Chapter 182: Hidden from them

It felt like the air had been ripped out of his lungs. His fingers slackened around Lucas’s hand as if he’d been burned.

“What…?” he whispered, shaking his head in disbelief. “Lucas, it’s me. It’s Alex.”

No response except that same distant, searching look. Like the name meant nothing.

Panic surged through Alex. “Come on, stop joking,” Alex said quickly, a strained laugh breaking through. “This isn’t funny. You…you scared the hell out of me, okay? So don’t joke…”

“Mr. Alex,” the doctor interrupted gently but firmly.

Alex turned sharply, eyes wide, desperation bleeding through. “No, you said he was fine, you didn't say he’d forget me! He knows me, he has to remember, please do something!”

Alex was panicking badly. He didn't expect what he was observing. He paced around running a hand through his hair. Then turned back and stared at Lucas forcing himself to steady his composure.

“Sweetheart, look at me!”

Lucas flinched at the raised voice, discomfort flashing across his face. He just called him sweetheart. What the heck is going on?

“I… I don’t…” he murmured, pulling his hand slightly away. “I don’t know you.”

That was it. The last thread snapped.

Alex stepped back as if the ground beneath him had shifted.   “No…” he breathed, running a hand through his hair. “No, no, no, that’s not possible.”

The doctor exhaled quietly, his expression turning grave. He called Alex out to talk.

“This is what I was concerned about,” he said as they stepped out of the room. “The scans showed significant trauma to areas of the brain responsible for memory processing.”

Alex looked at him like he’d just spoken a different language.

“What are you saying?” he demanded.

“I’m saying,” the doctor continued carefully, “that the head injury has likely caused memory loss. From what we’re seeing now, it appears to be retrograde amnesia but I hope it's partial.”

The words hit hard, but not as hard as their meaning.

Alex’s voice dropped to a hollow whisper. “You’re saying he really forgot me?”

“He may have lost memories from before the accident,” the doctor said. “We don’t know how extensive it is, yet. So for now, he couldn’t recall you. It could be partial… or more severe.” The doctor inhaled feeling sorry for Alex who was almost close to tears.

“No, doctor, you have to help him to recover. Is there no treatment?”

“Listen, we need to run more tests to ascertain how bad it is. You need to go home freshened up and come back. Who knows he may recall everything before you return.”

“Is that possible?” Alex asked with hope.

“Of course, it's possible but not certain.” The doctor responded.

Alex went back into the room and walked to Lucas slowly.

Lucas was still watching him, but now there was unease in his eyes.  He could see the wariness, the distance, no warmth or even a little familiarity.

Alex’s chest tightened painfully.

“Lucas…” he said again, softer this time, like saying it differently might change something.

Lucas hesitated, then asked, almost apologetically. “Are you… family?”

The question broke something deep inside him.

Alex let out a shaky breath, his eyes glistening. “Yeah,” he said hoarsely, even as his voice cracked. “Yeah… something like that.”

Behind him, the doctor signaled quietly to the nurse, already preparing for further tests. From his observations, this wasn’t just confusion. It was confirmation.

The serious head injury hadn’t just hurt Lucas, it had taken pieces of his life. And Alex was one of them.

After a few minutes, they came with a wheelchair to take Lucas out for more tests.

Alex headed home to freshen up.

Meanwhile, Lucas’s father thought Lucas had purposely refused to return home last night.

So first thing in the morning, he headed to Benson’s.

The iron gates slammed open under the force of Mr. Westman’s push, the sound echoing sharply through the quiet morning.

“Benson!” his voice thundered as he stormed into the compound, fury rolling off him in waves. “Call your son to order! If anything happens to Lucas…”

The front door swung open before he could finish. Mr. Benson stepped out, still in his morning robe, his expression darkening instantly.

“What is the meaning of this nonsense, barging into my house and shouting like a madman?”

“Don’t you dare act ignorant!” Mr. Westman snapped, pointing an accusing finger. “Keep Alex away from my son. I warned you before!”

The raised voices drew attention.

Mrs. Benson appeared behind her husband, her face lined with concern. “What’s going on?”

Footsteps followed, Jason and Annie hurried out next, confusion written all over their faces.

“Dad?” Jason asked, glancing between the two older men. “Why is Mr. Westman yelling?”

Mr. Benson’s patience snapped. “You have exactly ten seconds to leave my house before I call the police.”

But Mr. Westman didn’t budge. His anger shifted, something darker creeping in.

“Call whomever you want,” he said, voice dropping. “It won’t change the fact that my son is missing.”

The words hit like a sudden storm.

“What?” Mrs. Benson gasped, her hand flying to her chest.

Jason frowned. “Missing? What do you mean by missing?”

Mr. Benson’s glare faltered slightly. “Explain yourself.”

Mr. Westman exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “Lucas didn’t come home last night. So as far as I'm concerned, he was with Alex.” His eyes hardened again.

Annie’s face was drained of color. “No… no, that’s not possible…”

Jason shook his head. “Alex was home late last night. He didn’t say anything about Lucas.”

“That’s exactly the problem!” Mr. Westman cut in. “This is happening because of your son. Lucas was kidnapped three days ago by people targeting Alex!”

“What!” All of them chorused at once.

A heavy, suffocating silence fell.

Mrs. Benson staggered back a step. “Kidnapped…?” she whispered, barely able to form the word.

Mr. Benson’s expression turned grave. “You’re accusing my son of being responsible for your son’s kidnapping?”

“I’m stating facts!” Mr. Westman shot back. “Alex has enemies, dangerous ones. And now my son is paying the price for being close to him!”

Jason clenched his fists. “That’s not fair. You don’t even know that for sure.”

“Enough!” Annie snapped suddenly, her voice trembling.    “Lucas is missing, and you’re all arguing?!”

Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears. “We didn’t even know…” she said, softer now, shaking her head. “How could something like this happen and we had no idea…?”

Mrs. Benson turned to her husband, panic rising in her voice. “We have to call Alex. He might know where he is.”

Mr. Benson nodded stiffly, though his jaw remained tight. “If what you’re saying is true,” he said to Mr. Westman, “then shouting here is a waste of time. We need details, everything you know.”

Mr. Westman hesitated as he realized they knew nothing.

“This is unbelievable. So your son kept such a huge crime a secret, for fucking what?. Police were still investigating because one of the culprits escaped. James and one other…”

“James!” They all chorused again.

He stared at them in surprise. “You knew him? Is he family or what?”

“How dare that son of a bitch come back to this city to constitute a nuisance again?” Alex’s father flared up.

“So Lucas is not in their custody since they are in police custody already, right?”Alex’s mother asked.

“Yes he was found and set free, but he is missing right now. He agreed to return home but never returned. Even his phone was switched off.” He was breathing hard.

“But, I don't get it. If the so-called James is a family enemy, why didn’t  he pick one of you, hmm?”

Alex’s father glared at him. “Who told you he is family.  He is no fucking family. My son nearly died years ago because of that son of a bitch.”

“Then tell your son to stay away from my son, that's the message I brought to you.”

Meanwhile, Jason was already dialing Alex's number on his phone. His fingers shook slightly as he dialed.

The tension in the air thickened, every second stretching painfully as they waited for Alex to pick up.