CH 50.As Lucas was heading out the door, Steve walked in and greeted him with a curt nod. "Good morning, Sir," he said, his voice strained.Lucas returned the nod. "Good morning, Steve. Is there anything you need to update me on?""No, Sir," Steve replied quickly. "Everything is under control.""Good to hear," Lucas said before turning to leave.As Lucas walked out, Steve's eyes narrowed. He could barely contain his anger and resentment towards Lucas. After all, he was the reason Andrianne was stuck in this loveless marriage. But he couldn't let his feelings get in the way of his job. He had a duty to protect Andrianne, no matter how much he despised the man she was married to.As soon as Lucas left, Steve made his way to Andrianne's door. He knocked gently, and Andrianne opened it with a scowl on her face. "Good morning, Andrianne," Steve said, trying to sound friendly.Andrianne gave him a curt nod, but didn't say anything. She wasn't happy about having a bodyguard, especially one
CH. 51Andrianne paced back and forth in the living room, her eyes glued to the clock on the wall. It was already past 11p.m, and Lucas was nowhere in sight. She bit her lower lip nervously, wondering where he could be. Lucas had never stayed out this late before without letting her know. She tried calling his phone, but it went straight to voicemail.Her mind began to race, imagining all sorts of scenarios. Maybe he had gotten into an accident, or worse. She tried to calm herself down, telling herself that he was a responsible adult who could take care of himself. But the anxiety continued to gnaw at her.As the minutes turned into hours, Andrianne's worry turned to agitation. She began pacing more erratically, biting her nails and fidgeting with her hair. She wondered if he was with Emily, his girlfriend. A pang of jealousy shot through her, but she pushed it aside, reminding herself that they were not together anymore.She tried calling him again, but still no answer. Andrianne dec
CH 52.Andrianne was pacing back and forth in her living room, tears streaming down her face. Jackie had her arm around her, trying to offer some comfort. They had just received the anonymous call warning them not to involve the police or risk losing Lucas."What are we going to do?" Andrianne cried out. "I can't just sit here and wait for something terrible to happen to him.""I know, I know," Jackie said soothingly. "We need to think of a plan, a way to get Lucas back safely."Andrianne sniffled, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "But how? We don't even know who took him or why.""We'll figure it out," Jackie said determinedly. "First, we need to stay calm and think rationally."Andrianne nodded, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "Okay, okay. What do we do first?""We need to find out who the caller was," Jackie said. "Maybe we can trace the call or find some other clue that will lead us to Lucas."Andrianne nodded, feeling a glimmer of hope. "Okay, let's do it. Let's
CH 53.Once Jackie had left, Steve turned his attention back to Andrianne. "You know what, Andrianne? I really thought you were smarter than this. I didn't think I'd have to kidnap your husband…. Oops I mean contracted husband to get what I want from you."Andrianne's heart was pounding in her chest. She couldn't believe it was Steve who had done this. She had trusted him, confided in him, and now he had betrayed her in the worst possible way."Why? Why did you do this?" she managed to ask, her voice barely above a whisper."You know, Andrianne," Steve began, his voice shaky with emotion. "I've always loved you. Even when we were kids, I knew you were the one for me. And when we reconnected, it was like fate brought us together again."Andrianne tried to step back, but Steve took a step forward, keeping the gun trained on her. "You can't deny it, Andrianne. The way we were together, it was like nothing else mattered. I still feel that way, even after everything that's happened."Andri
CH 54."Andrianne, are you okay?" Lucas asked weakly."I'm fine, but you're hurt. Let me call an ambulance," Andrianne said as she reached for her phone."No, don't," Lucas said, grabbing her hand. "We can't involve the police. Remember what that caller said? We have to find a way to handle this on our own."Andrianne hesitated. She knew that Lucas was right. If they involved the police, they could risk losing Lucas forever. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down."Okay, but we have to get you some medical attention. Let me get a first aid kit," Andrianne said, getting up from the ground.As she rummaged through the kit, she couldn't help but feel guilty about what had just happened. She had just killed a man, even if it was in self-defense. She knew that she would have to live with that for the rest of her life.When she turned back to Lucas, she saw that he had passed out. She panicked and tried to wake him up, but he didn't respond. She felt for his pulse and breathe
CH 55.Andrianne sat in the hospital waiting room with her head in her hands, trying to keep her composure. She couldn't believe what had happened, and she was scared for Lucas. Suddenly, a doctor walked towards her and she looked up."Mrs. Ross?" the doctor asked kindly."Yes, that's me," Andrianne replied, standing up nervously."I'm Dr. Johnson. Lucas has just come out of surgery and is in recovery. He's stable now, but it was a close call."Andrianne felt a wave of relief wash over her. "Thank you, doctor. Can I see him?""Yes, of course. But you need to understand that he's still very weak and will need a lot of rest.""I understand. Thank you so much," Andrianne said gratefully.The doctor led her to Lucas's room and Andrianne couldn't believe how pale he looked. She took his hand in hers and felt tears prick at her eyes."Hey, you," she said softly.Lucas slowly opened his eyes and looked at her. "Hey," he said weakly.Andrianne squeezed his hand. "How are you feeling?""Like I
Andrianne's father sat in his big study, surrounded by expensive furniture and artwork. He was a powerful man, a wealthy businessman who had made a fortune through his connections and ruthlessness. He had built an empire through his criminal activities, and he was feared and respected by many.Suddenly, his phone rang. It was one of his most trusted men, Steve's right-hand man."What is it?" he barked into the phone."Boss, it's Steve," the man said, his voice trembling. "He's been shot."Andrianne's father felt a jolt of shock run through him. Steve was his most trusted enforcer, the man he relied on to handle the dirty work."Where is he?" he demanded."He's at the old warehouse on the edge of town. We found him there this morning."Andrianne's father hung up the phone and stood up, his mind racing. He knew he had to go to the scene and find out what had happened. He quickly grabbed his coat and headed out the door.When he arrived at the warehouse, he saw a group of his men gathere
CH 57.Lucas slowly stirred and his eyelids fluttered open. He blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the bright light in the hospital room. He turned his head to the side and saw Andrianne asleep in the chair next to his bed, her head resting on the edge of the bed.He smiled softly, feeling a rush of warmth in his chest at the sight of her. Despite everything that had happened, he was grateful to have her by his side. He tried to move his arm to reach out to her, but a sharp pain shot through his body, reminding him of his injuries.He winced and closed his eyes for a moment, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. He opened his eyes again and looked back at Andrianne. She looked peaceful in her sleep, her breathing slow and steady.He cleared his throat, trying to get her attention without startling her. "Hey," he said in a low voice.Andrianne's eyes slowly opened, and she looked at him with a mix of surprise and relief. "Hey, you're awake," she said softly, sitting up straigh