Alexander Two days ago“If my assets are what they want, they can have them,” I said, my voice heavy with frustration. “I won’t be able to live with myself if anything happens to Misty.”“What if they don’t release her after you give them everything?” Sarah asked, her arms crossed as she leaned against the wall.“She’s right,” Charlie added. “What if they… traffic her?”“They won’t. If I give them what they want, she’ll be fine.”“Let’s just call the cops,” Amelia said.“No cops!” I snapped. “I don’t want to upset them.”“Alex, this isn’t a movie. We can’t just keep this to ourselves and hope they don’t harm her.” Charlie added.I dragged my hands through my hair, the pressure in my chest was becoming unbearable. “Fuck!” The word exploded out of me. “I need to think.”I stormed into my study and slammed the door shut behind me. My vision blurred with anger as I stared at the cluttered desk. In a blind fury, I swept everything off it with one angry motion, sending papers, pens, and a
AMELIA FRAY“Miss Amelia, you are under arrest for fraud,” the policeman who had walked into my office, held my hands behind me and cuffed it. “You have a right to remain silent—”His words were lost on me as my eyes frantically scanned the lobby, trying to convince myself I was dreaming. My doubts vanished into thin air as the policeman nudged me forward.Beads of sweat formed across my forehead.“Sir, you have the wrong person,” I cried, trying to get the policeman to stop walking. “I've never stolen a dime before. I'm telling you, sir, there must have been a mix-up.”My pleas fell on deaf ears as he pulled me out of my office building into a patrol car, waiting at the entrance. His colleague, a fat man in his thirties sat behind the wheel.The siren went off as they rode through the morning traffic in New York City. My heart pounded heavily beside my captor. Everything felt surreal. Almost impossible.A tear slid down my face as they pulled up in front of their precinct and helped
AMELIA My jaw dropped open, for the second time. His wife? Had the ‘Mr Alexander Smith’ said what I think he said? His wife?! “I didn't… I…” I stuttered and hated myself for doing so. His presence was unnerving enough but his statement made me a blundering fool. “I mean…your wife? I've to be your wife?” “Yes, Amelia... I hope I can call you that. I need you to act as my wife, before all mankind.” Married to him? This was absurd. Today just keeps getting weirder by the minute. “I don't see how that clears my name,” I cried out. “I'm innocent. Why would nobody believe me?” “I see no other way out of your situation,” his voice grew impatient. “I have a company to govern and you or someone else has been bleeding us dry. If you are truly innocent, you'll have no reservations about staying by my side and proving your innocence.” “I've no reservation proving my innocence,” my voice cracked as the word innocence left my lips. “But I don't see the reason why I should get marr
Alexander“Drive to the Paragon Club,” I instructed Dean, my driver, as he pulled out of the curb.A quick glance at my watch informed me that I had thirty minutes to beat the traffic. I was meeting my supposed fiance and her father for a late lunch.I sat back, letting Dean weave his way around. I had an inkling what the meeting was about. It was the only appointment in my schedule for today. Until, I got a call from the police force, informing me of a possible culprit.I had inherited the Smithson & Co from my grandfather; a multimillion-dollar empire. After the death of his only son, my father, he became responsible for the welfare of my sister and me. I've been groomed since I was a baby to take his place, so when I clocked twenty-one, he handed the rein of the business to me.Five years later, he is ready to fully retire and wants everything to be in place—he wants me to settle down. Not just to any girl, but to Selene Rodriguez, the daughter of Paul Rodriguez. One of the bigges
Amelia The Chalet Hotel was like a second home to me. It was our meeting spot—Williams and I. I had suggested the place after he told me that he still lived with his grandmother. That should have been a red flag to me. A thirty-two years old man, living with his granny. Now I just found out that was a lie. What else has he been lying about? The hotel was a ten-minute drive from my apartment. I highlighted from the cab and walked into the lobby. The butler gave me a nod, acknowledging me. My frequent visits to this place have made me familiar with the staff. I walked over to the desk. “Miss Fray, good day,” the receptionist greeted with a smile. “He is waiting for you. The usual room.” I nodded my thanks and took the elevator, heading to the third floor. I didn't know what I was doing here but I knew I wanted to see him. I wanted him to look me in the face and lie to me, tell me they forced him to do it. That he isn't married. The elevator pinged, and I headed straight to
AlexanderMotherfucking Christ!I turned sharply towards the not-so-innocent girl I had chosen. Her gloomy face infuriated me the more. But I wasn't going to let her see how her words had rattled me."What did you just say?" I asked calmly. I needed to hear her say it again."I'm pregnant," Amelia repeated, her voice barely audible.I raked my fingers through my perfectly cut hair. “And you're telling me now? What happened to that knowledge when you agreed to be my wife?”"I... I was scared. I… I found out before I was arrested," she stuttered as she tried to speak.I glared at her, my mind racing with different thoughts. How do I play this to my advantage? Fuck! Fuck!! Fuck!!!Inhaling deeply, I took a menacing step towards her and she retreated in response until she was backed against the wall. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. But that wasn't going to faze me. “I… I'm sorry, Mr Smith,” she trembled lightly. Goosebumps attacked her arm and my hand subconsciously caressed it.“A
Amelia "This place is a castle," I groaned under my breath as I walked helplessly around the house. I was lost and had no idea where I was headed. Finally, a lady who seemed to be working there, dressed in a crisp black dress with a white apron and white cap walked past me.I greeted her with a friendly "Hello!" and she turned around to face me, her eyes meeting mine."I'm…uh…" I wasn't really sure what to say to her. I just stared at her feeling lost. How do I tell her I was married to Mr Smith and need to find his room? I blushed scarlet as the word married rang in my head."Do you maybe.." I started to say, but my words trailed off as the sound of approaching footsteps made me hesitate. As the footsteps drew nearer, their cologne wafted through the air, filling my nostrils. It was a familiar scent. I turned my head to look over my shoulder, my eyes locking onto the figure behind me. "Mr. Smith… Alexander," I whispered, as I took in the sight of him standing there."Go on, Isabel
Alexander "Selene, when did you arrive?" I questioned behind her, startling her. “What are you doing standing here?”"Oh, come on. Just because you have that wrench in there doesn't mean I can't go in," She pulled away from my bedroom door and sauntered towards me.I stepped out of her reach. "Your presence here is solely because of my grandfather, Selene. I trust you understand your position," I stated firmly."Where did you pick her from?” she sneered, her voice laced with malice. “Sorry let me rephrase that. Which slump did you pick her from?"I don't have to entertain her bickering with any response. I had important things to take care of. Oh, but I had time to play along, today."I believe Daniel will keep you busy enough to stay out of my business," I responded, my lips barely moving as I spoke.My words seemed to rattle her badly. She lunged at me, her fingers inches away from scratching my face. I grabbed her hands and held them down. My face gave none of my emotions away."I
Alexander Two days ago“If my assets are what they want, they can have them,” I said, my voice heavy with frustration. “I won’t be able to live with myself if anything happens to Misty.”“What if they don’t release her after you give them everything?” Sarah asked, her arms crossed as she leaned against the wall.“She’s right,” Charlie added. “What if they… traffic her?”“They won’t. If I give them what they want, she’ll be fine.”“Let’s just call the cops,” Amelia said.“No cops!” I snapped. “I don’t want to upset them.”“Alex, this isn’t a movie. We can’t just keep this to ourselves and hope they don’t harm her.” Charlie added.I dragged my hands through my hair, the pressure in my chest was becoming unbearable. “Fuck!” The word exploded out of me. “I need to think.”I stormed into my study and slammed the door shut behind me. My vision blurred with anger as I stared at the cluttered desk. In a blind fury, I swept everything off it with one angry motion, sending papers, pens, and a
Henry “It’s really working,” I said, unable to hide the hint of disbelief in my voice. My dad smirked. “Of course, it’s working. It’s my plan, Henry. It’s supposed to work. I trust all your doubts have been cleared now?” Selene chimed in, lounging against the wall with a smug grin. “I told you your dad was right. There are three people Alexander loves more than anything: his sister, Amelia, and their daughter.” My dad turned his cold gaze toward her. “I don’t know why you’re still here. Don’t you have something better to do?” Selene straightened. “Henry said it was okay for me to stay.” “Leave her alone, Dad,” I interjected. “She’s helped us. We’re all on the same side here.” “She helped you, not me.” He shot her a disdainful look. “This will all be over soon. What are you planning to do with Amelia?” “The same thing we plan on doing to her daughter.” Selene’s eyes widened slightly. “You’re going to kill both of them?” “Do you have a problem with that?” my dad asked sharply
Alexander “It’s been two days,” Amelia said softly, her voice strained with worry. “The kidnapper hasn’t called. Let’s just go to the cops.”“No, we can’t. If we involve the police, they’ll kill her. We need to play it safe. I’ve already spoken to my lawyer—everything’s ready. We’ll give them what they want and get her back.”Amelia sank onto the edge of the bed. “I just… I wonder how Misty is doing.”“She’s fine,” I said, more to convince myself than her. “And as long as we play by their rules and do exactly what they say, she’ll stay fine.”Amelia looked down. “I hope so. She must hate us right now.”I frowned. “She wouldn’t hate us.”“Really? She said she wanted to come home, and we haven’t brought her home. Of course, she would hate us.”I sighed. “I bet she’s giving them a hard time. You know how stubborn she can be.”We both chuckled. Then Amelia sniffled, almost breaking into tears.“Hey,” I said softly, shaking my head. “Don’t.”Her eyes glistened with fresh tears. “What if i
Alexander My heart clenched as I glanced at Sarah, then at Charlie, who stood stiffly by the window. Amelia was curled up in the armchair, her hands twisting the hem of her sweater, and her tear-streaked face buried in her knees.I was barely holding it together. My fists clenched at my sides as the police officer in the room delivered his report. “Henry is no longer a suspect,” he muttered. “What?” We said in unison, shock etched on our faces.“He came down to the station voluntarily this morning. We questioned him, and his alibi checked out. So we had to let him go.” The room fell into stunned silence. My pulse pounded in my ears, drowning out whatever he said next. “You let him go?” I snapped.The officer straightened slightly, his eyes narrowing as I took a step toward him. “You’re telling me that you just let him walk out? Are you serious?”“Mr. Smith,” the officer began. “There was no evidence—”“I don’t give a damn about the evidence!” I shouted. “Henry did this! He took
Henry I watched as Selene walked in, her sharp eyes darting around, taking in the space. “Is this where you live now, Henry?” she asked, as she glanced at the cluttered shelves and dim lighting. I sighed, already regretting my decision to bring her here. “Don’t make me regret this.” She shrugged. “Fine, fine. I was just admiring your… man cave.” Her gaze swept the room again before landing on me. “So, where are the bugs?” I pointed to the small workstation set up near the wall. “Over here. I’ve got enough.” She walked over, and the moment her eyes landed on the equipment, she let out a low whistle. “Holy shit. This feels like one of those mafia movies.” “Mafias don’t use bugs, Selene,” I said, shaking my head. “Yeah? Well, maybe we’re like the FBI then. Or the CIA.” She grinned, clearly enjoying herself. I levelled her with a look. “We’re just regular people, okay? Let’s not get carried away.” Her attention shifted to the table where a few guns were laid out. She pointed to
Amelia “We shouldn’t be out here, Hay,” I muttered.“Come on,” Hayley said, brushing off my concern. “Misty wanted to come here. Besides, you guys have been cooped up inside for days now.”“I told Alexander we’d stay at your house,” I said, glancing around nervously.“It’s only going to be a couple of minutes. Let Misty enjoy a little freedom. Look at her.” Hayley gestured toward Misty, who was laughing and playing with the other kids. “She’s so happy. We’ll be out of here soon.”I followed her gaze and saw Misty chasing a ball with a wide grin on her face. My heart softened just a little. “I guess you’re right,” I admitted.“Amelia,” Hayley whispered, nudging me.“What?” I asked, looking at her.“Look at that hot dad over there,” her voice was barely audible.“Hayley, stop it. You have Daniel,” I said, rolling my eyes.“That doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a hot, sexy man when I see one,” she replied with a sly smile.I chuckled, shaking my head, and turned away. My eyes scanned the
Alexander“Hey,” her voice cut softly through the haze of my sleep.My eyes fluttered open to find her sitting on the edge of the bed, her hair tousled and a playful smirk tugging at her lips. “Good morning, darling,” I murmured, leaning forward to place a kiss on her lips. My fingers brushed her cheek as I pulled back. “How was your night?”She raised a brow. “You mean after you kept me awake for hours working on my body?”A chuckle rumbled from my chest as I propped myself up on my elbow. “I call that productive use of time.”“Productive?” she repeated, rolling her eyes dramatically. “You’ve got quite the definition of productivity, Alexander.”I reached out, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her back down onto the bed. She squealed in protest, but her laughter betrayed her enjoyment.“You didn’t seem to mind last night,” I teased, my lips brushing against her ear.Her cheeks flushed. “You’re impossible, you know that?”“And yet, here you are,” I said, smirking as I tigh
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