Chapter 44 Chapter 44: Lucas's Return

Chapter 44 Chapter 44: Lucas's Return

Lara's pov

I couldn't sleep at night at all.

I was just looking at the window, the message had made me scared. Lucas took this photos and sent them to me.

"Enjoying yourself? Not for long."

“You are still my wife. Don't let that leave your brain.”

Every sound I heard made me more scared. Every shadow made my heart race.

Damien was sleeping. Honestly, he needed that. But for me, I couldn't even try to close my eyes.

It was around six in the morning when Damien woke. He looked at me and said,

"Did you sleep at all?"

“I tried”.

I know you are lying, he said. "What's wrong?"

I didn't want to tell him. He just woke up from a coma. I didn't want to stress him out.

"Nothing. I'm just a little bit tired."

But he knew me very well. He asked again. I looked at my phone and then looked at him.

I couldn't lie any longer.



I stepped out and called Marcus. He came immediately.

“What's going on? He said.”

I showed him all the messages Lucas sent to me. He read them and said, "How is this possible? He's supposed to be in prison." I saw him the other time he came to this hospital as well.

"I'll make some calls and find out what's happening."

“Don't tell Damien about anything yet, he said, I'm hiring guards to watch the room until we figure this out."

"Okay."

"And Lara? Please you have to be careful. If Lucas is really out of prison, he's desperate. And desperate men are dangerous."

I knew that already.



TWO WEEKS AGO

Lucas's pov

I was lying down on my bed in my cell. The same place I had been sleeping since I got to the prison.

The two years I've spent here have been hell because of her.

Because of what my late mother and I did to her father. But even with that, I had been planning some things, such as how to get out of here.

The guard I had been paying for months came to my cell. I had been passing him money from my mother's account. The money she had hidden before she died.

“You have a visitor,” Bernard said.

I stood up and followed him to the visiting room. There was a man holding a briefcase and wearing an expensive suit. I had never set my eyes on him before.

I sat down across from him.

"Who are you?"

“I'm your lawyer. Or I'm going to be. If you want to get out of here”.

“Oh…. I'm listening."

He dropped a paper on the table. “There was a technicality in your arrest. There are some improper procedures. We can file an appeal.”

“Okay?”

"And if we file correctly and we pay the right people, you could get out of here in two weeks."

My heart beat increased. “ How much?”

"Your mother left money in offshore accounts. She left instructions before she died that I should get you out of prison. Whatever it takes."

A good mother. Even after death, age was still trying to fix my life.

"What do you have me do now?"

"Nothing serious. Just sign these papers and leave the rest for me.

I signed everything without reading it.

Two weeks later, I walked out of those prison gates.



ONE WEEK AGO

Lucas's pov

I'm free.

I stood outside the prison gates and just breathed. Fresh air touched me, not recycled prison air as usual.

There was a black expensive car waiting for me. The driver dropped out of the car and handed me some things.

A phone.A wallet with cash and an envelope.

I opened the envelope.

Photos. Of Lara at a hospital. With Damien Otto in a hospital bed and with that kid.

I smiled.

"Perfect."

I got to the car and told the guy to just take me to a hotel that's cheap. Somewhere people won't know about.

I wasn't going to use my name and my credit cards. I would just stay invisible until the time is right.


The hotel was so dirty, it was those old hotels. But I didn't care. I just want to lay my head somewhere. I spread those pictures on the bed.

Lara. Damien. The kid.

They looked happy like a family.

That actually made me sick.

"She thinks she can just move on like that," I said out loud. "And live happily ever with him."

“But she's still my wife. We were legally married.”

I picked up one photo. Lara was smiling at Damien in the hospital bed.

Ever since I knew her, she had never smiled at me like that. Not once in five years have I married her.

“I'm going to remind her that I was the one that married her legally”.

I had been following her for days, I even went to the hospital so she could know I'm not going back and that I'm not out of the prison.

I pulled out my phone and called someone.

"I need you to send a message for me."



PRESENT DAY

Lara's pov

Two security guards arrived at the hospital room. They looked like big guys, they dressed professionally. They stood outside the door and crossed their arms.

Damien looked confused. "What's going on? He asked.

I had to tell him everything. “Lucas knows you are here. I said, he sent me threatening texts last night and even came here.”

Damien tried to sit up, even with the pains.

“But he's in the prison, he said, how is that even possible he came here”.

"I don't know. I’ve told Marcus to find out ".

Damien became angry. “I'm not never letting him hurt you again. Not again”.

But he was too weak to even stand up. And we both knew it.

I sat beside him and took his hand. "The security will keep us safe. Let's just focus on you getting better and leaving here”.

But I could see it through his eyes. He didn't believe that.



Marcus came back an hour later. He looked so serious. “ I made some calls”, he said.

"And any information?"

"Lucas was released a week ago."

My stomach dropped. "What? How is that possible?"

"Some lawyer found a technical error in his arrest. Filed an appeal. He's out pending a new trial."

“So he's now free? Walking around?”

"For now. But there's a warrant out for him. He violated his release conditions by leaving the county. They're looking for him."

“I hope they find him. Because he was here. He took pictures.”

"We keep security tight. We stay alert. And we wait for the police to find him."

But I knew the police wouldn't find him. Not if Lucas didn't want to be found.



I went to hospital security and showed them Lucas's photo.

"This man is dangerous. Don't let him anywhere near the ICU floor."

The security guard looked at the photo. "We'll alert all entrances. Put his photo at every station."

"Thank you."



Lucas's pov

I was sitting in my car in the hospital parking garage.

Watching the entrance through binoculars.

I saw them holding my photo around and showing them to all the staff.

I smiled.

So she even told them about me. Good.

I was just making my presence known.

I want them to know that I'm around. I want her to lose her sleep and peace.

"Enjoy your time with him, Lara. Because it won't last long."

I started the car and drove away.

I had other plans to work on.



Lara's pov

The next day, Damien was feeling better and stronger.

A physical therapist came in. He helped him sit up, move his legs and try to stand.

He was really trying to do it and he really tried for the first time.



Lucas pov

I was at an internet café using a public computer.Looking up information on Damien Otto. His business. His assets. His properties.

I found what I was looking for. Contact information for his board of directors. His business partners.

I created a fake email address that nobody can trace.

Then I wrote a message.

"Damien Otto is mentally unfit to run his company. He suffered severe brain damage in his recent accident. Attached is evidence of his declining mental state."

I attached fake medical records. Fake psychiatric evaluations. All very official looking.

I'd paid someone good money to create them.

Then I hit send.

If I couldn't have Lara, I'd destroy everything she loved.

Starting with Damien's reputation.



Lara's pov

Marcus rushed into the room the next morning. He looked panicked.

"We have a problem." He showed us his tablet.

There was a news article about the accident . "Questions Raised About Damien Otto's Mental Fitness After Accident."

I read it. They were reporting that Damien had severe brain damage. That he was unfit to run his company.

"This is all lies," I said.

"I know. But someone leaked fake medical records to the press. And they're running with it."

Damien grabbed the tablet. Read the article. His face got red.

"This is Lucas. It has to be."

Let me get our lawyer and tell everyone it's fake.

But he had already made a damage.

Damien's phone started ringing. Board members. Investors. Everyone panicking.

His stock price was already dropping.

"This is my fault," I said. "Lucas is doing this because of me."

“No, it's not your fault”.

“If I hadn't left you, you wouldn't have had that accident.”

"Stop." Damien grabbed my hand. "I made the choice to drive that night. Not you. And Lucas is doing this because he's insane. Not because of anything you did."

I was silent for a moment, then I said."I need to end this. I need to face Lucas."

No please, "I can't let him destroy your life."

"He won't. We'll fight this together."

But I'd already made up my mind.

I stepped into the hallway and called Margaret.

"I want you to send a message to Lucas."
I want you to tell him I'll meet with him. To discuss this in person."

“Lara, I don't think that's good enough. He's a dangerous man and you know that”.

“I know, but I will still do this, I need to stop him.”

Margaret was quiet for some time.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes."

She sighed. “Okay. “ I'm going to set it up,I will let you know how it goes .

"Thank you."

I hung up.

I knew it was risky. But Lucas wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted.

And what he wanted was me.



Lucas's pov

My phone rang.

It was a call from Margaret. Lara's lawyer.

"My client wants to meet with you."

I smiled. I knew she would come around.

"Coffee shop on Sixth Street. The day after tomorrow. 2pm."

“She should come alone, I don't want any bodyguard with her”.

“Okay”.

I hung up.

This was perfect. I will now face Lara.

I would convince her and lure her to come back to me. I would remind her that we are still married and that she belongs to me.

And if she refused...

I looked at the small knife I'd bought yesterday. It was sitting on the motel table.

If she refused, I'd make sure she never belonged to anyone else either.



Lara's pov

The next morning, I told Damien about the meeting.

He was so scared that he exploded.

"Are you in your right sense? You can't meet with him!"

"I have to meet with him”.

"Then I'm coming with you."

“You aren't strong enough. The doctor said —-”

"I don't care what the doctors said. You're not doing this alone."

We argued for twenty minutes. But I wouldn't back down. He later agreed.

"Fine. But Marcus and security will be follow you there. And if he tries anything, anything at all—"

"He wouldn’t dare, trust me.

But I knew.

Lucas was desperate. And desperate men don't think normal.



That night I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about tomorrow. How I was going to face the man who destroyed my life.

About looking into his eyes and telling him never to disturb me again.

What if he didn't let me go? What if he did something crazy?

I pushed the thoughts away and tried to sleep.

But sleep didn't come.



Lucas's pov

I was getting ready for tomorrow.

I shaved, put on the nicest clothes I had. A grey jeans and a button- up shirt.

I needed to look good and look normal. Not like someone who just got out of prison.

I practiced what I would say to Lara.

“You will have to give me another chance”.

"We can start over. Be a family and raise our kid together."

But even as I said the words, I knew she wouldn't believe them.

She'd say no. She'd tell me it was over.

That's why I had a backup plan.

I touched the knife in my jacket pocket. Very small and sharp one.Easy to hide.

If she wouldn't come back to me willingly...

Then she wouldn't be with anyone.

I’d already planned how I was going to escape. A car waiting two blocks away.

After the coffee shop, I'd take her somewhere private. Make her understand.

One way or another, she'd be mine again.



Lara's pov

The morning of the meeting, I got dressed. I wore something very simple.Nothing fancy. Just jeans and a sweater. I wanted to look normal.

Damien was being discharged from the hospital early. Against doctor's orders.

But he insisted on coming. Even if he had to be in a wheelchair.

"I'm not letting you do this alone."

Marcus had security positioned around the coffee shop. Undercover. Blending in with customers.

Everything was in place.

My phone buzzed.

Text from Lucas. "Looking forward to seeing you, wife. Don't be late."

I stared at the message.

Wife. This guy is insane.

I took a deep breath.

"Let's go."

We left the hospital. Marcus drove and the security followed in another car.

Damien sat in the passenger seat while I sat at the back.

We were all silent as we headed to meet Lucas.

And I had no idea what he was really planning.