Chapter 116. Keep Her Alive
Chapter 116. Keep Her Alive
Empty Ranch, Outskirt, Texas
Alexandra leaves the Stephen ranch later that morning, taking one of the black SUVs toward a property the Romanovs own on the outskirts of the county. The other two SUVs followed her, and the rest went to follow Roxanne to the hospital.
It’s not one of the family's impressive estates, and it has never been intended to be a permanent residence. The ranch exists almost by accident, acquired years ago when a business investment goes badly and a family uses the property as collateral for a loan they eventually fail to repay.
The Romanovs take ownership of it when the debt is settled, and because nobody in the family has any real use for another ranch in Texas, the land is left mostly untouched. Over the years, the property becomes one of those forgotten Romanov assets that appears on financial records but rarely enters anyone's conversation.
From the main road, there’s almost nothing to suggest that anyone lives there. A long dirt road cuts through tall, dry grass before reaching a collection of old wooden fences and weathered gates.
The fields stretch wide in every direction, their golden\-brown grass moving gently beneath the warm Texas wind. There are no cattle grazing in the distance, no workers riding across the property, and no machinery moving between the barns. The ranch is completely empty, exactly as Alexandra needs it to be.
The landscape reminds her of the photograph Roxanne once shows her from the ranch, although this place feels more isolated and neglected. The grass has grown high in several areas, and some sections of the fencing lean slightly from years of exposure to sun, rain, and wind.
A few old trees stand scattered around the property, their branches providing the only patches of shade across the open land. Beyond them sits the main house, a low wooden structure with a broad porch and a faded roof. The paint has worn away in places, revealing the darker wood underneath, while the windows remain intact and covered from the inside.
A weathered barn stands farther behind the house. Its large doors are closed, and the wood has turned gray with age. Beside it are several smaller outbuildings, all empty and locked.
Nothing about the property looks welcoming, but that’s precisely why Alexandra chooses it. There are no neighbors close enough to interfere, no curious ranch hands, and no regular visitors who might notice someone being kept there.
Two black SUVs are already parked beside the house when Alexandra arrives. The Romanov security team has been stationed there since Caleb Stephen was admitted to the hospital, securing the property and making certain Amelia can’t leave without their knowledge.
They aren’t there to harm her. Alexandra has given clear instructions that Amelia is to be treated properly, provided with food and water, and kept somewhere safe until Robert decides what he intends to do.
Alexandra leaves the Stephen ranch later that morning, taking one of the black SUVs toward a property the Romanovs own on the outskirts of the county. It’s not one of the family's impressive estates, and it has never been intended to be a permanent residence.
The ranch exists almost by accident, acquired years ago when a business investment goes badly and a family uses the property as collateral for a loan they eventually fail to repay. The Romanovs take ownership of it when the debt is settled, and because nobody in the family has any real use for another ranch in Texas, the land is left mostly untouched.
Over the years, the property becomes one of those forgotten Romanov assets that appears on financial records but rarely enters anyone's conversation.
From the main road, there is almost nothing to suggest that anyone lives there. A long dirt road cuts through tall, dry grass before reaching a collection of old wooden fences and weathered gates.
The fields stretch wide in every direction, their golden\-brown grass moving gently beneath the warm Texas wind. There are no cattle grazing in the distance, no workers riding across the property, and no machinery moving between the barns. The ranch is completely empty, exactly as Alexandra needs it to be.
The landscape reminds her of the photograph Roxanne once shows her from the ranch, although this place feels more isolated and neglected. The grass has grown high in several areas, and some sections of the fencing lean slightly from years of exposure to sun, rain, and wind.
A few old trees stand scattered around the property, their branches providing the only patches of shade across the open land. Beyond them sits the main house, a low wooden structure with a broad porch and a faded roof. The paint has worn away in places, revealing the darker wood underneath, while the windows remain intact and covered from the inside.
A weathered barn stands farther behind the house. Its large doors are closed, and the wood has turned gray with age. Beside it are several smaller outbuildings, all empty and locked. Nothing about the property looks welcoming, but that is precisely why Alexandra chooses it. There are no neighbors close enough to interfere, no curious ranch hands, and no regular visitors who might notice someone being kept there.
Two black SUVs are already parked beside the house when Alexandra arrives. The Romanov security team has been stationed there since the previous night, securing the property and making certain Amelia can’t leave without their knowledge.
They aren’t there to harm her. Alexandra has given clear instructions that Amelia is to be treated properly, provided with food and water, and kept somewhere safe until Robert decides what he intends to do.
Alexandra steps out of the SUV and looks across the empty fields before walking toward the house. The heat is already beginning to rise from the dry ground, carrying the smell of dust and old timber through the air. Her boots press into the loose dirt as she approaches the porch.
Inside, the house is just as plain as the outside. There is a small living room furnished with old sofas, a wooden dining table, and a kitchen that has not been used regularly in years. The furniture is clean but dated, and the rooms carry the faint smell of an old building that spends most of its time closed. Electricity and water have been restored for the guards, and a temporary supply of food has been brought in, but there is nothing luxurious about the place.
Alexandra walks through the hallway without slowing down until she reaches the room where Amelia is being kept. One of the guards opens the door, and Alexandra steps inside.
Amelia is there, sitting in an old bed near the window. She looks considerably less confident than she does at the Stephen ranch, and the sight of Alexandra immediately changes her expression. For years, Amelia has been accustomed to controlling the people around her by pressure, guilt, and the knowledge that Robert rarely has the strength to challenge her. Here, none of those things hold the same power.
Alexandra closes the door behind herself and looks at the woman calmly. “Hello, Amelia.”
Hearing her name, Amelia immediately stands. Recognition flashes across her face, followed by visible relief. “Alexandra, right? You’re Alex, Brandon’s wife?” Her voice is filled with confidence and relief, as she assumes the other person is there to help her.
“Yes.”
“Then you need to help me.” Amelia walks toward her without hesitation. “Let me go. I need to speak with Robert. He’ll come get me once he knows where I am. This whole thing is ridiculous, and I’ve no idea what those people think they’re doing.”
Alexandra raises an eyebrow at her words. “You'll stay here for now,” she says with a small, almost polite smile.
Amelia's expression changes immediately. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“You can't keep me here.” Amelia's voice rises, her audacity returning the moment she realizes Alexandra isn't cooperating. “I'm Robert's wife. This is a family matter, and you have absolutely no right to interfere. Brandon may be your husband, but that doesn't make you part of the Stephen family.”
Alexandra watches her for several seconds before calmly folding her arms. “I can,” she replies. “And I'm not doing this because I want—"
“Then call Robert and let him come get me.” Amelia cut her words.
“No.”
Amelia stares at her in disbelief. “You really think you can order me around?”
“I don't need to order you around.” Alexandra's smile remains gentle. “Robert needs time to decide what happens next. Until then, you're staying somewhere you can't manipulate him, threaten him, or interfere with his children.”
Amelia scoffs. “You have no idea what you're talking about.”
“Oh, I know enough.” Alexandra turns toward the door, her expression remaining calm. “And unlike Robert, I'm not afraid of you.”
She steps outside and lets the door behind her close. The moment she reaches the hallway, her expression hardens.
“Lock her in,” she orders the waiting guards. “Keep her alive and make sure she has everything she needs. Until Robert decides what he wants to do, we're not handing her over to the collectors.”
One of the men nods.
Alexandra continues without slowing. “Pay whatever interest is necessary to keep those people away from her. If any of those bastards try something funny, destroy the organization. I don't care how much it costs or who they think they are.”
“Yes, Madam.”
“It’s easier to destroy if they keep denying us, so whatever debt that woman owes, it will be taken under me. Nobody touches her unless I give the order.”
“Yes, Madam.”
As Alexandra walks farther down the hallway, behind the closed door, Amelia's voice is filled with a furious stream of insults. She shouts Alexandra's name repeatedly, demanding to be released, threatening to call Robert, Brandon, and anyone else she believes might still have enough influence to save her.
Alexandra doesn't turn around. She already knows Amelia's greatest weapon has never been physical strength. It’s her ability to make people feel guilty enough to give her what she wants, and Robert has spent years allowing that manipulation to work. Alexandra has no intention of giving her the same opportunity.
Outside, the empty ranch stretches beneath the wide Texas sky, the dry grass moving quietly in the warm wind. The property remains almost completely silent, far enough from the Stephen ranch that Amelia can’t reach her family and isolated enough that nobody will stumble across her by accident.