Alexander I let out a sigh of relief as Sarah finally answered my call. "Hello, my handsome brother," her voice slurred through the line.I rolled my eyes. I'd been waiting for what felt like an eternity for her to pick up, and now I was met with her drunk chatter."I've called more than a hundred times, Sarah.""Really? Why, Alexander? Do you want to join my party?" Sarah's voice was laced with a playful giggle. "We are short of strippers. I mean, I have no interest in seeing your body... eww... but my friends seem to think that you're hot and sexy."I placed my hand on my forehead, shaking it in dismay. How was I supposed to have a serious conversation with my drunk sister? "No, I don't want to strip or be a stripper in your party. I called you for something more important.""You want to be among my bridesmaids?" she asked.I tried to steer the conversation back on track, but Sarah's drunken haze seemed to warp her understanding. I sighed inwardly. "No, Sarah. Do you remember wh
AlexanderI burst into the room, my heart racing. "Fuck man, we have to get out of here now!" I exclaimed.Charlie looked up at me, his eyes filled with concern. "What happened?" he asked, struggling against the restraints that bound him to the chair.I scanned the room frantically, searching for an alternate escape route. "Is there another way out of this house? A back door, maybe?"Charlie shook his head. "Dude, I've been tied up for days. I don't even know where we are.""Fuck, fuck." I muttered a string of curses under my breath, pacing back and forth across the room. We had to get out, and fast."Your 'get- me- out-of- here' plan not working, huh?" he quipped, a small smile played on his face.I halted my frantic pacing, my eyes locking onto Charlie's grinning face. Irritation simmered beneath my surface."Wipe that fucking grin off your face, Charlie," I growled. "This isn't a joke. There's a man at the door, and I think he's here to take you out. If we don't get out of here no
Amelia "Does Alexander plan on missing his sister's wedding?" Victoria whispered in my ear, her voice tight with concern.I shook my head quickly. "No, he said he would be here."Her brow furrowed as she glanced at the door, then back at me. "Then where is he? The ceremony has already started. He's supposed to walk Sarah down the aisle. Have you called him?"I felt a pang of unease in my chest. No, I hadn’t called him. But I should have."I forgot my phone in the car," I muttered."Please, find a way to reach him. If he doesn’t get here soon, his grandfather will have to take his place. We can’t keep waiting for him.""Alright." "Alright," I replied, though a knot tightened in my stomach.Alexander was never late. He should’ve been here by now. What if something had happened to him?I pushed the thought aside, trying to shake off the rising unease. With a shaky breath, I pulled my key from my pocket to unlock the car but froze when I saw a strange man in black jeans and a leather
Alexander Sarah’s voice was thick with confusion as she stood beside Henry. “Alexander, Charlie. What’s going on?” she asked, her eyes darting between the two of us.Henry shot me a glare, his annoyance practically radiating off him.I didn’t give a damn. That bastard needed to feel my anger.I turned to the man standing beside them—his priestly robes suddenly irritating me more than they should. “Get out of here, priest,” I said, gesturing sharply toward the door.Without waiting to see if he obeyed, I turned to the rest of the room. “You can all leave now. Apologies for the inconvenience, and thank you for coming.” My voice was tight, barely polite.Sarah’s eyes flared with anger. “What the hell, Alexander? What are you doing?”I met her furious gaze without flinching. “Trust me, Sarah. You don’t want them here for this.”Her expression hardened, and her voice rose in defiance. “Maybe you’re the one who shouldn’t be here,” she snapped. “You kept everyone waiting, and now you show u
Alexander “Have you found him?” I snapped into the phone, pacing the room as my PI droned on.“No, but I’m doing everything—”“Fuck!” I cut him off sharply, the word tearing out of me before I could stop it. “Don’t call me again unless you’ve found him. Do you understand?”“Yes, sir,” he muttered and the line went dead.I stared at the phone in my hand, my frustration boiling over. “How hard is it to find one damn person?” I growled, hurling the phone against the wall. I couldn’t believe that bastard was still out there. After the disaster at the wedding, I’d insisted that Sarah and my mom stay at my mansion. There was no way I was leaving them alone, not with the risk hanging over all of us.The door to my study swung open suddenly, breaking my train of thought. My head snapped up. “Amelia,” I breathed out.“Are you okay?” she asked as she stepped into the room, her eyes scanning me. “I heard you yelling.”“Yeah. The PI I hired still hasn’t found Henry. I was yelling at him.” I mu
Henry I glanced up from the stack of papers on my workbench when the sound of footsteps reached my ears. There he was, my father, strolling into my sanctuary like he owned the place. He pulled out a wooden chair and sat down, making himself comfortable.My relationship with my father was… complicated. He and I didn't always see eye to eye on a lot of things but I still loved him. He was the only family I had left. And family is important. At least that’s what people always said, right?“So, this is where you’ve been hiding. In your man cave,” he said, his tone as casual as ever.“Dad, what are you doing here?” I asked. “Didn’t I tell you to leave the country?”His jaw tightened. “Why should I leave for him? He’s the one who should be running, not me. I’m not afraid of him.”I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I never said you were, Dad. But Alex is probably out there looking for me right now. You shouldn’t have come. You might’ve led him here without realizing it.”I crossed
Amelia Ella gestured toward the security guards stationed inside the house, her frustration written all over her face. “When do you think this will end?” she asked, her tone heavy with exasperation.I shook my head. “I don’t know.”“God, I just want this to be over,” she groaned. “I’m so sick of them following me everywhere. I even had to skip a party because I didn’t want to feel embarrassed.”I raised an eyebrow. “I thought having bodyguards was supposed to make you look cool.”She let out a sharp laugh, the kind that carried more annoyance than amusement. “Cool? Are you serious? It’s a party, not a red carpet event. The guards would just scare everyone off, keep them from even getting close to me. How am I supposed to meet anyone like that? How am I supposed to find the perfect guy? I just want to get laid, for God’s sake.”“I’m sorry, Ella. Alexander just wants us to be safe. Henry is still out there and—”She cut me off, throwing her hands up. “I know, I know! But I don’t think
Selene “Hey, girl,” I said, standing up and rushing to hug Sarah as soon as she walked in. I wrapped my arms tightly around her. “I’m so sorry for what happened.”“It’s okay, Selene. It wasn’t your fault. You saw the signs and tried to warn me. I just wasn’t paying attention.”I pulled back slightly, holding her by the shoulders. “I knew that son of a bitch was up to something,” I muttered.She sighed and moved past me to sit on the couch. “I wish I wasn’t so blinded by love.”“Has he been found?” I asked, walking over to sit beside her. “Do they know where he is?”Sarah shook her head. “I don’t know. Alexander has people looking for him.”“So, they don’t know where he is,” I said flatly.“Yeah,” she confirmed. “All I know is that he’s out there somewhere, and I just hope Alexander’s people find him.”“What…” I hesitated for a moment, then asked. “what will Alex do to him when he finds him?”“I don’t know. But you know how Alexander is. Whatever he has planned for Henry won’t be good
Selene “Hey, girl,” I said, standing up and rushing to hug Sarah as soon as she walked in. I wrapped my arms tightly around her. “I’m so sorry for what happened.”“It’s okay, Selene. It wasn’t your fault. You saw the signs and tried to warn me. I just wasn’t paying attention.”I pulled back slightly, holding her by the shoulders. “I knew that son of a bitch was up to something,” I muttered.She sighed and moved past me to sit on the couch. “I wish I wasn’t so blinded by love.”“Has he been found?” I asked, walking over to sit beside her. “Do they know where he is?”Sarah shook her head. “I don’t know. Alexander has people looking for him.”“So, they don’t know where he is,” I said flatly.“Yeah,” she confirmed. “All I know is that he’s out there somewhere, and I just hope Alexander’s people find him.”“What…” I hesitated for a moment, then asked. “what will Alex do to him when he finds him?”“I don’t know. But you know how Alexander is. Whatever he has planned for Henry won’t be good
Amelia Ella gestured toward the security guards stationed inside the house, her frustration written all over her face. “When do you think this will end?” she asked, her tone heavy with exasperation.I shook my head. “I don’t know.”“God, I just want this to be over,” she groaned. “I’m so sick of them following me everywhere. I even had to skip a party because I didn’t want to feel embarrassed.”I raised an eyebrow. “I thought having bodyguards was supposed to make you look cool.”She let out a sharp laugh, the kind that carried more annoyance than amusement. “Cool? Are you serious? It’s a party, not a red carpet event. The guards would just scare everyone off, keep them from even getting close to me. How am I supposed to meet anyone like that? How am I supposed to find the perfect guy? I just want to get laid, for God’s sake.”“I’m sorry, Ella. Alexander just wants us to be safe. Henry is still out there and—”She cut me off, throwing her hands up. “I know, I know! But I don’t think
Henry I glanced up from the stack of papers on my workbench when the sound of footsteps reached my ears. There he was, my father, strolling into my sanctuary like he owned the place. He pulled out a wooden chair and sat down, making himself comfortable.My relationship with my father was… complicated. He and I didn't always see eye to eye on a lot of things but I still loved him. He was the only family I had left. And family is important. At least that’s what people always said, right?“So, this is where you’ve been hiding. In your man cave,” he said, his tone as casual as ever.“Dad, what are you doing here?” I asked. “Didn’t I tell you to leave the country?”His jaw tightened. “Why should I leave for him? He’s the one who should be running, not me. I’m not afraid of him.”I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I never said you were, Dad. But Alex is probably out there looking for me right now. You shouldn’t have come. You might’ve led him here without realizing it.”I crossed
Alexander “Have you found him?” I snapped into the phone, pacing the room as my PI droned on.“No, but I’m doing everything—”“Fuck!” I cut him off sharply, the word tearing out of me before I could stop it. “Don’t call me again unless you’ve found him. Do you understand?”“Yes, sir,” he muttered and the line went dead.I stared at the phone in my hand, my frustration boiling over. “How hard is it to find one damn person?” I growled, hurling the phone against the wall. I couldn’t believe that bastard was still out there. After the disaster at the wedding, I’d insisted that Sarah and my mom stay at my mansion. There was no way I was leaving them alone, not with the risk hanging over all of us.The door to my study swung open suddenly, breaking my train of thought. My head snapped up. “Amelia,” I breathed out.“Are you okay?” she asked as she stepped into the room, her eyes scanning me. “I heard you yelling.”“Yeah. The PI I hired still hasn’t found Henry. I was yelling at him.” I mu
Alexander Sarah’s voice was thick with confusion as she stood beside Henry. “Alexander, Charlie. What’s going on?” she asked, her eyes darting between the two of us.Henry shot me a glare, his annoyance practically radiating off him.I didn’t give a damn. That bastard needed to feel my anger.I turned to the man standing beside them—his priestly robes suddenly irritating me more than they should. “Get out of here, priest,” I said, gesturing sharply toward the door.Without waiting to see if he obeyed, I turned to the rest of the room. “You can all leave now. Apologies for the inconvenience, and thank you for coming.” My voice was tight, barely polite.Sarah’s eyes flared with anger. “What the hell, Alexander? What are you doing?”I met her furious gaze without flinching. “Trust me, Sarah. You don’t want them here for this.”Her expression hardened, and her voice rose in defiance. “Maybe you’re the one who shouldn’t be here,” she snapped. “You kept everyone waiting, and now you show u
Amelia "Does Alexander plan on missing his sister's wedding?" Victoria whispered in my ear, her voice tight with concern.I shook my head quickly. "No, he said he would be here."Her brow furrowed as she glanced at the door, then back at me. "Then where is he? The ceremony has already started. He's supposed to walk Sarah down the aisle. Have you called him?"I felt a pang of unease in my chest. No, I hadn’t called him. But I should have."I forgot my phone in the car," I muttered."Please, find a way to reach him. If he doesn’t get here soon, his grandfather will have to take his place. We can’t keep waiting for him.""Alright." "Alright," I replied, though a knot tightened in my stomach.Alexander was never late. He should’ve been here by now. What if something had happened to him?I pushed the thought aside, trying to shake off the rising unease. With a shaky breath, I pulled my key from my pocket to unlock the car but froze when I saw a strange man in black jeans and a leather
AlexanderI burst into the room, my heart racing. "Fuck man, we have to get out of here now!" I exclaimed.Charlie looked up at me, his eyes filled with concern. "What happened?" he asked, struggling against the restraints that bound him to the chair.I scanned the room frantically, searching for an alternate escape route. "Is there another way out of this house? A back door, maybe?"Charlie shook his head. "Dude, I've been tied up for days. I don't even know where we are.""Fuck, fuck." I muttered a string of curses under my breath, pacing back and forth across the room. We had to get out, and fast."Your 'get- me- out-of- here' plan not working, huh?" he quipped, a small smile played on his face.I halted my frantic pacing, my eyes locking onto Charlie's grinning face. Irritation simmered beneath my surface."Wipe that fucking grin off your face, Charlie," I growled. "This isn't a joke. There's a man at the door, and I think he's here to take you out. If we don't get out of here no
Alexander I let out a sigh of relief as Sarah finally answered my call. "Hello, my handsome brother," her voice slurred through the line.I rolled my eyes. I'd been waiting for what felt like an eternity for her to pick up, and now I was met with her drunk chatter."I've called more than a hundred times, Sarah.""Really? Why, Alexander? Do you want to join my party?" Sarah's voice was laced with a playful giggle. "We are short of strippers. I mean, I have no interest in seeing your body... eww... but my friends seem to think that you're hot and sexy."I placed my hand on my forehead, shaking it in dismay. How was I supposed to have a serious conversation with my drunk sister? "No, I don't want to strip or be a stripper in your party. I called you for something more important.""You want to be among my bridesmaids?" she asked.I tried to steer the conversation back on track, but Sarah's drunken haze seemed to warp her understanding. I sighed inwardly. "No, Sarah. Do you remember wh
Alexander I steered my car out of the driveway, my phone pressed to my ear. "Hey, James, I need Mr. Thompson's address," I said, my voice clear and urgent.There was a brief pause before James responded, "Henry Thompson?""No, James. I don't mean Henry. I want the home address of Mr Thompson. Henry's father." I clarified."Oh, I don't have it but I could make a few calls." "Hurry up with the calls, I'm driving without a destination," I said navigating through the quiet street."Alright. Hold on." James instructed softly, placing me on hold.I drummed my fingers impatiently on the steering wheel, waiting for James to return with the information.I wasn't ashamed to admit that I was paranoid. I had to make sure my unsettling thoughts were at ease.My thoughts shifted to Amelia and a smile spread across my face. The look on her face when she asked If I was going to lock someone up. I couldn't tell her where I was going. She would have reminded me of how paranoid I was."Sir?" James' vo