“Shut it!” Before Daphne could continue her inflammatory harangue, Portia slammed the table and lashed out at her.
Daphne jumped at her sudden reaction and feigned a frightened tone. “Aunt Portia, I’m sorry, please don’t be mad. I just feel everything is so unfair for you. I really don’t see why Uncle Stephen is so defensive of that woman and her kids. You deserve so much better…” Her voice trailed off softly as a subtle smirk played across her serpentine lips.
Although Daphne did not know why her uncle would go to great lengths to defend them, still, she managed to take advantage of the situation and provoked Portia.
Stephen and Portia’s relationship were not close, to begin with. Although he had been respectful in all ways, there was no affection in their marriage life.
Now that he was giving her the cold shoulder all over again, it sure reminded the duchess of the time he fell in love with someone else years back.
A vortex of bottomless sadness and hatred spiraled in Portia’s eyes as she recalled what happened a long, long time ago.
There was this one woman in Stephen’s life that had always been a threat to her.
Back then, if Stephen and her parents had not done everything they could to stop Stephen, that woman would have well been the duchess by now.
Although so many years had passed since then, what happened remained traumatizing to her—and she would never allow what almost happened twenty years ago to happen again.
Thinking of it, the duchess gestured a servant to come over. “Make sure you keep an eye on Sir Musgrave. Report to me immediately if you find out anything,” she ordered.
“Yes, Lady Musgrave,” the servant replied.
Daphne lowered her face and shadow covered her face. Now that Aunt Portia is finally taking action, Nicole and the children will be out of the house in no time.
But who cares about them? Hector is the only person I want by my side.
She shifted her scheming gaze and looked at the duchess. “Aunt Portia, who’s in charge of the new bodyguard?”
“Why? Did he offend you by chance?” Portia asked.
“Not really. I think they’ve been doing a pretty good job,” she replied.
Portia widened her eyes as she heard her answer. It was surprising that Daphne would actually compliment the bodyguards.
“Jacob is in charge of the bodyguards,” Portia told her.
That means I can get all the information I need about Hector from Jacob.
But Daphne was still trying to figure out why Hector had not come to her. It’s either he’s shy or he’s concerned about our difference in status. Well, I guess I have to be the one to take the initiative.
Daphne had pursued Levant for a good five years. Over the years, she had learned to be more proactive when it came to love. Hence, showing Hector that she loved him would not be a problem at all.
After taking leave, Daphne set out to look for Jacob to ask about Hector. But to her dismay, she did not manage to get anything about him.
“What? Are you sure you have no records of him? I’ve seen him in the estate a few times! Why not you check it again?” she questioned Jacob.
“Ms. Ankins, I have all the bodyguards’ information with me here. I’m a hundred percent sure there’s no one with the name Hector. You can take a look if you don’t believe me,” he said, handing her a pile of documents.
Daphne took it over and started poring over every single piece of information.
“I can’t believe it! He clearly told me his name is Hector!”
The butler stood silent for a moment before finally asking, “Is that his real name?”
Daphne chewed on his question and nodded slightly.
She started describing Hector’s height and facial features and asked Jacob to summon all the bodyguards that fitted her description.
But Jacob smiled helplessly and scratched his head in frustration.
“Ms. Ankins, are you really looking for a bodyguard?” he asked.
“Yeah! He was wearing a bodyguard uniform when I saw him in the estate! Don’t tell me he’s able to come in if he’s not a bodyguard. Do you think I’m lying? Or do you think I’m hallucinating?” Daphne was beginning to get testy.
Jacob fidgeted his fingers as he looked at the difficult lady before her.
Ms. Ankins had the duchess at her back. That was the only reason why he had to do as she demanded despite her outrageous request.
Jacob went out and picked five bodyguards whom he deemed as handsome and brought them back to Daphne.
“Ms. Ankins, is the man you’re looking for one of them?”
Daphne’s anticipating glance swept across the five men but her excitement quickly turned into anger.
“Are you kidding me? I asked you to look for a handsome man and this is the best you’ve got?” she berated.
Cold sweat rolled down Jacob’s back as he faced Daphne’s fury.
He had tried his best to look for the most good-looking young men among the hundreds of bodyguards he had. But it seemed to him that Daphne was not looking for a bodyguard but for Brad Pitt.
Even if it were really Brad Pitt she was looking for, there was no way he would come to the estate as a bodyguard!
