Chapter 230: Let me be mad

Alex quickly accessed the footage.

First the reception area. He fast-forwarded, rewound, and checked every angle.

Nothing.

Lucas never entered.

Alex's pulse pounded loudly in his ears. "No..."

He switched cameras, to the parking lot. He rolled the footage backward. Minute by minute. Then he saw Lucas's car.

Alex immediately sat forward.

"Come on..."

The footage showed Lucas stepping out of the vehicle, smiling, completely unaware.

Then a masked figure appeared.

Moving quickly and purposefully.

Alex's entire body went rigid.

"No..."

The stranger grabbed Lucas from behind. A white handkerchief covered his mouth.

Lucas fought. Alex could see him struggling. Could see the panic, the desperation, and the terror.

Within seconds, Lucas's movements weakened. Then stopped.

The masked man dragged him away. Alex watched at how Lucas was taken again.

Silence filled the room.

For a moment, Alex couldn't breathe. The blood drained from his face. His heart felt like it had stopped.

"No..." Not again. His voice cracked.

He picked up his phone and called Dan.

“Yes boss.”

“I need you to pulled down street footage starting from my main office's parking lot. “

“Did anything happen?

“Someone kidnapped Lucas”

“Again?”

I want to cooperate with the kidnapper to get Lucas home safely.”

“Okay sir”

He replayed the footage, as if somehow it would change. As if Lucas would suddenly escape.

As if this nightmare would undo itself.

But every time, the same thing happened.

The same masked man, the same struggle. The same disappearance.

Alex's vision blurred. A horrifying memory surfaced when James betrayed him. When he nearly died.

A hospital bed, he was about to slit his veins, then that sweet boy, standing at the door with a trembling voice stopped him.

Then two years of searching, before he found him. They were happy, but then the Hunter guy and James kidnapping. Then the accident, memory loss and manipulated marriage with Derby. The grief that followed it, believing he'd lost Lucas forever.

Then a few days ago, Lucas remembered him, and now this.

"Oh my God..." His voice broke completely. Tears trailed down his face.

"Please not again. My poor Lucas is innocent. Why won't they take me? Let them take me instead of him."

The words came out as a whisper, like a plea, and a prayer.

"Please..."

Alex slumped back into his chair.

His hands shook violently. "This is too much for him."

For the first time in years, genuine fear consumed him. The fear was raw and crippling, because he had just gotten Lucas back.

After all that pain, after finally trusting in their love for each other again. After having hope of marrying him, someone had taken him again.

Worst of all, Alex couldn't shake the terrifying feeling that history was about to repeat itself. Only this time,

he wasn't sure he would survive losing Lucas again.

He called Jason, and told him.

Jason called the family, and within twenty minutes, they had all gathered in Alex’s office.

The conference room had become chaotic.

Alex's security team led by Dan, occupied one side of the room, speaking in urgent clusters as they reviewed footage and made calls.

Thomas was coordinating with several men at once.

Annie sat near the table, trying to stay calm despite the worry written all over her face.

Sally Benson stood beside her son, one hand resting on his shoulder.

Alex hadn't moved much since watching the CCTV footage.

His eyes remained fixed on nothing. Every passing minute felt like another knife twisting into his chest. He was waiting for the kidnapper's call.

Then the door opened. Everyone looked up. Caleb Benson walked in.

The moment he stepped inside and heard what was happening, his face darkened.

He didn't even bother sitting down.

"Alex." His voice cut through the room.

Alex slowly looked up.

Caleb said to him. "Isn't that boy married to Ashton's daughter?"

The room fell silent.

"What are you still doing with him?"

Alex's exhausted eyes narrowed.

"He is getting a divorce, Dad."

Caleb scoffed. "That's not my question."

Alex stood. His voice shook with emotion. "He remembered me."

The room quieted even further.

Alex swallowed hard. "He remembers I'm his Alex."

Annie's eyes widened. "His memory is back?"

Alex nodded. "Not everything."

His lips trembled slightly. "But he remembers enough."

A faint smile appeared despite the fear consuming him. "He remembers he loves me. He remembered what we've shared."

The smile vanished almost immediately. "And that was enough for me."

Caleb stared at his son as if he'd completely lost his mind. Then he threw his hands into the air.

"Goddamn it, Sally!"

His voice echoed through the room. "Your son has gone completely mad."

Sally rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop it dear."

"I'm serious."

"So am I." She folded her arms.

"Alex and Lucas love each other."

Caleb looked horrified. "The boy is married."

"Not for much longer, Dad. If loving Lucas is madness, then let me be mad." Alex put in.

Caleb groaned loudly.

"None of this should even be our business." He pointed toward the security monitors. "You should call the police and let them do their job."

Nobody responded, or even looked at him. The room had already shifted back to discussing the search for Lucas.

Some focused on the CCTV footage. Some talking about possible locations, or suspects.

Caleb stood there in disbelief. Then asked no one in particular. "Am I the only sane person here?"

“Caleb dear, I understand where you're coming from but let's say he is your son in law, won't you try to keep him safe?”

“Of course, I will, but…?”

“No buts dear.” Sally put in quickly shutting Caleb up.

That instant Alex straightened.

An idea had struck him. Without a word, he picked up his phone.

Thomas frowned. "What are you doing boss?"

Alex ignored him. He found Derby's number and pressed call. Then activated the speakerphone.

Everyone fell silent as the phone rang once, then twice.

Derby answered. The second she heard his voice, she exploded. "Don't you dare call my line."

The room stiffened.

"Because I have absolutely nothing to say to you after what you…"

"What I did was wrong." Alex cut her off. His voice cracked.

Everyone immediately turned toward him.

"But you have no right to kidnap him."

Alex's breathing became uneven.

"Where are you keeping him?"

A pause followed.

"What the heck are you talking about?" Derby's voice sounded genuinely confused.

Alex squeezed his eyes shut.

"Lucas."

The room listened carefully.

"You took Lucas."

A disturbing silence followed.

Derby spoke again. Her voice had changed completely. "Lucas was kidnapped again?" The shock in her voice sounded real.

Then unexpectedly, she laughed, but not mockingly, rather in disbelief.

"Alex, are you serious right now?"

Alex's hands trembled."Please."

His voice broke. "Just release him."

The room froze. Nobody had ever heard Alex sound like this.

"I'll do anything." Tears spilled down his face. "I'll stay away from him."

Silence filled the room. His voice became barely audible.

"Please." Another tear escaped. "Just let him go."

For the first time since the call began, Derby sounded alarmed.

"Okay, now you're scaring me."

Her voice softened. "I didn't kidnap Lucas."

Alex's head snapped up.

"What?"

"I didn't take him."

The room exchanged uneasy glances.