Chapter 25: Her PriceClaire’s POVMaybe he does not want to use her, and he is just waiting for the right time to marry her; when everything is fine, when he is stable and accomplished, when he has already achieved his goals. Then he would finally have her, while he discards me. In the meantime, I stay, for him to use. I would help him reach the heights, and achieve his goal, and once he is done, I will be free. The thought strikes my chest for a reason I am aware of. I like him, and I am willing to be there for him whenever he needs me. It must be stupid to be like this, but what else could I do when I could not break free from him to distance myself and move on. And even if I could, would I? “Why did you marry him? For money? How much do you need? I will pay you to leave him. One million dollars? Two million? Name your price.” she demanded. If only that easy. But no, I would only leave him when he tells me himself.“No, ma’am. I am not after his money.” I replied respectfully de
Chapter 26: Abducted: A Dangerous RideClaire’s POVThe workload was no longer that much since Ms. Anabella Grey took over the management of the marketing department and my co-workers began acting more professional towards me, perhaps more civil, but I could sense that they still have a hidden aversion towards me, like I do not belong to them. But I understand if they do especially that their jobs were threatened by Alexander’s warning because of me. Probably, the rumors about me giving “favors” to higher ups might have even gotten worse, but behind my back. Since the charity gala was fast approaching, I decided to finish the tasks that are still due in the following weeks just so I would not get caught up with works when I take a leave for the charity gala. The gala would only be for a night, but I would also have to participate in those days that will hold the reach out programs and charity visits. Alex required me to be with him and to still attend to them even when he is not aroun
Chapter 27: Abducted: An Offering and ThreatClaire’s POVMy head throbbed as I slowly regained consciousness. The faint, metallic scent of rust and decay filled the air, mingling with the pungent aroma of mold and dust. Slowly, I blinked my eyes open and I gradually adjusted my blurry vision. The faint yellow light coming from a singl bulb hanging from the ceiling barely illuminated the room. A huge aluminum barrel a few meters away from me was emitting fire, the only source of warmth in this cold night, the crackling sound from the burning wood was the only thing heard in the area. I looked around the place as my situation started to sink in. From my left were junked metal bars, sacks of sand and gravel, and at my right was an old rusty car with an opened hood, beside it was a cargo container blocking my view of what lies to its other side. In the middle, I am seated on a chair with my hands tied behind it and my feet together. I tried to wriggle out, rubbing my feet together and ro
Chapter 28: Do Not Find Me. Goodbye!Then the ringing of my phone stopped. I silently prayed while I held back my sobs. I begged to the heavens to help me, to save me. But I was losing hope.I kicked my feet on the ground repeatedly as if I could stop him from tracing the buttons of my blouse.“S-stop, no. Please, stop!” He unbuttoned the very top button of my blouse, exposing a larger area of my collarbone that he traced with his fingertips. Tears covered my tears as I thought of what could happen to me. “Do not touch me.” I gritted my teeth to fight back the sobs that would uncover the fear that I am trying to conceal with bravery and hope that someone could save me, that maybe Alex would care and could do something.But I could hardly believe that he could, that I would be saved from this dire place. I could not hear the sound of any car passing nearby or neighboring houses that could help me, or easily find me. Maybe I could be found, but only with a dead body or a broken digni
Chapter 29: Abducted: A Hope of SurvivalClaire’s POVMy breath came in ragged gasps, the air thick and suffocating. The exits were nowhere in sight except the only one I saw near the barrel of fire, but I could not go back there I would get caught. I scanned the dimly lit space for any sign of escape. The sound of his pursuit grew louder, his heavy footsteps echoing behind me. I could not let him catch me. Not now, not after everything.Then I heard his sinister laugh echoing in the warehouse, his shadow as he stood near the barrel of fire loomed over the pieces of machinery and junk rods.“Run and hide all you want. There is no other way out.”I looked around as I stood hidden behind a pile of wooden boxes and a rusty ladder. Th
Chapter 30: Princess SecuredClaire’s POVAs I reached the end of the vent, I shoved at the grate with all my might, pushing and kicking repeatedly until it gave way, clattering to the ground. I tumbled out, landing hard on the concrete floor. My limbs ached, but I could not afford to stop. I staggered to my feet and quickly hid from a large dumping bin beside another warehouse building to see what was happening outside the warehouse where I was held captive. I heard no siren so it was not the police. I peeked, concealing my presence, and I saw a group of men in black suit uniforms, and others wore black tee shirts tucked in in their black pants. Each of them held a gun. They burst through the doorway of the warehouse, their flashlights cutting through the gloom.As I tried to assess the situation, my eyes caught a familiar figure among t
Chapter 31: Indefinite LeaveClaire’s POVBuildings began to gradually emerge on the way signaling that we are now entering the heart of the city. There were fewer cars passing by and the once busy streets were now littered by a few people, mostly homeless ones. The lively establishments were now closed and only a few convenience stores were now open. My eyes were drifting slowly to slumber and ignored the pain in my back and the stinging scratches I obtained in my limbs from crawling in the vent. The car turned into a street and I closed my eyes to take a nap, but then he stopped. I looked around and saw the bold red letters that said “EMERGENCY”. He drove to a hospital.“Why are we here?” I mumbled and he just looked at me as if I was kidding. He took his seatbelt off and moved to get out, but I quickly grabbed his arm
Chapter 32: InterrogatedClaire’s POVIt has been days since the incident of my abduction and Alex has yet to allow me to go back to work. He had stationed security guards in the lobby to watch for me if ever I go out, and there was once I did to go to a nearby convenience store and buy sanitary napkins and they followed me in every turn I did in the rows of shelves. They never let me out of sight.Due to the boredom of being kept in the apartment unit for days, I told Tanya what happened, over the phone. She was worried and wanted to come by for a visit but Alex advised me not to let her, and it is for her safety as well. We do not want her getting dragged into this mess. If whoever those people might use Tanya, we do not want that to happen. I told her that my security was tight and she could not come by for now and she understood. My f
Chapter 81: The ProposalClaire's hands trembled as she fought to shut the door. Her voice was low and angry, almost a hiss, "Leave, Alex. Leave. I don’t want you here." But no matter how hard she pushed, Alex's grip on the door was stronger. He wasn't letting go this time.She glared at him, her heart pounding in her chest, but the truth was, his sudden presence after all these months had unraveled her. She was pregnant, alone, and already emotionally exhausted. Seeing Alex, of all people, standing in front of her only intensified everything she had bottled up inside. Her emotions clashed violently. The man she loved — the man who had hurt her — was standing just inches away.“I’m not leaving,” Alex said firmly, his voice filled with a quiet desperation. “Claire, please… just let me talk to you.”Tears pricked at the corners of Claire’s eyes as she struggled with her emotions. She wanted to hate him, to push him away and protect herself from any more pain. But as she stood there, fac
Chapter 80: Leave, AlexTanya’s sharp voice cut through the phone after the nonstop calls from Alex. "What do you want, Alex?" Now that he learned about Claire’s pregnancy, he couldn’t calm down, and the search for her was too slow and it was making him restless, he could not just sit down and wait. There was an easier way, and that was through Tanya, so he reached out to her multiple times.Alex took a deep breath, steadying his nerves. "I need to know where Claire is." Silence. Tanya refused to reply. She promised Claire that she would not tell a soul where she was."I know she's pregnant, Tanya," Alex continued, his voice betraying a hint of desperation. "I need to find her. I need to be with her."Tanya’s sigh crackled through the phone. “Pregnant or not, you’ve lost the right to know where she is. You made your choices, Alex. Now, Claire’s making hers.”Alex closed his eyes, pushing back the frustration. “I understand how it looks. I made mistakes — I was so focused on the compa
Chapter 79: His Child“We’ve found something,” Jones’s voice said, pulling Alex from his haze.“What is it?” Alex asked, straightening up in his chair, suddenly alert.“We tracked down Tanya’s relatives in the Philippines. Took a while, but we’ve confirmed a connection. She’s got a cousin there, and from what we can tell, Claire could be staying with them.”Alex felt a rush of adrenaline, a flicker of hope he hadn’t felt in weeks. Finally, there was something concrete.“Do we know where they live?” he asked, his tone sharp, all business now.“Not yet, but we’re working on it. We’ll need to send someone over, a private investigator. We’ve already got people on the ground following up leads, but it’s delicate. We’ll need time.”“How much time?”“Could take a couple of weeks, maybe more. We’re doing everything we can.”Weeks. The word echoed in Alex’s mind. Claire could be slipping further away every moment that passed, but there was no other option. He had to be patient. Something he ha
Chapter 78: MiserableThe following days passed in a blur of frustration, alcohol, and regret. Alex could not shake the feeling of loss, the gnawing emptiness that had settled in his chest since Claire disappeared. He had always prided himself on being in control, on having everything within his grasp, of everything going his way. But now, everything felt like it was slipping through his fingers like he was not in control of things anymore. Claire had become an unforeseen factor that was driving his life into ruin. His apartment, once filled with the quiet presence of Claire, felt cold and empty. It was not just the absence of her physical presence — it was the absence of the warmth and life she had brought into his space. Without her, the apartment felt like a hollow shell, a reflection of the growing void inside him. Before, he never minded, he never noticed, for he never let anyone in ever again after Aubrey Chen, but somehow, Claire made everything different. The once cold and ho
Chapter 77: Can't Hide ForeverThe phone rang again, its shrill tone slicing through the suffocating silence of Alex’s office. He was slouched in his chair, a half empty glass of whiskey resting on the edge of his desk. The burn of alcohol did little to numb the persistent ache gnawing at him ever since Claire disappeared. For a few seconds, he stared at the phone, considering letting it ring, as if ignoring the call could somehow silence the storm raging inside him.But something about the persistent ringing was tugging him from his haze. With a frustrated sigh, he reached for the phone.“Yes?” he answered when he recognized the caller, his voice rough and groggy from drinking all day.“Sir, it is Jones,” came the steady, familiar voice of his security head. “We have finally tracked down Claire’s last known whereabouts.”Alex straightened in his chair, his heartbeat quickening. “Go on,” he urged, gripping the phone tightly.“She boarded a flight to the Philippines. We confirmed it th
Chapter 76: Fight for HerAlex pulled out his phone, staring at Tanya's contact. She had always been close to Claire, her best friend. If anyone knew where Claire had gone, it would be her. With a deep breath, Alex tapped her name and waited for the line to connect.The dial tone rang once, twice, then a click as Tanya picked up."Hello? " Tanya's voice came through, cautious.Alex cleared his throat. “Tanya, it is Alex.”There was a pause on the other end. "What do you want, Alex?"“I need to talk to you. About Claire.” His voice was firm but not demanding. He did not want to escalate things, but he needed answers. “I need to know where she is.”Tanya scoffed, the sound sharp and unforgiving. “You need to know where she is? Are you serious? After everything, Alex? After all those photos of you and Aubrey?”“It is not what you think,” he started, but Tanya cut him off.“Oh, it is exactly what I think. Do you think I did not see the articles? The photos? Claire saw them too, Alex. She
Chapter 75: ClosureA few days had passed since the divorce papers landed on Alex’s desk, and despite that he had pushed the papers in his table drawers, out of his sight, the fact that he had to make a decision and the existence of CClaire’s signature on the paper did not leave his mind. The cold reality of Claire’s absence became more noticeable as he moved through his daily routines. She was gone, and there was no escaping it. He tried to bury himself in his work, as he always had when things got complicated, but this time, even Vermont Corp. could not keep his mind from drifting back to her, in addition to the relentless inquiry of Alessandro Vermont about Claire each article he had read on the internet about Aubrey Chen. Alex never had an answer to them and just let his father get mad over it, accusing Alex of manipulating him to get the position he had wanted, only abiding by the conditions he had set to get what he wanted, and now that he had it, he had completely neglected his
Chapter 74: Life He Wanted, Needed"Mr. Vermont, this just arrived for you," one of the assistant secretaries in his office said, placing it on his desk.Alex barely glanced at it, offering a distracted nod. "Thanks, just leave it there," he replied, his eyes still on the screen. He had been engrossed in back to back meetings, discussing expansion strategies, reviewing reports, and making decisions that would impact the company’s future. His mind was occupied with the endless responsibilities that came with being the new president.The envelope remained unopened on the corner of his desk until he finished reviewing a lengthy financial report and he finally reached for it, intending to deal with it quickly before moving on to the next task.He frowned looking at the envelope with only the return address of Humprey’s Law Firm printed on it. He had no idea as to why the law firm had sent him papers knowing that he was not facing any lawsuits or any legal matter which if it involved the c
Chapter 73: The AnomalyThe soft murmur of conversation and the clinking of glasses surrounded Alex and Aubrey as they finished their dinner at one of New York's most exclusive restaurants. The dim lighting cast a warm glow over the elegantly set table, making the evening feel almost intimate despite the public setting. Alex glanced at Aubrey, who was smiling softly as she swirled the last of her wine in her glass."That was lovely," Aubrey said, her voice smooth and melodic. She set her glass down and looked at him with a satisfied expression. "It has been a while since I have had such a relaxing dinner."Alex nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "I’m glad you enjoyed it." He signaled the waiter, who promptly brought the bill. As Alex reached for his wallet, he could not help but notice the flicker of movement outside the restaurant's large windows. Paparazzi. They had been spotted.It had started with a few people recognizing them, whispers spread through the restaurant like w