Chapter 149 Unexpected truth
Alex was stepping closer, calm, controlled, and dangerous. As he walked, his shoes scraped lightly against the concrete. He stopped a little distance away. His eyes narrowed as he studied the man’s face carefully.
There was nothing, no sign of recognition, no memory to place him. His gaze lingered, assessing more. He was mid to late twenties. Athletic build, but not enough to be a real threat. Not compared to him… not even close to Lucas.
Alex straightened slightly, his expression hardening. “What is your name?” he barked.
The man’s head tilted, and then, unexpectedly, he burst into laughter.
It echoed strangely in the enclosed space.
“The question,” the man muttered between chuckles, “should be why I’m here… tied up like a thief.”
Alex’s jaw tightened, irritation flashing across his face. “Oh?” he shot back coldly. “Then tell me, Mr. Tough guy… Why are you here tied up like a thief?”
The laughter faded, but the smirk lingered.
Alex took another step forward, his presence now suffocating.
“If you’re not ready to talk,” he continued, his voice dropping into something far more dangerous, “I can leave you here. Let time do the work. And when you’re finally dead,” He leaned in slightly, eyes dark and unblinking. “I’ll feed what’s left of you to the sea.”
A pause stretched.
“Would you prefer that as your choice… or will you tell me who sent you to monitor my fucking home?!”
Silence stretched.
The man held his gaze, breathing uneven but steady enough to show he wasn’t completely broken.
Alex’s patience snapped. “Were you sent by Mac?”
The reaction was immediate. Real, unfiltered confusion crossed the man’s face.
Alex saw it, but that wasn't what he had expected
“Who the hell is Mac?” the guy asked, brows knitting together.
Alex didn’t respond right away.
Instead, he watched him closely. The hesitation, the eyes, the tone…Doubt crept in more.
He expected the man to flinch at the mention of Mac’s name but he didn't. That made the guy's presence a second problem. It hit Alex immediately. Mac wasn’t the only one watching.
Angrily, Alex’s voice rose again, sharp and unforgiving. “If it’s not Mac, then who the fuck sent you?!”
The question slammed into the room, leaving no space to breathe.
And this time there was no laughter.
The man flinched at Alex’s outburst, his shoulders tensing, but he quickly forced himself to steady. His breathing evened out as he lifted his chin, trying to hold on to whatever decision he had made.
“No one sent me,” he said, voice strained but firm. “And I didn’t do anything wrong. I was passing by your house when your guys ran me over like…”
“And how did you know that was my house?” Alex cut in sharply, eyes narrowing.
The man frowned, confused but quick to respond. “You just said it yourself, that I was watching your house.”
Behind the stack of tools, Lucas shifted slightly, his brows knitting together. There was something about the man’s face. He seemed familiar to him.
His eyes sharpened as he leaned just a fraction forward, studying him more closely. His mind worked quickly, trying to place it, where had he seen him before?
“I’m asking you for the last time,” Alex’s voice cracked through the space again, colder now, more dangerous. “Who the hell sent you?”
The man’s patience snapped. He glared up at Alex, defiance flashing despite the situation.
“Go to hell,” he muttered. “and fuck yourself.”
The reaction was instant as Alex closed the remaining distance in a flash and smacked him. One resounding slap across the left cheek, and another across the right.
The sound echoed harshly through the storage.
The man cried out, his head snapping sideways as blood filled his mouth. He spat to the side, wincing.
“Damn it! What was that for?!” he snapped, voice breaking. “This is against the law, you can’t just kidnap me and…”
Smack! Another slap, harder this time.
“And you think monitoring my house in preparation for a robbery isn’t against the law?” Alex shot back, his voice low with controlled fury.
The man’s eyes widened. This time in fear and more defense. “Wh…what? I’m not a thief! You can’t just…”
“You’re not a thief?” Alex cut him off, his tone razor-sharp. “Then prove it.”
He leaned in, his gaze piercing straight through him.
“Who are you working for?” Alex asked, dropping the words one at a time.
Silence fell again, but this time, it trembled. Behind the tools, Lucas’s breath hitched slightly as it clicked.
His eyes widened in sudden realization as he stared harder at the man’s face. Now he knew where he had seen him before.
Without giving it more thought, Lucas stepped out of the shadows like a man done hiding from ghosts. The air in the room shifted instantly.
Alex’s gaze snapped to him, sharp and questioning. Thomas straightened, his grip tightening on the restrained man. Even the guards stilled, sensing something heavier than interrogation had just walked in.
But Lucas didn’t spare any of them a glance. His eyes were locked on the man, slow, steady, and certain.
“I’ve been thinking,” Lucas said, his voice low but cutting through the silence, “Where I knew you from.”
The man froze. Then recognition hit him like a slap. His face drained. His lips trembled. “Luc…Lucas…” he stammered, panic rising in his voice. “Plea...please help me. I didn’t do anything wrong. They’re hurting…”
“Shut your dirty mouth!” Lucas’s voice cracked through the room like thunder.
The man flinched violently, words dying in his throat.
Alex and Thomas stared in surprise at the sound of his voice.
Lucas took a step closer, his eyes blazing, suspicion and anger surfacing all at once. “Did he put you up to this?”
The man swallowed hard, shaking his head too quickly. “I…I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was your senior back in school. Have you forg…”
“I wasn’t talking about school!”
Lucas’s voice rose furiously.
Even Alex’s brows furrowed slightly, this wasn’t just anger. This was personal.
Lucas closed the distance in two strides, grabbing the front of the man’s shirt, forcing him to meet his gaze. “I’m talking about Gabe,” he said, each word deliberate. “You’re working with Gabe, and Gabe is working for my father.”
The man’s silence betrayed him.
Lucas’s grip tightened. “Did my father send you?” he demanded, his voice dropping into something colder. “Did he send you to follow me around?”
The man’s breathing turned ragged. His eyes darted anywhere but Lucas. And that hesitation, told Lucas everything.
Behind him, Alex straightened slowly, the weight of the revelation settling in. If Lucas was right, then this wasn’t just surveillance, it was family betrayal.
All eyes were on the guy, waiting impatiently for him to speak.
The man finally broke, his voice cracking as he whispered, “You don’t understand, if I talk, I will be in deep shit.”
“Oh, and you think if you don't talk I will leave you walking freely.” Alex snapped, angrily.
“I was only doing my job. I was just to report my observation, that's all.”
That instant the guy’s phone buzzed in his pocket.