Chapter 30
Abigail
Alexander had planned the kidnapping? It couldn’t be true–could it? Conrad was sure, but doubt clawed at me.
The idea alone felt impossible. Alexander, even though he was reserved, and the rest of the family seemed to fear him as much as they respected him, did not seem like he could ever hurt me. He was my family by marriage. And if he wanted to harm me, why would he have saved me?
My thoughts circled back to the figure who had wrapped me in safety for one fleeting moment. Could it have been Alexander? No–he was confined to a wheelchair. But then why did that voice, that presence, feel so familiar?
I didn’t know what to believe. None of it made sense.
“Abigail.” Conrad’s voice broke the spell of my thoughts. His hand reached out, brushing against mine, his tone softening. “I know this is a lot to process. If you need time, we don’t have to talk about it now.
I stayed sitent, my gaze fixed out the window.
Conrad sighed but didn’t push. Instead, his fingers entwined with mine, bringing me to the present. “Let’s get you checked out, okay? It’ll put my mind at ease.”
“I’m fine,” I murmured, though my voice lacked strength
“You’re not fine,” he said firmly, his thumb brushing over my knuckles in a soothing gesture.
There was no arguing with him–His bombshell of a message kept spinning in my mind, and a tight sense of unease twisted in my stomach.
The car ride to the hospital was quiet. All the way there, my head rested against the cool window, watching the trees blur past me. Conrad’s words repeated over and over, like a needle stuck on a broken record. When we arrived at the hospital, the sterile, fluorescent lighting seemed to make the world look bleaker to me. I shivered as we stepped inside, and Conrad’s arm hovered protectively at my side. The waiting room was quiet, save for the occasional murmured conversation. My eyes scanned the space absently–until they landed on him. Alexander.
He sat in the far corner, his wheelchair angled toward the entrance as if he’d been waiting for us. A thin blanket was draped over his legs, and his posture was as relaxed as ever. The corners of his mouth curved into a faint smile when our eyes met.
“Abigail,” he greeted warmly, his voice as smooth and familiar as ever. “What a pleasant surprise.”
I froze, my breath catching in my throat. The scent I sensed in the dark seemed to resurface again. “Alexander. Hi. What are you doing here?”
Alexander’s smile didn’t falter. “I made a doctor’s appointment for Susanna, she was terrified,” he said lightly, as if his presence here so fast was the most natural thing in the world. His gaze briefly landed on Conrad before returning to me. “And you? Are you alright? You looked… shaken the last time I saw you here.”
Conrad shifted, stepping slightly in front of me as if to shield me. “Abigail has already seen the doctor,” he said curtly. “We were just leaving ”
Alexander’s smile remained, but something in his eyes darkened.
“Already seen the doctor?” he echoed, his tone laced with quiet amusement. “That was quick.
Conrad didn’t respond. He simply took my arm and guided me toward the exit, his grip firm but not forceful. I barely had time to look over my shoulder as the automatic doors of the hospital slid shut behind us.
Chapter 20
+25 BONUS
As we walked away, I felt Alexander’s gaze lingering on us, burning into my back like a brand. Conrad’s grip on the steering wheel was like a vice as we drove away. He hadn’t said a word since we left, and the silence in the car was thick enough to drown in.
It was only after several blocks had passed, the city blurring into indistinct lights and shadows, that he finally spoke.
“Do you
understand how dangerous this is?” His voice was ow, taut with barely restrained panic,
I turned to look at him, startled by the rawness in his tone. What do you mean?”
“Alexander,” he said, his knuckles whitening as his hands tightened on the wheel. “He’s not stupid, Abigail. He probably already suspects that I know the truth–and now he might think you know too.”
ne into
I swallowed hard, the implications of his words tightening like a noose around my neck. “Just from bumping him at the hospital?”
Conrad didn’t immediately answer. His jaw flexed as if he were wrestling with whether to tell me more. Finally, he exhaled sharply. “The shares he gave you in the company? They weren’t a gift. They were a leash. He wanted to keep you close, to control you. Now, with everything that’s happened, it’s clear that you need to cut ties with him and his assistant completely.”
I blinked at him, his words landing like blows. “Cut ties? What are you saying?”
“I’m saying,” he said, his tone hardening, “that you need to disappear for a while. I’ve already arranged a place for you to stay–somewhere safe.”
The panic in his voice wasn’t even hidden, and it was so unlike Conrad that it left me feeling scared. I had always
Seeing him unravel like this sent a shiver known my husband to be composed even in the worst of circumstance down my spine.
I didn’t respond right away. My thoughts were a tangled mess, questions and doubts colliding in an endless loop. Alexander… controlling me? Using me? I wasn’t important enough for that.
“Abigail, please,” Conrad pressed, his voice softening as he glanced at me. “You don’t have to agree to anything permanent, but just… stay at the place I’ve arranged for you. At least until we figure this out.”
I hesitated, torn between the storm of emotions raging inside me and the urgency in his voice. Finally, I nodded, ” Okay, I’ll stay.“”
Conrad exhaled, relief washing over his features. “Thank you.”
But my agreement wasn’t borne of trust. It was born of exhaustion.
The apartment Conrad brought me to was small and unassuming, tucked away in a quiet part of the city I barely recognized. It was the kind of place you wouldn’t notice unless you were looking for it.
He showed me inside, his hand brushing lightly against my arm as he guided me through the modest living room and into the bedroom. The space was clean but devoid of personality, straight out of a construction magazine.
“You’ll be safe here,” Conrad said, his voice soft but still filled with worry. “No one knows about this; Alexander. Not anyone.”
Not
Safe. The word felt foreign, almost meaningless after the day I’d had. I nodded absently, my gaže sweeping over the sparse furnishings. “Thank you, Conrad.”
He hesitated, his eyes searching mine. I knew he wanted to say more, to comfort me, but I couldn’t bear to hear any more today.
Chapter 30
“Do you need anything? Food? Water? I can stay if you-
“No,” I interrupted, my voice louder than I intended. “I jus.. I need some time alone, Conrad. Today has been…” I trailed off, shaking my head. “It’s been a lot.”
His expression softened, sympathy flickering in his eyes. “Of course,” he said, stepping back toward the door.” I’ll let you get some rest, you’ve been through enough today. If you need anything, call me.”
I nodded again, and with one last lingering glance, he left. The sound of the door clicking shut behind him was like a gunshot in the silence that followed.
I stood in the middle of the room, staring at the plain walls and the neatly made bed, the events of the day crashing over me like a tidal wave. The kidnapping. The hospital. Alexander.
My hands trembled as I sank onto the edge of the bed, my mind racing with questions I didn’t have the answers to. Alexander couldn’t have orchestrated the kidnapping. It didn’t make sense. But if not him, then who? And what about the man who had saved me, who had vanished as quickly as he appeared?
As I gradually distanced myself from that place and my mind began to clear, more questions started swirling. This whole thing was so unusual. The kidnappers didn’t ask for ransom or try to intimidate us into cooperating. They showed me their faces and didn’t even tie up Susanna. I had this strange feeling, like everyone knew the truth, and I was the only one left in the dark, playing along with their act.
I needed answers.
عظام
And I knew there was only one person who could give them to me. Conrad is an untrustworthy man. No matter how considerate he sounds, the truth is he will always just be Susanna’s crutch. He said Alexander wanted to trap me–didn’t he do exactly that?
My phone felt heavy in my hand as I scrolled through my contacts. When I landed on his name, my thumb hovered over it for a long moment.
“Abigail,” Alexander said, his tone calm and smooth, as if he’d been expecting my call. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
My breath caught in my throat, but I forced myself to speak “We need to talk.”
