Chapter 109
Elizabeth's POV
Carter looked at me, his gaze so intent it felt like he was trying to see straight through me. Just because of that, I deliberately shifted to the side, refusing to give him what he wanted.
"Mr. Windsor, I think this deal is fair for both of us. Don't you?"
If he took me to Alexander, he wouldn't lose anything.
"Mr. Windsor, I think you should be very clear about what it would mean to go against Alexander. But if you take me to him now, he'll definitely remember that you did him this favor."
I said it to test him, to see just how confident Carter actually was about all of this.
When I caught the flicker of hesitation on his face, the idea in my mind only solidified further. Carter was not completely sure of himself.
So he was weighing things in his head, silently calculating how much control he really had over the situation.
I met his eyes and forced myself not to back down, not now. I had to look even more justified and unwavering.
Carter did not answer.
"Take me to buy a new phone," I said bluntly, putting my demand out there without waiting for his response, then started walking out on my own.
If I was going to find Alexander, I had to make sure I could at least protect myself. I could not afford any accidents.
Carter followed behind me, making no move to stop me, almost overly cooperative.
Once I had the new phone in hand, I checked it carefully, making sure there was nothing wrong with it before I followed him to where Alexander was supposed to be.
On the way, the way Carter kept looking at me was anything but clear and straightforward.
"Sometimes I really don't know if you actually care about him," he said.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I frowned and looked at him. "Carter, I'm warning you, don't try anything. Otherwise, I'll expose everything and let everyone see what you've really done."
By now, it was obvious that Carter cared a lot about his reputation. That alone was enough for me to use as leverage.
As for everything else, I could only keep feeling my way forward, step by step, and not do anything impulsive.
Still, what he had just said stuck with me.
I knew Alexander was in danger, so of course I needed to get to him as fast as possible.
But once I was in that car, everything around me felt foreign. I had to stay on high alert, especially around the man sitting next to me.
Would Carter try something on the way? What was he thinking? Every single possibility was something I needed to watch out for.
The car kept picking up speed. I watched the scenery outside the window keep changing, then realized we were heading somewhere unfamiliar.
Everything waiting ahead was a giant question mark. I had no idea what was going to happen.
"What is your plan, exactly? Why did you lure him to a place like that?" I could not help asking, my brain running through scenario after scenario.
Were they planning to go after Alexander directly? I honestly did not think they had that kind of nerve.
'Use me to hurt Alexander? That was way too big of a risk. No one could guarantee I mattered that much to him.'
Even if Alexander had taken the bait, with his level of intelligence, there was no reason he would not recognize a setup when he saw it.
So why had he still walked right into it?
"We're here." Just as my thoughts were spiraling, Carter's voice came from beside me. I jerked back to reality, my expression a little off.
I had actually zoned out like that, thinking about Alexander.
I made a silent promise to myself that once I saw Alexander, I was going to ask him exactly what had been going through his head.
Why would he go this far for me?
I took a deep breath and looked where Carter was gesturing, spotting a standalone house up ahead.
"Alexander is in there?" I asked, my brows tightening, my face turning ugly.
A place this remote did not happen by accident. It screamed premeditated. Getting out of the car with Carter, every possible danger was an unknown.
Carter nodded, then suddenly laughed. "I've already brought you all the way here. You really think I'm still lying to you?"
I held my phone and did not move right away.
It was like he read my mind. "You already sent your location to someone you trust, right? Since you have something on me, what exactly are you so scared of?"
I was startled but forced myself to stay calm, doing my best not to let him see any reaction.
He was right. As soon as I got in the car, I had secretly messaged Julia.
After I briefly explained what was going on, Julia took it seriously, cleared her schedule, and focused on waiting for an update from me.
If anything at all went wrong on my end, she was going to call the cops immediately.
Carter really was smart, and observant to a terrifying degree, to be able to spell out my entire plan like that.
There was no point pretending anymore, so I simply got out of the car.
"So you should know exactly what happens if you lie to me. I don't need to spell it out."
I was already here; there was no logical reason to turn back now. I headed straight for the house, Carter walking just behind me.
I couldn't stop my mind from wandering. When Alexander had seen this building in the distance, had he hesitated at all?
What kind of thoughts had he had when he walked into this place? And when he went inside and realized I wasn't there at all, what had gone through his mind then?
The more I thought about it, the more scrambled my head felt. I let out a breath and picked up my pace.
The tightly closed door swung open in an instant, and before I could even see what was inside, a large hand shoved me hard from behind.
My heart started pounding wildly as I realized the one who had pushed me was Carter.
He finally dropped the act and stared straight at me, eyes sharp and predatory.
"Carter, this is pointless. I already told my friend that if I don't text her back in half an hour, she's calling the police!"
Carter suddenly laughed, like he had not heard my threat at all.
He held my gaze and said, "Let her. I haven't actually done anything to you, have I?"
I fell silent.
He was right. Technically, he had not laid a finger on me. Even if I complained, it would just sound like I was overreacting.
But that did not make any of this feel less wrong.
I put some distance between us and made my voice sound as firm as I could, "Then take me to Alexander. Where are you keeping him?"
The front door opened with a simple push. If Alexander were free to move, he would have already found some way out.
The fact that he had not appeared could only mean that, right now, he was being held somewhere inside.
Carter pointed toward the stairs. "Alexander should be upstairs resting. If you don't believe me, go look for yourself."
I headed for the stairs, taking them quickly as my chest tightened with a sudden wave of nerves. I had no idea what kind of expression I was supposed to wear when I saw Alexander.
He was trapped here because of me.