Chapter 148 Retreat
Mac shot to her feet so abruptly that the chair behind him screeched across the tiled floor, the sharp sound cutting through the dimly lit room. Unease clawed at his chest, his thoughts racing faster than he could contain them.
“Damn it… Alex isn’t affected anymore.” His voice was low, tight with frustration.
Without hesitation, he reached up and pulled off the wig. Instantly, dark, natural hair spilled down Mac's back. Then came the mustache, peeled away in one swift motion.
“Hunter… what are you doing?” her accomplice asked, straightening from where she leaned against the table.
Mac let out a dry laugh. “Ending the act.” She turned, her real face now fully revealed. “There’s no point hiding behind ‘Mac’ anymore. If we push this further, it’ll backfire.”
She dragged a hand through her hair, jaw clenched. “I know Alex. The longer we stay in the shadows, the more dangerous he becomes.”
Her accomplice’s expression shifted, the ease gone. “So… this plan is over?”
Larrisa, the former Mac, gave a humorless chuckle. “He should’ve cracked by now. Slipped or even made a mistake.” She paused, her eyes narrowing. “But he didn’t. He adapted.”
Silence filled the room, heavy and suffocating.
“That makes him dangerous,” Larrisa added quietly.
She exhaled, forcing herself to calm down. “We pull back and regroup. This isn’t over, we need a better angle.”
Her accomplice nodded slowly. “Yeah, Hunter… we retreat and restrategize.”
A faint smirk tugged at Larrisa’s lips. “You enjoy calling me Hunter, don’t you?”
The accomplice didn’t deny it. “You’ll remain Hunter until this revenge is complete.” Her voice hardened. “He played a role in my mother’s death. He doesn’t get happy ever after.”
For a brief second, something flickered in Larrisa’s eyes, not sympathy, not quite, but understanding. Then it was gone, replaced with cold calculation.
“Next time,” she said, her voice dropping, “we don’t just shake him.” Her gaze hardened. “We break him.”
Meanwhile, without even realizing it, Alex had already won this round. The pressure, the silence, the calculated restraint, had forced Larrisa’s hand before he ever needed to act.
Standing still, she let out a quiet breath, her earlier confidence stripped away.
“Well,” she said finally, more controlled now, “All calls and messages to Alex will have to stop immediately.”
Her accomplice gave a small nod in agreement. And just like that, the game paused, though not for long as they re-strategized.
Meanwhile, from Alex's side, his face was with a cold, unyielding stare. He stood up, took a slow step forward to nowhere, his voice calm but carrying an unmistakable edge of dominance. “I've had enough of you, Mac Hunter. You’ve pushed me far enough.”
The warm glow from the morning light through the parted curtain shone across the dining table. The quiet clink of cutlery and the faint aroma of coffee lingered as Alex and Lucas finished breakfast.
Alex wiped his hands and leaned back slightly. “I need to step out for a while,” he said casually.
Lucas didn’t respond immediately, but the look in his eyes said enough. He already knew it was for interrogation. He set his fork down slowly and met Alex’s gaze. “I want to go with you.”
Alex sighed, already shaking his head. “No. You should stay here. It won’t take long.”
Lucas leaned back in his chair, folding his arms with a small pout. “I know you will say that but I want to come. What if I know the guy?”
“Oh, you know where I'm going?” Alex asked, a bit surprised, trying to stay firm. “Baby, it’s not exactly a place I want you to be.”
But Lucas wasn’t listening anymore and wasn’t ready to take a no for an answer.
Instead, he got up, walked around, and sat on Alex’s lap, taking him by surprise yet again. The stubbornness in his eyes softened into something warm and teasing.
“Please, honey?” he said, his voice dropping just enough to melt resistance.
Alex searched his eyes slightly, already sensing where this was going. “Lucas…”
But Lucas wasn’t done. He reached out, straightening Alex’s collar with unnecessary care. His fingers brushed his neck, lingering just a second too long. Then he smiled, that disarming, sweet smile that he believed would get him his way.
“Please, sweet boo, let me come with you, so in case I see him somewhere else next time, I will know how to go about it, hmm.”
Alex let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head. “You’re unbelievable.”
Lucas tilted his head. “Is that a yes?”
Alex tried to hold on a little longer, but it was pointless. It would always be with Lucas.
“Baby…” he muttered, pulling Lucas closer by the waist, a helpless smile tugging at his lips.
“You really know how to make me say yes, don’t you?”
Lucas chuckled softly, clearly pleased with himself. He leaned in and brushed a kiss against Alex’s lips. “Are you saying I’m sweet?”
Alex’s expression softened. He lifted a hand, gently caressing Lucas’s cheek. His thumb brushed lightly against his skin.
“You’re too sweet,” he murmured. “My baby.”
Then he tilted his face closer, capturing his lips in a deeper, lingering kiss that spoke of both affection and surrender.
And just like that, Lucas got his way.
In about a thirty-minute drive, they arrived.
The parking storage at Benson’s construction company was dim and heavy with the scent of dust, oil, and rusted metal. Tools hung from the walls, and half-used equipment lay scattered across the concrete floor, casting long, uneven shadows under the weak overhead light.
At the center of it all, a man sat bound to a chair, hands and feet tightly secured, a blindfold covering his eyes.
The metal door creaked open.
Alex stepped in first, his presence instantly filling the space. Lucas followed closely behind, his eyes scanning the room before landing on the captive.
“This way,” Alex said quietly, guiding him to a spot behind a stack of tools. It was hidden enough, but still gave a clear view.
“Stay here,” Alex added, his tone softer now, meant only for Lucas.
Lucas nodded, though his curiosity burned stronger than his hesitation.
Alex walked forward, every step measured, controlled. The air around him seemed to shift…colder and sharper.
“Remove the blindfold,” he ordered.
Thomas stepped forward without hesitation and untied the cloth, pulling it off in one swift motion.
The man blinked rapidly, squinting against the light as he tried to focus, disoriented and breathing unevenly.
“Wake him up.”
Alex’s voice cracked through the space. It was cold, commanding, and unfamiliar.
From Lucas' spot, he stiffened slightly, eyes widening.
Wow… my Alex is sounding like a mafia boss, he thought, a flicker of surprise running through him. Before he could process it further, the sound came…Splash!
Thomas had dumped a full bucket of water over the man’s head.
The captive gasped violently, his body jerking as the cold soaked through him. He coughed, shivering, water dripping from his face as he struggled to regain awareness.
Slowly, he lifted his head.
His blurred vision cleared just enough to make out a figure approaching him.
The man froze.