Chapter 77 The Consequence

Chapter 77 The Consequence
The fighting didn't stop. Instead, it intensified as Lorenzo lunged forward, sweat pouring down his face as he swung his hand in a fist, but Alexander was faster; he ducked, driving his own fist straight into the center of Lorenzo’s face.

Lorenzo’s head snapped back, blood spraying from his nose, hitting his white shirt. He stumbled back, gasping for air. His hands flew to his face to hold his nose and stop the blood.

"Alex, stop!" Isabella screamed from the corner, her voice thin and sharp with fear.

The sound of her voice pulled at Alexander. His eyes flickered toward her for a split second, and Lorenzo used it as an opportunity. He quickly reached across the floor and grabbed a thick, heavy plank of wood. He didn't think twice. He swung it upward with everything he had. The wood caught Alexander straight on the side of his head.

Alexander’s eyes went blank. He hit the floor hard. His body went limp.

"No!" Isabella shrieked. She threw herself at Lorenzo, pounding her small fists against his chest. "Leave him alone! Lorenzo, stop! You’re going to kill him!"

Lorenzo didn't even look at her; he backhanded her with a hard slap that sent her flying toward the wall. He walked over to the half-conscious Alexander and started kicking him in his ribs.

"You touched my wife," Lorenzo hissed, breathing hard. "You crawled into my house and thought you could take what belongs to me?"

"Please!" Isabella begged as she crawled back toward them on her knees. She grabbed Lorenzo’s leg, her face wet with tears. "Please, just stop. He’s dying! Have mercy, Lorenzo!"

He finally stopped, but only because he was out of breath. He looked up as tires screeched outside. Four of his guards burst through the door with their guns out.

"Take him," Lorenzo ordered, pointing at Alexander’s broken body. "Take him to the estate, and put him in the secret room. I want him there until I decide how to finish this."

He turned to Isabella, his eyes cold and dead. "And her. Take her home. Lock her in the bedroom. If she touches the door handle, break her fingers. No one goes in. She doesn't come out. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," the men grunted.

Isabella fought them, screaming and scratching, but they dragged her away like she weighed nothing. Across the room, two other men lifted Alexander by his arms. His toes dragged through the thick dust as they hauled him toward a different car.

Bianca stood near the doorway, her arms crossed tight over her chest. She had watched the whole thing with a small smile, loving the way Isabella’s life fell apart. 

She felt like an idiot. All the spying and hiring Camilla had been for nothing.

Lorenzo wiped his bloody nose with his sleeve as he walked toward her. "You," he said, his voice sharp. "How did you find this place, Bianca? Why are you here?"

Bianca took a shaky breath as she decided she needed to tell the truth. "I thought you were betraying me, Lorenzo. At the gala, I followed you to the bathroom, and I heard a woman moaning. I thought it was Isabella. I thought you were sleeping with her."

Lorenzo stared at her, looking shocked. "You thought I... with her?"

"I’ve been watching you both ever since," she admitted. "I planted Camilla in your house, and I made her follow her. We followed her today because we thought she was coming to meet you."

Lorenzo’s face changed. The anger left, and he looked almost sorry. He stepped closer to her and took her hands; his fingers had Alexander’s blood on them, but his touch was soft.

"Bianca, look at me," he whispered. "I could never leave you for a girl like her. She is just a tool. You are the woman I chose. I love you."

Bianca looked into his eyes."You mean that?"

"I swear it. I will handle them. They will pay for this." He checked his watch and swore. "I have to go. Salvatore and Luca are waiting at the office. The merger papers are ready. I can't be late."

Bianca nodded, feeling a lot better. “Alright. I’ll go home."

He gave her a quick kiss. Then he jumped into his car and drove away fast toward the city.

He gripped the steering wheel so hard his hands ached, his nose was hurting, and his mind was spinning. His phone buzzed, and he answered, hitting the speaker.

"Talk to me," he barked.

"Sir," the guard’s voice sounded nervous. "We have the girl locked up. But there’s a problem at the house."

"What is it?"

"We tried to put the bodyguard in the secret room. But the key... it’s not on the ring you gave us, sir. We can't get in. We've looked everywhere."

Lorenzo’s heart stopped, breaking into a cold sweat. He almost drove off the road.

Then he remembered the sound he had heard on the floor in the bedroom, and Isabella had claimed it was her bracelet. Was it the key? 

Fuck!

"New plan!" He shouted into the phone. "Take him to the warehouse. The old packing plant. Tie him up and beat him until he can’t move. I’m going to finish the merger, and then I’m coming there to kill him myself."



At the warehouse, the air was cold. It smelled like rust and dust. Alexander was thrown onto the concrete floor like a bag of trash. He couldn't move his arm, and everything he saw was blurry

.

The guards didn't stop. They used their boots and their fists. They hit his ribs and his face over and over. Alexander didn't fight back. He couldn't. 

Suddenly, a ringing sound came from his pocket.

One of the guards reached down and pulled out Alexander’s phone. He looked at the screen and laughed.

"Answer it," the guard said, holding the phone in front of his bloody face. "Talk normally, or I’ll break your legs right now. Do it!"

Alexander’s hand shook. He took the phone and hit the button.

"Hello?" he wheezed.

"Mr. Alexander?" a woman’s voice asked. "This is the nurse from the hospital. I’m calling to let you know that your mother is doing much better. She’s ready to go home this evening. You just need to come by, pay the bill, and pick her up. She’s very excited to see you."

Alexander felt his heart break. "Okay," he choked out. "I’ll... I’ll be there."

The guard grabbed the phone and hung up. He looked at the other men and laughed.

"Did you hear that? His mommy is waiting for him." The guard leaned down, grabbed Alexander’s hair, and pulled his head back hard. "That’s great news for the boss. You were brave enough to sleep with his wife, right? Then you should be brave enough to watch what we do to your mother."

"No," Alexander gasped, blood seeping from his mouth. "Please... she has nothing to do with this. Leave her alone. Please!"

The men just laughed louder. 

"Please," he sobbed, his voice a ragged whisper. "Have mercy. Please... not her.”