened to come here don't allow them to leave," he said.

"Yes, Sir!" the guard replied.

Graven was puzzled. Where the girls have gone to? Should he get worried or not yet? He should keep looking! He doesn't want to return to the table, to avoid alarming his father and brother. He also doesn't want the party to finish prematurely if he announced that the two women are missing.

Where could they be right now?

Maybe they got drunk with the wine and was dozing off somewhere?

Possible!

He looked at the sprawling mansion, what if the girls manage to enter the mansion and got lost in one of the rooms? There's no harm in trying to ask from someone in the mansion.

He went to the entrance of the mansion. There are two guards stationed outside. He went to their side. "Guard, did you see two ladies wearing a red and black long gown entering the mansion?" he inquired.

"No, Sir. The Mayor's house is not open for guests and visitors," one of the guards said.

"How about the other entrance of the mansion, are they also well guarded?"

"Yes Sir! No guest can enter the mansion without the Mayor's permission," the guard said.

"What's the problem, Sir? asked one of the guards.

"My companion, the two ladies, they're not back on our table yet, I think they're missing. I was looking for their whereabouts, but I can't find them until now. Just in case they will come this way, please tell the ladies to go back to our table," Graven said.

"Okay, Sir, noted. We will tell them if they come here..." the guards said in unison.

Graven sighed. He will keep searching and looking for them all over the venue until the party is over.

~

Inside the moving carriage.

Both the girls regained their consciousness.

Rebecca and Laura looked at each other.

Laura was shaking in fright after learning of their predicament, they were inside a moving carriage, a small lantern was hanging in the ceiling above them. Their hands were tied securely in front of them as well their feet, they have gagged on their mouth.

They were abducted!

Rebecca was also aware of their situation.

The carriage stopped for a moment in the middle of the road, out of nowhere, surrounded by towering trees on every side.

The men went to the bushes to take care take care of the call of nature.

Inside the carriage.

Rebecca peered at the hole, wanting to know the situation outside, trying to know where they are.

But she can't see anything or anyone moving... then suddenly the men merged from the bushes and walked towards the carriage.

"We need to hurry up our travel, we need to deliver the women to the area because they are a gift for our Lord tonight!" one of the men said, loud enough for the women to hear inside the carriage.

"Alright, let's resume our journey!" replied the other.

Laura kicked the door of the carriage frantically.

Rebecca was trying to stop her using her eyes...but Laura continues kicking the door wanting to escape.

"Looks like the women are already awake. Let's put them back to sleep!" one of the men said.

Suddenly, a hole was opened and smoke coming from the outside filled the inside of the carriage.

A few minutes later, the women turned silent, they lose consciousness again.

After hearing no more of the kicking from the inside of the carriage, the men resumed their journey.

~

Three hours later.

The Masquerade Party has already ended and the guest went home.

Graven, Cooper, and Nicholas finally gave up finding the ladies inside the party venue.

They were having a conversation inside the carriage, parked outside the Mayor's property.

"The ladies are missing!" Nicholas declared. Worries and fear flashed in his eyes.

"How come the ladies went missing inside the Mayor's property when there are guards everywhere?" Cooper asked in an agitated voice.

"The event was attended by more than five hundred people, there's bound to be an outsider who gets inside and mingles with the guest in the party with bad intention. I think they are specifically hunting for girls tonight," Graven explained to his companions calmly.

"What are they going to do with the girls? Of all people, why Laura and Rebecca?" asked Nicholas in outrage.

"I guess they were the ones in the right place at the wrong time," Graven took a wild guess.

"So, what's were going to do now, brother? Notify the police or the Mayor?" Cooper asked worriedly.

"Don't worry, Father, brother. My men and I will not rest until we find the girls!" he promised. "For now, just go home and wait for my good news!" he told them reassuringly.

"I trust you with this one, brother!" Cooper said.

Graven nods his head.

Nicholas looked at his son. "I hope they're not harmed by the ones who abducted them," he said, fearing for the safety of the women.

Graven patted his father's back. "I will kill anyone who will dare hurt even an inch of the women's skin! I will bring them back before the day is over," he said in a cold voice. "Go home now...and wait for my good news!" he said.

Graven left the carriage and instructed the driver to bring his father and brother home.