Alexander’s POV

On the way back from the hospital, I received a message from Jane.

The suspect behind Alicia’s attack has been captured. He’s currently under interrogation.

My grip on the phone tightened.

There was no time to waste.

I told Jane to meet me in the garage.

For a moment, I considered bringing Alicia with me—she was the one who had been attacked, after all.

But then I remembered the way she had looked in her sleep that night.

Restless. Uneasy. As if she were reliving it.

I dismissed the thought.

I would confirm everything first.

"Mr. Blackwood, you’re here."

An officer nodded respectfully as Jane and I stepped into the station.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"He’s in interrogation, but... there seems to be more to this case."

My brows furrowed slightly as he led me inside.

"Welcome, Mr. Blackwood. Please, have a seat."

The officer in charge gestured toward the chair across from his desk.

"Thank you. What do you have?" I asked, sitting down.

"The suspect was found hiding in an abandoned building," the officer in charge began, sliding a file across the table. "But that’s not all we found."

He opened the file.

Inside were several photos of a white car.

I frowned slightly.

Before I could speak, he continued—

"A few months ago, Miss Alicia Sinclair was involved in a car attack. At the time, we managed to arrest one of the suspects. He claimed that he didn’t know anything about the other driver—saying he was just a fan of a celebrity who had a dispute with her and wanted to make her pay."

I looked up, my gaze sharp.

"What does that have to do with this?"

The officer held my gaze, then continued calmly.

"Based on CCTV footage and witness statements, there were actually two vehicles involved in that incident. The second driver escaped. We were unable to track the plate number—it wasn’t registered."

He tapped the photograph.

"When we arrested Lucas Knight... we found this car at his hideout."

My eyes narrowed.

"The color matches. The plate matches. This time, we were able to confirm it."

A pause.

"He’s the second driver from that incident."

Silence settled in the room.

So my instincts had been right.

This wasn’t a series of isolated events.

It was deliberate.

Orchestrated.

"So you’re saying..." I said slowly, my voice dropping, "he’s been behind multiple attacks on Alicia?"

The officer nodded.

"We’re still interrogating him. He hasn’t revealed who’s behind it yet."

My jaw tightened.

"What about his background? Family, connections—anything that could point us in the right direction?"

The officer gestured to the other officer beside him.

A file was handed over.

"This contains everything we’ve gathered so far."

I took it and flipped it open.

Name: Lucas Knight

Age: 35

Occupation: None. Former employee of Echelon Industries. Resigned three years ago.

My eyes lingered on that line.

Echelon Industries.

Again.

Every thread kept leading back to the same place.

I turned the page.

And froze.

Police Record: Suspected involvement in the kidnapping of Lilian Summers — three years ago.

The air in the room seemed to drop.

Three years ago...

I repeated the words under my breath, looking up slowly, confusion evident in my gaze.

I knew this case was complicated—but I hadn’t expected it to circle back to Lilian’s kidnapping.

First, he was tied to Echelon Industries.

Now, he was connected to what happened three years ago.

A strange, unsettling feeling settled deep in my chest.

Back then, I had assumed it was a business rival.

I never confirmed it.

"I want to see him," I said firmly.

The officer hesitated for a second, but when he saw my expression, he nodded. "Alright. This way."

He led me to the interrogation room.

I stood outside the glass, watching.

The report said he was thirty-five, but he looked older—worn down.

His shirt hung loose around his neck, exposing a tattoo.

The same tattoo.

The one I had glimpsed in the footage.

My gaze darkened.

"Are you certain about his involvement from three years ago?" I asked, turning slightly.

"We can’t confirm yet," the officer replied. "We need the victim to identify him. We’ve contacted Miss Lilian, but she hasn’t arrived."

Lilian...

I had just left her at the hospital.

Before I could think further, another approached with a file.

"Sir, we checked his phone records. It’s a new device. Only one consistent contact."

He handed it over.

The officer in charge glanced at it—then froze.

"Miss Kendra Stevens...? But that’s Miss Lilian Summer’s agent, Right?."

Kendra?

My brows furrowed sharply.

That didn’t make sense.

Three years ago, Kendra wasn’t even in the picture then.

I grabbed the file myself.

The messages were clear. Her name. Her number. Their communication.

Real.

My grip tightened.

"How is this possible?" I asked, my voice low.

"We also recovered call recordings," the officer added. "Seems like Lucas kept them as leverage... in case Kendra turned on him."

Everything clicked—and yet nothing made sense.

"Contact Miss Lilian again—"

"I’ll handle it," I cut in.

I turned to Jane.

She understood immediately and left without a word.

I looked back at the man inside.

He hadn’t moved.

Silent.

Unyielding.

The interrogating officer stepped out, shaking his head.

"He won’t talk."

"We’ll have to wait for Miss Lilian and her agent," the officer in charge said.

But I barely heard him.

My thoughts were already spiraling.

Echelon Industries.

Lilian’s kidnapping.

Kendra.

Everything was connected.

But how?

And more importantly—

Why?

Third person POV

Lilian’s expression darkened the moment she realized Alexander had left.

"How could he just leave me like this?" she snapped, her voice sharp with frustration. "Kendra, why did you let him go?"

Kendra’s jaw tightened. "What was I supposed to do? You know I can’t control his decisions—especially now that he’s constantly with that woman."

"That woman..." Lilian repeated, her eyes flashing with resentment. "Alicia really thinks she’s won, doesn’t she? Just because Alexander is staying by her side now, she thinks she can live happily ever after?"

Her fingers clenched into the bedsheets.

"I won’t let that happen. Not as long as I’m still alive."

Kendra exhaled slowly, trying to steady herself. "We have bigger problems right now, Lilian. It looks like Alexander has already found out about the attack on Alicia during their anniversary. The police have been tracking Lucas."

Lilian’s irritation deepened. "So? You couldn’t even handle something that simple?" she shot back coldly. "You were the one who found Lucas. I don’t even know him. That makes it your responsibility to clean this up."

Kendra raised a brow, her expression turning sharp. "Are you trying to dump everything on me?"

Lilian leaned back against the hospital bed, her gaze icy. "I’m just reminding you... if Lucas gets caught, you’ll be the one he exposes first."

A short, humorless laugh escaped Kendra.

"So this is how it’s going to be?" she said, her tone laced with bitterness. "Yes, you helped me when I needed money for my father’s treatment. But don’t forget—I stood by you when you had no one abroad. I’ve done plenty for you too."

Lilian’s eyes narrowed.

Before she could respond, her phone rang.

She glanced at the screen—

Police.

For a brief moment, she froze.

"Who is it?" Kendra asked, unease creeping into her voice.

Lilian didn’t answer. After a second’s hesitation, she picked up the call.