“Dang, it’s too bright…” Blakely moaned as she slowly blinked her eyes open. A sharp, bright light pierced through her lashes, almost blinding her. Disoriented, she tried to sit up but pain exploded in her already pounding skull and she fell against the hard chair with a grunt of pain.“It hurts.” She groaned, a single tear slipping down the corners of her eyes. “Everything hurts.”Her entire body felt like she’d just been panel beaten with a pestle. From the roots of her hair to her aching feet, she was completely in pain.“Where am I?” She whispered to herself, trying to remember what had happened. After five seconds of trying hard, she still couldn’t remember a thing. As she made to sit up, a deep, booming baritone filled the room.“Pumpkin pie, I can see you’re awake.”Blakely’s eyes flew open immediately. Her heart pounded wildly against her ribcage and her pulse thrummed with fear.“That voice…” she whispered. “I know that voice.”In the silence of the room, the echoing sound
“What’s going on, sir? You don’t look Okay.” Martins asked for the umpteenth time. Alex was about to smash his phone against the wall when it buzzed with another incoming message. Impatient, he swiped through the phone until the words popped up on his screen.“Alexander Stephan. I warned you. I told you not to step on my toes, but you know your problem? You’re stubborn. Too stubborn. In the business world, the stubborn ones get killed easily. Only the obedient men live. I’m not asking for a ransom. I don’t want anything from you — just your tears and pain are okay for me.You’ll get your little fiancée back when I’m done using her to my satisfaction. I’ll give her back when I see that the stress of searching for her has taken its toll on you and your entire family.I’ll give her back when you’re ready to bend the knee and acknowledge who your master really is. Finally, I’ll give her back to you when I’m certain that I’ve broken your pride and your honour. Until then, maybe we migh
Alex barely had time to digest the shock and panic that zinged through his veins at Dr. Baron’s words when the officers jostled him to his feet and read him his Miranda rights.“How did Derek have access to Ora?” He asked desperately while the officers tried to lead him out of the lounge. “Where did he meet her? You’re lying!”The evil smirk on Dr. Baron’s face almost sent his emotions on overdrive.“I hope you realise that this is the second time I’m sending you to jail. Good bye, Alexander. Next time, I’ll send you straight to prison.”Alex was not having it. He struggled and kicked against the officers.“Speak, you bastard! You’re lying, aren’t you? Derek wasn’t with Ora. You’re lying!”The officers were finally able to wrestle him off the building after much effort. Derek and Melissa stared at him from the doorway, their faces smug and triumphant. Bile rose in Alex’s throat. Suddenly, he felt like everything was spiralling out of control. “Martins!” He barked. “Call the guards a
“You go, Alex. I’ll go back to the mansion and look after Ora and Jayden.” Abuela Zeya said when they arrived at the parking lot. Alex did not wait to argue. He wrapped his arms around her in a grateful hug and hurried towards the car, saying over his shoulder;“Thank you so much, Abuela. I’m grateful for your help.”She smiled.“Don’t mention it.”Martins and the driver fully expected him to go straight to the back seat. However, they were surprised when Alex stopped at the front seat and pulled the door open.“Sir, is there a problem?” The driver asked.“No. Come down. I want to drive today.” Alex deadpanned.The driver stared at him like he’d grown horns.“S-sir?”“I asked you to come down, Dimitri. I’ll drive to the commissioner myself. Trust me, I want to.”“Are you sure there’s no problem, young master?” Martins asked and Alex shook his head, trying hard to rein in his temper. The truth was that he felt restless. His nerves were on the very edge of exploding into tiny frustr
Outside, the sun shined brightly and birds chirped happily but for Alex, there was a dark, gloomy cloud hanging over his world. His heart felt like it had been pricked with a million tiny, sharp needles. He was positive that the state of his blood pressure would require medical attention. “I need you to remain calm, Alex.” The commissioner assured him. “Like I said, this has not been confirmed by the forensics department yet. It’s just a hunch.”Alex nodded slowly.“Why do you think the Las Vegas mafia are responsible for this?”“Because this is their method of operation. If they want something, they usually resort to kidnapping the victim himself or members of his family. They’re also known for abusing women.”Bile rose in Alex’s throat.“How long will it take the forensics department to come up with results?”“I ordered them to speed up the process.” The commissioner replied. “Expect results in the next 24 hours.”Alex suddenly felt dizzy. He staggered backwards and Martins rushed
FOUR DAYS LATERAlex leaned against the headrest and took a deep, cleansing breath. He’d been awake for the past ten hours and the hospital air was already choking him. Being in a coma for three days made him feel lethargic.“…make sure he does not stress himself too much over the next couple of days. His body needs to heal…”He tuned out the nurse’s voice and concentrated on counting the invisible threads on his Egyptian silk blanket. Finally, she left with her clip board and Alex sat up.“Young master, your brother and Ora have both been asking after you. Ora has been looking for her mother, too.”At the mention of Blakely, his heart constricted until he could barely breathe.“What’s Blakely’s status? Have the police been able to find anything?”Martins instantly looked uneasy.“Master, the nurse advised you to rest. You’re not supposed to…”Alex was instantly annoyed.“I’ve been resting for the past three days.” He said harshly. “What progress have you made on this matter? Obey my
Alex had never imagined himself as a member of the mafia, talk more as their leader, and he wasn’t about to start now.He shook his head and tapped his uninjured feet on the marble floors.“Matthias said you have a video to show me about some experiment. What was he talking about?”Abuela Zeya did not look pleased.“Actually, I do.” She retrieved her phone from the lounge chair and scrolled through it until she came across what she was looking for, then she paused and handed the phone to Alex.“See for yourself.”Two seconds into the video, Alex already felt goosebumps rise on his skin. It looked like a scene from a horror movie — all dark, shadowy and filthy.In the video, a stark naked woman was shackled to a dirty hospital bed in what looked like an abandoned hospital. Everywhere was dirty, filthy even. Cobwebs hung from the high ceiling, smudges of dirt could be seen on the bed, walls and floor, and a dirty linen cloth that was once white but now had a nasty, brownish colour, se
The entire atmosphere was a disarray of running bodies and loud shouts. Alex was asked to stay put while his crew ran around, looking for a means to put out the fire. “Is there a parachute on the jet, Martins?” He asked urgently. “We need to get the cabin crew to safety.”“Don’t worry, sir. The pilot has promised to look for a safe landing spot. We’ll be landing soon.”As if to confirm his statement, the hostess’ voice sounded over the speakers.“We’re currently experiencing some technical issues. I beg everyone to remain calm and make sure you have their seatbelts on. We’ll commence landing protocols in the next twenty seconds.”“You heard her!” Aled yelled at his crew. “Take your seats. Put on your seatbelts!”“Yes, sir.” They all chorused.Seconds later, Alex sat back in his seat and shut his eyes, murmuring desperate words of prayer as the jet lurched and bounced on air. Warning pings and signals added to the tenseness of the atmosphere. Fear and panic was evident on the faces o
SIX MONTHS LATER:“Do you, Alexander Stephan, take Camilla to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health until death do you part?”Alex’s heart was filled with happiness as he replied confidently;“Yes, I do.”The priest turned to Camila and asked her the same question. She nodded eagerly as she responded;“Yes. Yes, I do.”“I now declare you man and wife. You may kiss your bride.”Camilla was glowing with happiness as Alex wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her in for a soft, slow kiss while the audience cheered them on.When he finally drew backwards, he placed his forehead against hers and whispered;“I’m so happy that I finally get to marry the love of my life.”She nodded, her eyes brimming with happy tears. “Let’s be together forever.”“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Stephan!!” The priest announced.The screams and cheers got louder as the priest raised both their hands to the crowd. The past few months
The moment Blakely left the conference centre, Camilla watched in confusion as Alex started making a series of calls.“Yes, she just left. Get the security detail ready. I hope our bodyguards at the mansion are already on stand-by. Get someone to follow her. We’ll give her thirty minutes max before the operation begins…”When he finally ended all his calls and turned to her, Camilla was way beyond confused. “What’s going on, Alex? You sound like you’re preparing for war.”“More like preparing to catch a snake.” He replied as he lifted her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles.Camilla frowned. “Snake? What snake?”Alex smiled. “Listen carefully. It’s about Blakely…”***Exactly thirty minutes later, Alex received a call from Peter, his chief-of-security.“Sir, they’re about to resume their operations. Should we strike?”“No. Wait for me. I’ll be there in five minutes.”“Akex, let me come with you.” Camilla begged for the umpteenth time. Alex leaned forward and pressed a kiss aga
ONE YEAR LATER…So far, Alex had completely frustrated every single one of Blakely’s plan to get him to sign any documents. He read every single document that was brought to him thoroughly before he signed them. He’d also tripled and quadrupled his security, equipping them with modern weapons to enable them to face any kind of threats.There was simply zero space for Blakely and her boyfriend to carry out their devious plans and today, he was finally ready to expose her for who she really was. Alex had left unfinished business in New York when he travelled to Spain and today was the day he finally wrapped it all up. Today the competition between Hunters Technology and Alexander Group was finally coming to an end. Exactly eight months ago, Romanov, one of the members of the Las Vegas Conglomerate had brought a competition to his doorstep. Several companies in New York City were to compete against the Xanders Group of Companies, now known as the Alexander Group of companies. The
After making sure that the Guerreros’ vacated all the properties that belonged to him, it was finally time for Alex to depart for Spain.Camila still refused to see him and despite his insistence, she claimed that she never wanted to see him again. Despite the fact that he’d achieved his goals, his shoulders hung with disappointment and his eyes were downcast as he boarded the private jet that would take him to New York… away from Camila.Ten minutes later, while he was waiting for take off, his phone rang. A quick glance at the caller ID revealed that it was Tony. His detective. “Hello, Tony.”“Hello, sir. I hear you’ll be returning today.”Alex frowned. Only few people knew that information because he wanted to keep his return as under the radar as possible. Few people being him and Tariq.“How did you know that?”“I’m a private Investigstor, sir. How else would I know?”“Have you been watching me?”“For your own safety, yes.”Alex sat up immediately. His interest was piqued.“Wha
Tariq’s words settled around the room like dust on a dark, gloomy night.No one said anything for the next few seconds. The room was as quiet as a graveyard… until Mendez broke the silence.“What’s your evidence that you’re really Alexander’s son? You could just be a scam trying to get money from us.”Tariq tried to argue but Alex hurriedly cut in;“There’s no need to enagage them in a fruitless argument when we can just show them prove.”He lifted a finger and one of his guards, Peter, came forward with a briefcase. He retrieved a few papers from the briefcase and handed them to Alex who in turn gave the papers to Mendez.“In case you’re wondering, that’s the DNA test result. It was conducted by Alexander himself before he passed as evidence that I’m really his biological grandson. If you check the date, that test was conducted almost twenty four years ago. Do you believe me now?”Mendez ran his eyes through the papers, his heartbeat tripling with shock. “It can’t be. It can’t fuck
Suddenly, the television which hung in the conference room came on, displaying footage from the CCTV cameras outside. Everyone turned in its direction and watched in surprise as several tinted, bullet proof cars drove into the premises.“Mr. Alvaro, those cars do not belong to you, do they?”Hugo shook his head. “They don’t. All the cars we came with are already safely parked in the garage. I don’t know who these people are.”Mendez swung into action immediately. He picked up his phone and called the security personnel downstairs.“Seal the building. Nobody comes in and no one goes out. It appears that we have a new set of visitors and I have no idea who they are.”When he was done with the phone call, Mendez put down his phone and forced a smile.“I’m sure everything is perfectly fine. Maybe they missed their way.” He turned to Camila.“Weren’t you about to sign the documents? What are you waiting for?”Camila picked up the pen but once again, they were interrupted by the sounds of
After waiting for another fifteen and staring at the door longingly, Camila finally accepted the fact that Alex just wasn’t going to show up. He’d abandoned her. Her heart was breaking into pieces deep within her chest but she’d already vowed not to shed another tear for a man.She glanced at her Rolex, her eyes widening in shock when she saw how much time had gone.“Shit! It’s already two minutes to ten o’clock?”All her sorrows forgotten, she hurriedly slipped on the shoes she’d abandoned and made her way towards the conference room.Thankfully, when she finally made it, the Alvaro’s hadn’t arrived yet. Mrs. Maria’s lips curled in a frown when she saw her.“Oh, thank God you’re here. Where were you and what were you doing?”Camila lowered her head.“I’m sorry, aunt.”Mrs. Maria gave her narrow-eyed, suspicious look.“What the heck happened to your make-up? Were you crying?”Alarmed, Camila’s head snapped upwards.“Crying? No, of course not.”“Then why is your makeup looking all sm
Alex was standing at the balcony of his new apartment when his phone suddenly rang. He fished it out if his pocket and glanced at the caller ID. Tariq.He pressed the phone against his ear. “Tariq.”“Alex.” He sounded upset. “What is this I hear about speeding up the plan?”“Oh. I guess Alejo called you.”“Start explaining yourself, boy.”“Everything he told you is true. I asked him to invite the Guerreros to sign the documents tomorrow. What’s the use of waiting till next week when we could just get everything done this week?”Tariq sighed.“Don’t you think you’re going too fast? What if Maria or Mendez gets suspicious and decide to investigate?”“There will be no such investigations, Tariq. Calm down. In fact, Maria had been requesting that Alejo fix this meeting since two weeks ago. Calling them right now will not be suspicious at all.”Tariq calmed down a notch. “Okay, then.I hope so. What’s the plan?”Alex was alone in his house, but he lowered his voice cautiously like someone
Alex was speechless. He stared at Camila, momentarily conflicted.“Isn’t this what you wanted?” He asked calmly. “You asked me to stay out of your personal life. You asked me not to pry… and that’s exactly what I’m doing. What’s the problem?”Camila heaved a sigh, leaned back against her seat and shut her eyes for the next few seconds. When she opened them, she looked spent… exhausted.“I miss you.” She whispered. “I miss you so much, David. I really wish I didn’t have to marry Hugo but I have no choice. What should I do? Help me.”More tears slithered down her smooth cheeks and Alex’s self control nearly snapped. He dropped his cleaning supplies and came closer, pausing just beside her table.“If you need my help, you’re gonna have to tell me what’s going on. Everything.”She blinked at him. “Won’t you hug me first? Won’t you comfort me?”Alex nearly leapt forward and wrapped her in his arms but he physically forced himself to stay put.“The fact that I’ve decided to help you doesn’t