Alex
I was surprised by my wife. Even though I’ve seen her in action before, what she did earlier was on a different level. The man seemed confident at first, thinking she wouldn’t resort to torture, but that quickly changed.
As we walked to the lanai, where the elders were sipping tea, I began to worry about the man because of how her grandparents looked. My wife and I sat across from them, and I noticed how Grandma’s eyes followed Serene closely.
“You really can’t be stopped, can you?” Grandpa asked.
“I know you haven’t told the authorities about him yet,” my wife replied, surprising both elders. They shook their heads in disbelief. Does my wife know her grandparents that well?
“We thought you’d be able to stop her.” Lola turned her gaze to me.
“I tried,” I answered simply, shrugging. That was the truth, but clearly, my wife wasn’t one to be easily swayed.
“Don’t blame my husband, Grandma. I’m not a god, but you both know that man couldn’t be kept alive. More people would be in danger if we handed him over to the police.”
“All we’re saying is-” the old man didn’t get to finish as Serene interrupted her.
“Grandpa, I’m sure Sacramento would have him killed in jail, or he would’ve found a way to escape. You know how ruthless our enemy is.”
“We have nothing more to say,” Grandpa responded. “But it’s good that you let Hamilton take care of him.”
“Anyone would’ve gladly done the job, but it’s different with Hamilton, Enzo, Patt, and Princess. They were close to my mother, too,” Serene explained.
I realized then how much their people loved my wife’s late mother. Their men’s loyalty runs deep, and now I was sure that even with Hamilton in charge of Portico, their family’s hold over it would remain strong.
By the afternoon, Hamilton had arrived. “It’s done, boss,” he reported, and Serene nodded in acknowledgment.
“But?” my wife pressed him.
“He said something while I was… dismembering his body.” Wait-what? Dismembering his body?
“What did he say?” Serene asked, her face calm as if it was nothing. I, on the other hand, was still processing what Hamilton had just said. Why wasn’t she bothered by this?
“He asked why you didn’t believe Juancho was responsible for the death of Boss Marissa when it was what he told me yesterday. I told him the reason, including the bastard’s current involvement with Sacramento’s group.”
“Get to the point, Hamilton.” My wife was not so patient. While I was still absorbing the information, she wanted to cut straight to the chase.
“Boss, he warned us that Juancho and Sacramento might already have a plan in place, and if you’re here, something bad could happen to Enzo in Ling City.”
“Shit!” my wife exclaimed, catching me off guard.
“What is it, honey?” I asked, concerned.
“Sacramento won’t be able to touch Enzo or anyone close to Princess and Patt.”
“So? That’s good, but why do you look so worried, Serene?” I asked Hamilton while I was still trying to understand my wife’s reaction.
“Who else does Juancho’s people know is close to the boss?” Hamilton answered with another question.
“Let’s go, Alex. We need to return to Ling City now.” My wife stood up and started walking away, and Hamilton followed me closely. I stopped suddenly and pulled Hamilton aside.
“When you say close to Serene, you mean close? Even someone she’s only recently interacted with?”
“Yes, Sir Alex.”
“Damn!” I cursed under my breath, the sudden thought of my parents hitting me like a punch to the gut. Could they be in danger? I knew Sacramento was bad news, but it suddenly felt much worse.
Quickly, I grabbed my phone and tried calling my mom, but it kept ringing. No answer. “Let’s go, Alex!” Serene shouted at me, so I hurried after her, my heart pounding as we exited the mansion.
A car was already waiting outside the front door. “Hamilton, take care of Grandpa and Grandma, and be ready,” my wife commanded as we walked towards the vehicle.
“Of course, boss,” Hamilton replied, getting ahead of us and opening the car door. I didn’t have time to thank him-I was too caught up in my growing worry.
All I could think about were my parents. Were they safe? The fear gnawed at me. As soon as we got into the car, it sped off towards the helicopter. I quickly called my pilot to make sure everything was ready.
When we arrived, the helicopter’s blades were already spinning. Serene and I quickly got out of the car and boarded without wasting time.
Once we were in the air, I could only pray that my parents were alright. Serene stayed silent beside me, lost in her thoughts. We headed for my office building, where the helicopter would land, and I called Von to prepare the car.
My heart was racing, my fear overwhelming me. I was terrified for my parents’ lives. But I knew Serene was feeling even more guilt, thinking it was her fault that my family had become a target.
After Juancho’s plan fell apart, I realized he might try to retaliate against me. That’s why I had already added more security for my parents. But with Sacramento involved, I wasn’t sure if the protection I’d put in place would be enough.
“Calm down, Alex,” my wife said gently once we were in the elevator. She stared at the numbers on the digital screen as he stamped her foot, clearly impatient for us to reach the ground floor.
“You should relax too, honey, or I’ll never be able to calm down,” I replied, trying to smile, though the tension in my chest didn’t ease.
Finally, the elevator doors opened, and Von was there waiting for me.
“The car is ready, Sir,” my assistant said. I nodded and thanked him, and Serene and I continued walking.
“To the mansion,” Serene told the driver as soon as we got into the car. I looked at her, confused.
“To our home, Alex.”
I nodded to the driver, and he began to drive. During the ride, I kept alternating between calling my parents’ numbers, but still no answer. My stomach twisted with every unanswered ring. Soon enough, we arrived at the mansion.
As we stepped into the house, my phone rang. I answered it quickly, hoping for good news.
“And you’re back,” said a man’s voice I didn’t recognize. My blood ran cold. Had they really taken my parents? Were they in danger?