31: Development

It had been two days, and Xander was in his study doing some paperwork. Within the two days, Madelyn didn’t want to see or speak to him. Deep down, he was getting frustrated, but at the same time, he didn’t want to stress her out too much, especially since he didn’t want her to put their unborn child at risk. The businessman wanted to see her but decided to give her space.

Xander felt that she would eventually give in. Madelyn had no other option. He understood that Madelyn was shocked and angry that she was pregnant, but a woman would develop mother instincts and love her child. Since Madelyn is pregnant with his child, she is trapped and will have nowhere to go. How would she ever be able to care for a child alone?

If she did escape or refuse to marry him by some miracle, he would do everything in his power so that she would not be hired anywhere. Xander would also make it so that she wouldn’t be able to rent or buy a place; she would have to rely on him. He smirked as he stopped with his paperwork and then looked at the marriage papers. Xander knew that Madelyn would try everything she could not to sign the papers but stall them. However, the CEO refused to give her the time of day. He stood from his seat and decided that he had changed his mind. It was the perfect time to make her sign the papers. He went to Madelyn’s room, knocked on the door, and entered the room.

Madelyn sat by the window as she drew something in a sketchbook that he had bought for her. She didn’t look at him. “What are you drawing, my love?” The young woman didn’t respond or look at him. “That’s not very nice, my dear. I have given as much time and space as you needed. I do miss being with you and talking with you. How are you and our baby feeling?” She still didn’t answer, and Xander had enough. He immediately took her sketchbook and threw it on the bed. Madelyn glared at him. “Now that I have your attention, I need to talk to you about something.” He then put the paperwork in front of her. “Sign the papers.”

Madelyn realized that it was the marriage papers. “I won’t sign them.”

Xander raised an eyebrow, and he was shocked at her tone. “What did you say?”

She slowly looked at him. “You heard me; I will not sign them.”

“Ha! Ha! Ha! All of a sudden, you have a voice. Very cute you-”

“You think that you can use the unborn baby as an advantage against, but no. I would rather die than marry you.”

“You would risk our unborn child’s life for your selfishness?”

This annoyed Madelyn; she was tired of hearing his insanity. Xander was not sane or human in her point of view. She was tired of his abuse and manipulation. “Selfish? You are such an abusive narcissist. Is it selfish that I wanted to pursue my career and dreams? Was it selfish of me to gain knowledge and experience to help others? You are the one who couldn’t accept rejection; you kidnapped and raped me and now impregnated me. These two days made me realize that I wouldn’t want to bring a child into this world if they had you as a role model to follow. You are nothing more than a monster.”

Xander felt his boy shaking in anger. He got a hold of her arm and pulled her up. “No matter what, you will never leave until you sign those papers. If you don’t, I will make sure that-”

“Do what you want. I don’t care if this baby survives or not. It’s better than having it be born into your world. You can threaten me all you want or try to kill Octavio. He is not easy to kill. I know he will rescue me.”

This is not what Xander had imagined. She was willing to risk their child’s life. He was about to say something, but then his cell phone rang. It was his lawyer. Xander left Madelyn alone in her room, falling to the ground. Her legs no longer had strength. However, she heard Xander yell on the other side of the door.

She knew something was wrong with him.

32: Emotions

Xander’s lawyer arrived two hours ago and told him about new developments he hadn’t expected. His lawyer said that Octavio was to meet with other CEOs who are partnered with his companies to join him. According to his lawyer, Octavio had higher prospects and promised them more profit than what Xander was offering. This angered him, and he thought about what chances Octavio had that he was giving his business partners. Yet, he wasn’t too surprised since his business partners feared and hated him that they would do anything to go against him if someone took the lead.

However, there was something else.

Octavio also informed them that the investigation of Madelyn’s disappearance was accepted and was open. Also, Xander was considered the main suspect, and his lawyer said that the investigators would get a warrant to search his home. His lawyer feared it would soon reach the news with all the developments unfolding, and his reputation would slowly go down in the mud. Xander told his lawyer not to worry. He was willing to pay if he had to to keep the peace.

However, he had to make Madelyn sign the papers so that he could clear his name. The marriage papers would make everyone go silent. He knew that Madelyn was all talk; she was too sensitive. Xander felt she wouldn’t risk their unborn child’s or Octavio’s. Xander promised himself he would destroy Octavio, Madelyn’s last hope. That was when he decided to force Madelyn to keep Octavio alive or kill him. The businessman knew it would break Madelyn if someone died because of her. His thoughts were interrupted when his phone vibrated once again. He looked at the caller ID; it was unknown, but he knew who it was deep down.

He answered.

It was silent on the other end. “I know it’s you, Octavio.” There was no response, and it began to annoy Xander. “If you don’t answer, I will hang up, and this will be our last conversation.”

“Sorry, but I was silent with disgust just by hearing you, especially knowing what you did.”

Xander rolled his eyes in annoyance. “If that’s the only reason why you are calling, then I-”

“Going to hang up, like always? So pitiful. Always trying to run away from the truth. I am sure your lawyer told you about the situation.”

“You are nothing more than a speck in my path. What you are doing won’t work? You aren’t as powerful as I am.”

Octavio chuckled.“I know, but even the most powerful can have a weakness. A weakness that can be used to take you down. I know Madelyn is your weakness, but you also have plenty.”

Xander held onto his phone tightly but refused to show any weakness. “Do what you want, but I will admit that you have the balls even to fight me.”

“If one plays fair, there will be no way to win against you. In business, one must get their hands dirty to be victorious. If I am going to get Madelyn back, I might as well play your game. I don’t think your lawyer has heard what is happening.”

This caught Xander’s attention. “What are you talking about?”

“Turn on the television and go to any news channel.”

The CEO stilled; he turned on the television in his study. He went to a random news channel, and that was when he saw it.

“Breaking news! A doctor has been detained for questioning of the disappearance of Madelyn. It was found that the possible suspect had paid the doctor to keep silent. The doctor is still being questioned, hoping to discover what happened to the disappeared young woman.”

Xander’s eyes widened when he saw the news. “How..?”

“Simple, I have eyes of my own, Xander. You thought that I wasn’t smart? Well, one of my people informed me about the doctor, and after a little pressure, she told us everything.”Octavio was silent on the other end. Deep down, he was angry from what he learned about Madelyn’s situation. His fears became a reality as Xander forced himself on her. The young man knew that Madelyn wouldn’t give herself to any man, so there was another possibility. ”Your time is ending,Xander.I swore that I would free Madelyn and destroy you. I look forward to the day when that happens.”

Xander hung up from the other end, and Octavio did the same. He was in the living room of his home with Detective Sanders. “I think we got him sweating for now.”

Sanders nodded. “A man in his position will do everything possible to maintain his reputation, but we must move quickly. Xander will try to cover his tracks.”

“I agree. Now, we must go to the next stage.”

The Detective smirked. “The second phase, you will leave to me while you will work on phase 3.”

33: Hope

It was the next day, and everything was quiet in Xander’s household. Madelyn was pacing around the room. It was almost 12 p.m.; Xander didn’t visit her when he left. Deep down, she was happy, but it was almost strange. He would usually see her in the mornings and stay until the afternoon. She also didn’t have breakfast, and it was almost lunchtime. She was starving, and since she was pregnant, her hunger intensified.

The young woman stopped in her tracks. She couldn’t believe that she was thinking about the unborn child. When Madelyn found out about her pregnancy, she wanted to get rid of it. The child was the product of her rape and all of her trauma. Madelyn didn’t want to have Xander’s child. However, the unborn child didn’t make her feel so alone; she shook her head. She hated having such feelings and thoughts.

Madelyn would still have nightmares about the rape and everything that happened to her. She had a deep hatred for the unborn child, but there was another side to her that couldn’t hate the unborn child either. It was innocent. Yet, Madelyn thought about other possibilities if she did decide to give birth.

Would she still want it?

Would she give it up for adoption?

What would her future be like if she did one or the other?

Madelyn then looked at herself in the mirror. There was also the possibility that she might have a miscarriage; she put a hand over her womb. Her thoughts were interrupted as her stomach growled in hunger. A sigh escapes her lips. Madelyn went to the door and was about to yell and bang the door for food, but she stopped when she heard voices from afar.

From what she gathered, it was Xander and other people that she didn’t recognize, but they were men. She heard Xander speaking with them, and he didn’t sound happy. Madelyn stilled when she heard Xander mention Octavio, news, and suspicions about him. Her heart was beating rapidly. Hope filled her being. She noticed Xander’s tone of voice was angry and slightly stressed; something must have happened. Octavio hadn’t forgotten about her. That meant that he was getting closer to saving her. Tears formed and dripped from her eyes while she smiled with joy.

The excitement and hope were so great that her leg began to feel weak; she fell to the floor. Madelyn felt hope that she was going to be freed soon. This new hope gave her more determination and the time to scheme. She already knew Xander’s weakness, her and the child. He would do anything to keep them out of the public eye. The young woman had a hunch that Xander was planning a way to put the suspicions away from himself and might do something to take her away.

She couldn’t let him do that. Suddenly, an idea came up. A shiver went throughout her body on what she planned to do, but she would do anything to escape and survive. Madelyn stood up and banged on the door, pleading for Xander. All was quiet until she heard steps coming up. She stood by the window, pretending to be in her usual sad mood. The doorknob was moving, and Madelyn took a deep breath.

She was ready to put her plan into motion.

Xander entered Madelyn’s room and saw her sitting silently, looking out the window while gently massaging her stomach. Madelyn slowly turned to look at him. “Are you okay? It looks like you saw a ghost.” Xander glared at her, and Madelyn looked away. However, deep down, she was happy. “Sorry.”

Xander eyed her almost suspiciously. “This is new. You were always full of anger and resentment; suddenly, you are soft-spoken.”

It was silent between the two, but Madelyn let out a sigh. “I had a dream, you know. I dreamed about this baby and held him in my arms.”

“Him?”

“Yeah, I dreamed that the baby would be a boy.” Madelyn noticed Xander slowly walking to her and sitting in front of her. He then put a hand over her belly and hand. The young woman wanted to flinch but refrained from doing so.

“A boy. That would be a wonderful thing. I always wanted a boy and for him to take my place. I also liked the name Alexander.”

Madelyn eyed him. “Like Alexander the Great?”

Xander chuckled. “You catch on pretty quick. I want our son to be strong and take my place and company. Which is why you and I should marry as soon as possible.”

She knew that this was going to happen. However, she couldn’t just do it yet. Madelyn wasn’t afraid of the consequences anymore; not even death brought her any fear. Yet, she wanted to try at least to escape. “I don’t want to as of yet. Marriage has always scared me. It’s a huge responsibility, and I-”

“Marriage can scare many people. I understand. Yet, we can’t be selfish and bow to our fear. We have our child to think about, and I don’t want him to be born a bastard.”

“Xander, we’re in the 21st century. Times have changed.”

He shook his head. “By law, children of unmarried parents are still considered illegitimate. I don’t want our son to be considered that. I want you to sign the papers by tomorrow.”

“Xander.”

“Madelyn.” Xander got a hold of her face, making her look at him. What she saw was nothing but emptiness. “You will sign the papers tomorrow and don’t think I know what you are trying to do. I know you are trying to plan to escape and trying to trick me into changing your personality.” Madelyn tried to remain serious, but her eyes gave out her shock. “I thought it adorable that you thought that you could trick me. My dear, I’m a businessman, and as a businessman, we have the skills to know when one is honest or a liar. I also had enough of your rebellion. So this is what I am going to do. Since I know you don’t care about dying and putting our child at risk, others will suffer because of you.”

“Octavio will never…”

“I never said that I will kill Octavio…yet. Eventually, I will, and I’m planning his death, but others will die because of your stubbornness.”

The young woman stood. “What are you trying to say?”

Xander also stood. “Tomorrow, I will meet with my lawyers and other business partners, but I have given orders to my men that they will randomly kill people each day that you refuse to sign the marriage papers. I will let you off the hook for today, but tomorrow, if you don’t sign the papers by midnight tomorrow, a person will die, and it will be your fault.”

Madelyn’s eyes became wide with horror. She immediately began to hit Xander. “You monster! You monster! You-!”

He grabbed her hair and forcibly made her look at him. “All this is your fault! None of this would’ve happened if you didn’t break up with me. Now, the lives of innocent people will be in your hands, and if you kill yourself or harm our unborn child in any way, I will order the killing of women and children. Think carefully, and tomorrow will be the day.” Xander pushed her down and walked out of the room, locking it behind him.

Madelyn was at a loss and felt her strength leaving her.

34: Mission Pt.1

Another day passed, and Xander was dressed in his business attire. Today, he was going to meet with his lawyers and business partners. He felt that Octavio was a fool to think he would pressure him. Xander smirked. “What a fool, and I had enough of his bullshit. I am going to end him once and for all.”

He combed his hair nicely, and his thoughts traced back to Madelyn. He felt excited and victorious that she would finally sign the papers to become his official wife. She had no other choice. If Madelyn refused, then innocent people would die. It was cruel, true, but he never cared about others to Xander. He felt that Madelyn made him this way since she rejected him. Xander felt bitter about that day; he felt betrayed, humiliated, and hurt that she didn’t accept him.

Xander still wondered why she didn’t accept him. Well, it didn’t matter anymore. He did what he felt that needed to be done. The young man wanted to be happy with a family; he never had one with his parents. Xander thought he would be a great father to his son and teach him to be a respectable man. His thoughts were interrupted when there was a knock on the door. One of his guards opened the door.

“Sir, the car is ready, and everyone awaits your arrival.”

“Good, I’ll be down at the moment.” Xander looked at his reflection; he was ready for the meeting. “Those fools will regret the day they decided against me.” Xander wanted to visit Madelyn, but it was still early morning, and he knew she would not be in a good mood. He also didn’t want to be in a bad mood because of her. No, after his meeting, she will sign the papers once and for all.

Madelyn would become his.

Xander went downstairs as many of his guards stood. “Some of you will come with me, while the rest of you will keep guard. Make sure that Madelyn behaves, and if anything happens, call.”

All the guards nodded as they all went to their stations. Xander went to his SUV and was driven away towards his destination. However, unknown to him and his guards, they were watched from afar.

“As I thought, guards would be stationed on the property. He is quite vigilant and cautious.”

“He is not to be trifled with, but we both knew this would happen. Do you still want to do this? It could be dangerous.”

“I’m sure. We must find Madelyn, and I want to get her out safely. I ensured my double would stall him as much as possible.”

Sanders also stood as he was preparing his weapons. “I might as well retire with a bang. Are you ready, Octavio?”

Octavio let out a sigh. “Ready as I will ever be. Let’s go get Madelyn.”

Octavio and Sanders got to the property’s gates and ensured they weren’t seen by the guards who kept watch. Sanders decided to lead since he had more experience catching criminals and entering properties. Both men saw many guards walking around the property. “How will we get in?” asked Octavio.

“Patience, I’ll see how many guards we’re dealing with. Stay here and don’t make a sound.” The detective quietly went around the property and noticed many guards walking to many parts of the mansion. That was when he assumed there weren’t as many guards as he thought. He also saw only two guards on the backside of the property. Sanders smirked as he went back to Octavio. “There are only two guards on the back of the property. Here.” Sanders gave Octavio a cloth and a bottle of chloroform. “Are you sure you want to do this? There’s a possibility that we could be harmed.”

Octavio got a hold of the cloth and bottle. “I can handle myself, don’t underestimate me. Let’s go.” He followed Sanders to the back of the property, where two guards talked to one another.

“Don’t you think that our boss is a bit rough with his woman?” asked one of the men who looked to be in his late twenties.

“We can’t judge or talk about it, especially before the boss. We can lose our jobs or worse. All I can tell you is that his woman is putting up a fight. He’s been pressuring her to marry him.”

Octavio and Sanders eyed one another. Octavio felt angry but proud. He was angry that Xanders tried to force Madelyn to marry him, but she fought for a while. Octavio felt relieved but knew he and Sanders were running out of time.

Then, Sanders got a rock and threw it between the men. The guards flinched and got out their weapons. “What the hell was that!?”

“Don’t know, let’s check it out.” The guards slowly went to where the rock was thrown from. Some bushes covered parts of the gate, and the guards cautiously walked. One of the guards got a hold of parts of the bushes, slowly moving it to the side, trying to see if there was something.

“There’s nothing.”

The guards turned to return to their posts, but then they were pulled back to the gate; both lost their balance. Octavio and Sanders put one of their arms around the guards’ necks and removed the chloroform cloth, putting it on the guards’ mouths. The guards struggled to get out of the men’s grips and tried to point their guns at them. However, the chloroform was very powerful from the black market.

The guards were out in a couple of minutes.

Octavio and Sander let the men down and took the opportunity to climb over the fence. Once on the other side, they approached the guards and took their clothing. They also got their weapons and walkie-talkies. “Where do you think we should go?” asked Octavio.

Sander got to one of the windows of the back of the mansion. To their luck, the window was opened. The detective entered, as did Octavio. They were in a small storage room with cleaning utensils, towels, and other bathroom materials. Sanders slowly opened the door and saw halls and other entries. “There are different rooms nearby. We have to move fast. The other guards will eventually find out about the other two.”

The two men got out of the room and began to go to each room, one by one. All were empty. That was when Sanders knew that Madelyn was hidden upstairs. It would be not easy, but Sanders knew he and Octavio were in a life-and-death situation. The two men went forward, not knowing what was going to occur.

35: Mission Pt.2

Detective Sanders and Octavio made sure not to be seen or heard. To their luck, there weren’t many guards indoors. They were seen by one, but the men acted composed, as if they were doing their duty. However, the men knew there would be suspicions, and the other guards would soon discover the unconscious guards.

They had to move quickly. At the moment, Sanders and Octavio were in an empty room. “If we stick together, it will take longer to find Madelyn. It’s best that we split up,” said Sanders.

“Agreed, if one of us finds her, we will text one another. Also, don’t forget the other plan, Sanders,” said Octavio.

“I won’t forget since I was the one who thought of it in the first place. Good luck.”

Octavio exited the room first, and then Sanders did the same; both went opposite directions. Octavio went upstairs while Sanders was downstairs. As Octavio made it up, he saw that there were few rooms. He made sure to hide by the wall.

His heart was beating in anticipation. His obstacle, however, was the two guards. He sent a text to Sanders about the situation. Minutes later, Sander quietly walked upstairs.

The older man saw the situation. The two walked farther and spoke of their plan. Once they agreed. The men went towards the two guards. The guards saw them and were confused. “We were informed that it’s our turn to keep watch,” said Octavio.

The guards were silent for a bit. “Never seen you two here before.”

“We’re new. Our boss told us that we had to give you your break.”

The guards were confused. Suddenly, Sanders and Octavio immediately got out their taser and tased the guards. Before the guards fell, Sanders and Octavio got a hold of them so their impact didn’t make any noise. Octavio got the chloroform to put the guards to sleep, which it did.

Once the men were sure the guards were unconscious, Sanders tried to open the door, but it was locked.

Meanwhile, Madelyn was sitting by the window, looking out motionless. She felt as if she was living the last moments of her freedom. Once Xander arrived home, it would be over for her. Madelyn felt her strength to fight was gone.

Death didn’t faze her, but Xander would kill innocent people because she refused to obey his demands. The thought of killing innocent people because she refused to marry Xander would destroy her. Families would be eliminated over losing a loved one because of her—a tear formed and dripped.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a scuffle outside her room. At first, it was a quiet scuffle, but then it became loud. It then became silent for a moment. Then, the doorknob began to shake. Madelyn got out of her seat. Fear consumed her as someone was trying to open the door. She feared that Xander was going to bring her the marriage papers.

Moments later, the door opened. Madelyn’s eyes and mouth became wide open. Her body trembled. More tears formed. “O-Oc-Octavio…?”

Octavio and Sanders entered the room and saw Madelyn. Octavio felt overwhelmed with joy and relief. “Madelyn. Madelyn.” He then ran to her as Madelyn did the same. The two hugged one another.

Sanders stood as he looked at the sight. A small smile made its way to his lips. He felt happy for the two, mainly Madelyn finally being found. He stood outside the room to give them a little time but heard something downstairs.

“What happened!?”

“Someone did them in!”

“There’s an intruder!”

Sanders went to Octavio and Madelyn. “We need to go! They are onto us!”

36: Call & Order

One of the guards outside the mansion noticed something off some bushes. The closer he got to it, the more he noticed something. His eyes became wide open as he moved parts of the bush away. He got out his walkie-talkie and called out the other guards outside the mansion.

All the guards met where two of their acquaintances were unconscious. “What the hell happened to them!? Are they dead!?” asked one of them.

“No, they are still breathing.”

“Do you think someone is responsible?”

“There must be intruders here. I’ll call the boss, and all of you look around. My guess is they are here for Miss. Madelyn.” The one guard walked apart from the others, who began their search and dialed Xander’s number.

Meanwhile, Xander and his lawyer were in the meeting room where all the business partners were present, discussing the change to support Octavio. Xander was impatient that the others were hesitant or refused to return to their business deals; Xander even threatened to sue.

However, many would not budge. Many felt they had had enough of Xander’s threats and sense of power over the business partners. They all knew that Xander had more to offer, but Xander was more unjust, while Octavio would treat them with more respect and would get fair shares. Suddenly, Xander’s phone rang, and he saw that it was one of his guards. The CEO stood and got out of the meeting. “What is it? I thought I told you not to disturb me when I have a meeting.”

“Sir, we think an intruder has infiltrated the mansion!”

Xander felt his blood turn cold. His heart was beating rapidly. He knew Octavio managed to get through the cracks if he had to guess. However, Xander felt that Octavio didn’t act alone; someone was helping him. “They are probably after Madelyn! Whatever you do, don’t let those intruders escape! Kill them if needed, but Madelyn is not to be harmed!”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

Both sides hung up. Xander’s lawyer then showed up. “Sir, we heard you yelling.Should we proceed with the meeting?”

“Forget the meeting! Put on the paperwork to go on with suing them!” With that, Xander left his lawyer to go back to his house. Xander drove like a madman on the streets, almost getting into accidents. He didn’t care at the slightest. So many thoughts ran to his head. “I know it’s Octavio, but how in the hell did he get in!” he yelled to himself.

However, his biggest fear was Octavio taking Madelyn away from him. Not only Madelyn but their unborn child. The mere idea of Madelyn being away from him would be too much to bear. He worked too hard to get his hands on Madelyn.

The CEO was close to making her finally his, and now Octavio was getting in the way. He made a sharp right as he was getting closer to his home. He would never let her go if Madelyn could get away from him. He would find her at the end of the abyss.

If she refused and would rather be with Octavio, Xander would not hesitate to kill her. Yes, he would kill the woman he loved. Madelyn would be with only him or no one at all.

If he couldn’t have her, then no one else will.

37: Capture

The guards were beginning to enter the mansion; Sanders and Octavio locked the balcony door as they opened it. “Quickly, get the sheets. Madelyn will go down first,” said Sanders. Octavio and Sander got many of the sheets to make a rope. They all could hear the footsteps in the mansion, and they were getting closer to them. The men quickly tied the sheets to the balcony.

Madelyn was fearful. “I’m scared that I might fall.”

“Madelyn, you have to do this! Do you know what might happen if we get caught? We all made it this far, and you can’t let your fear stop you!” said Octavio.

“Octavio, you go down first and ensure Madelyn gets down safely. Hurry.”

Octavio did what he was told as he went down the sheets. Madelyn and Sanders made sure that the sheets wouldn’t rip. Octavio eventually got down.

“Madelyn, you need to go down. You and Octavio need to get out of here.”

“They are in the woman’s room!” yelled one of the guards.

“But what about you? There must be some sacrifices in every mission. You have suffered a lot, my dear. You need to go now.” Then, the guards began to bang on the door. Sander motioned Madelyn to go down, which she did so. Octavio made sure to extend his hands out to ensure that she wouldn’t fall.

As the young woman got down, she heard the door crash open. She made it with Octavio, and he held onto her right arm and motioned her to run. One of the guards was on the balcony and saw them. “They’re running away! They’re outside!”

The couple ran as fast as they could.

“Octavio, the place is surrounded by the gate! How are we going to get out of here!?”

So many thoughts went through his head, but he noticed what looked like a garage. He led Madelyn to it. To his surprise, gardeners used many trucks to take their supplies. Once inside, Octavio looked into all the trucks, but no keys were inside. Madelyn then noticed that there was a glass case on the wall that held the keys. “Octavio, there!”

Octavio then got a hold of a hammer, broke the case, and got all the keys. He went to the closest truck and tried each key. The couple heard footsteps getting closer to them. On the fourth key, Octavio was able to get the truck opened. He reached inside and unlocked the other door. When both were inside, Octavio turned on the vehicle.

Once he did, the door to the garage opened, and the guards arrived and tried to get to them. Octavio stepped on the gas without warning, making the truck go forward. Many of the guards dodged. Some took out their guns and began to shoot at the car, specifically on the wheels. However, it was to no avail. Octavio saw the exit and stepped on the gas all the way.

“Put on your seat belt and prepare yourself!”

Madelyn did as she was told and prepared for the impact. To their surprise, the gates began to open slowly. This confused the couple, but Octavio decided to go forward. The truck hit the gate slightly, causing the car to bump hard. “Sanders is back there.”

“I know; I think he knew that all of us would escape. We have a plan.”

“What do you mean?”

Before Octavio could respond, he saw an SUV following them in his rearview mirror. “Damn it! They’re following us! Hold on!” Octavio stepped the gas even harder. As for Madelyn, she felt fear in her being. At first, she felt relief and joy that she could finally see Octavio again and have her freedom. However, she and Octavio were fighting to get away. She was even more frightened for Octavio and his friend.

She knew Xander would have been prepared for anything, but the young woman didn’t realize he was this organized. Octavio was making a few turns since his home was a bit far from the city, but they could make it quicker with the speed he was going. He would look to see how far the SUV was. It was going into top speed but slowed down a bit, confusing him.

“Maybe they’re running out of gas,” he thought. His thoughts were interrupted when Madelyn yelled.

“Octavio, look out!”

In front of him, he saw two men, and they threw on what looked like a spike strip. Octavio tried to turn the truck, but since it was at high speed, it swerved, landing on the spike strip and popping two tires.

Both screamed as the truck was out of control. Then, the truck hit a tree. Then they were surrounded by three SUVs; men got out and covered them with guns pointed at them. Madelyn was still conscious, as was Octavio. However, Octavio was bleeding from his forehead. Both watched as they were surrounded.

The door opened on one of the SUVs, and Xander got out. He saw Madelyn and Octavio in the truck. Xander looked calm and collected on the outside, but he was fuming on the inside. “Get them and return them to the mansion. I will deal with them.”

38: Beat

Octavio and Madelyn were surrounded by Xander’s men and were forced back to the mansion. Madelyn felt the pit of her stomach fall. Not only did she have to go back, but now Octavio was dragged into this situation. Now, she was terrified of what was going to happen to him. Xander now had complete control of the situation; Madelyn knew she had to do everything she could to help Octavio live.

Moments later, they all arrived at the outside of the mansion. However, they were not being led to the main building but to another side of the estate. To the couple’s surprise, three guards stood by an underground secret doorway—Madelyn, who two guards were holding, eyed Xander, leading the group. The young woman gathered her courage. “Xander, where are you taking us?”

There was no response from him or those who worked for him. This made Madelyn more anxious and fearful, not for herself but for Octavio. Everyone entered the secret passage, and at first, it was pitch black. The deeper they went, the more lights were showing the way. Then, they all arrived at their destination. At the end of the passage, the walls and floor were concrete, and there was nothing else but other occupants. Octavio and Madelyn noticed someone familiar.

“Sanders!” yelled Octavio.

The couple saw Sanders lying on the floor, tied in rope. His face was bruised and bloody. The older man slowly looked before him. “You two got caught, great.”

“Yeah, and you don’t look great either, Sanders.” Then, Octavio was pushed to the ground, landing close to Sanders.

Everyone was silent as Xander got in front of the two men. Madelyn was still held by the guards but was kept at a distance. Madelyn saw how badly injured Sanders was; he was older than Octavio. If Xander didn’t hesitate to beat an old man, he would show no mercy to Octavio. However, the young woman feared the worst.

“Xander, please, let them go. I’ll do what you want.”

The CEO didn’t respond, but he did turn to look at her. He slowly walked to Madelyn and stood in front of her. Without warning, Xander double-slapped Madelyn across the face. She let out a small yelp.

Octavio and Sanders watched in shock. Octavio was about to get up, but the guards held him down. “You son of a bitch! You dare hit a woman! Fucking coward!”

Xander didn’t look or respond to Octavio. He stared at Madelyn, but he snapped his fingers. Three guards began to kick and beat Octavio. Sanders tried to move towards him, but he was held back. Madelyn’s eyes widened as she tried to approach him, but the guards held her. “No! Please stop this! Don’t hurt him, please!”

Madelyn looked at Xander. He still looked at her with no emotion. His eyes were dead, and it made her shiver. “Xander, please make them stop! Please make them stop!” Octavio’s screams pained her being; his yelps and groans of pain were too much to bear. Tears formed and dripped from her eyes. Madelyn fell to the ground, but the guards still gripped her. “Please, make them stop. Please, Xander. You won! I should have accepted that it was pointless! I will admit it! You were right. I should have never broken up with you! I was an idiot to do so! I won’t disobey or leave you! I’ll marry you and have the family you always wanted!”

Xander snapped his fingers once again. The beating stopped.

Octavio breathed heavily as blood dripped from his lips, nose, and cuts. Xander then walked to Octavio and then stepped on his head hard. Octavio grabbed his leg, but the guards quickly undid his grip.

Suddenly, Xander kicked Octavio in the face. “Yet again, you tried to take my woman and unborn child away from me. Your biggest mistake was trying to get with my woman first.”

“What are you talking about? Unborn child?” Octavio glanced at Madelyn, who was crying. “You monster. I know that Madelyn would have never slept with you!” His eyes were wide open. “You raped her!”

“Call it what you want. You will never understand how I feel, and you never will. Since you two know too much…”

Madelyn gasped. “Xander! You said-!”

“I never said anything. I didn’t promise anything. You’d think I’d let them go alive. Do you think I’m stupid? Remember this, Madelyn. All this is your fault. If you hadn’t left me, all of this could have been evaded, but you chose your selfishness, which is the consequence.” Xander smiled. His smile, however, held some sadism. “You will watch as I kill him personally. He will suffer a slow and painful death. I will ensure you remember his screams, blood, and dead body. I WILL BREAK YOU FOR GOOD once I’m finished with these two. You will be my wife and the mother of my children, who will obey me. Your life will be mine. Get the machetes.”

“NOOOO!!!”

Then, a noise was heard.

All became silent as the sound sounded familiar. It sounded like sirens.

Sanders smirked as blood dripped from his lips. His backup was arriving.

39: Chase

Everyone heard the police sirens from afar. Many thought the police were going elsewhere, but since the sound of the sirens was coming their way. Everyone realized what was going to happen. Xander was enraged as he eyed the men. “Who in the hell is responsible for this!?”

“Who else? Me.” Sander let out a chuckle. “As law enforcement, one must think of the different possibilities. I sensed you wouldn’t play fair, so you might as well play your game.”

Xander bit his lower teeth. “It will be a waste; we are underground, and they won’t be able to find us here,” Sanders smirked. Xander noticed. “Search him!” One guard patted Sanders, and a small chip was seen when he removed the left shoe.”

“I have friends in high places that know a lot about technology. This chip tells the others our exact location and numbers so they know we are underground.”

Xander began to shake as his rage intensified.

“It’s not going to end well with you, Xander. It would add to the years you are sentenced to prison if you kill us. This is something that the media will not ignore. Law enforcement knows. You and I both know that this case will increase the positions of many involved.” The sirens were getting louder.

“Get Madelyn; we’re leaving! Kill them!” Xander motioned two of the guards to move Madelyn forcibly. She screamed for Octavio and Sanders as she exited the secret underground.

“Madelyn!” screamed Octavio. Meanwhile, one guard got out a gun and pointed it at Octavio first.

“Wait, young man. You don’t need to do this! I know you were ordered to kill us, but you have no grudge against us,” said Sanders.

“It’s an order.”

“True, but your boss left you all here. You all work for him because he pays you. Look, my co-workers will find this place, and they will catch you. They are nearer than you think. Your boss just left you all. How will you all be sure that he will pay you?”

None of the men answered. All they did was look at one another. “Look, I know you’re doing your job, but do you want to ruin your lives for a man who doesn’t care what happens to you? You all have your lives ahead of you. Let us go and leave now. You all have your chance to start over.”

“How will we know that you’ll rat us out.”

Sander rolled his eyes. “How can I since there are many of you? I don’t know your names either. I’m an old young man! You have the chance to go. All we want is Xander, so please let us go so we can save the young lady!”

It was quiet for a few seconds, and the guard put his gun away and undid Sanders’ restraints. “We’re leaving.”

Octavio helped Sanders stand. “Thank you, young man. You all should get going.”

“The vehicles are in the garage. Good luck.” All the guards ran out of the underground hideout. Octavio and Sanders also got out and ran to the garage.

“You’re good.”

“When you work with criminals, you have to think like them. One must also be prepared. We need to get to Xander and Madelyn.”

The men got to the garage, got the keys, and took one of the trucks. “Where do you think they might be headed?” asked Octavio.

“Don’t know, but they can’t be far. To our luck, they left some tire tracks.” Sanders noticed the compartment, opened it, and saw a cell phone. “Thank god for our luck!” He got the cell phone and dialed a number. “Hey, Xander escaped with two guards and with Madelyn. The left is on a black SUV. Tell the others to keep track of them! My partner and I will go after them, too!” He hung up.

“How do you know he’s on an SUV?”

“Come on, Octavio. Xander feels too good to get on one of these. Now we have to go and get that bastard! I’ll be able to retire with style and go home to my beautiful, nagging wife!” Sanders sped off.

Meanwhile, Xander held onto Madelyn as she struggled to escape his grip and the guards. The other guard was driving the SUV. “Sir, where should we head off to!?”

“I have a private airport, and I just called my pilot to get the plane ready!”

“Let me go! I won’t go with you!” yelled Madelyn.

Xander got a hold of her chin. “Shut it and behave. You and I are going far away, my dear. Now that Octavio is dead, nothing can keep you away from me.”

Madelyn screamed as she began to try kicking and punching, but she was overpowered.

“Sir, we are being followed!”

Xander looked back, and it was one of his gardeners’ trucks. When he looked carefully, his eyes became wide open. “It’s that detective and Octavio, but how are they alive!?”

Madelyn: My hearted. Heart almost skipped a beat.“They’re alive!? Octavio is alive!”she told herself. Tears formed. She then heard sirens from afar. Madelyn knew that they would be surrounded; she would be free. However, the young woman knew Xander would have something on his sleeve.

“I had enough of those bastards!” He then motioned his hand to the driving guard, who reached the compartment and took out a gun. The guard gave it to Xander. Xander opened the window, motioned the weapon gun, and began shooting toward the men.

Madelyn saw that the truck dodged, but some bullets hit the truck. She had enough. With all her strength, she got away from the guard’s grip, got to Xander’s arm, and pulled his gun in the opposite direction. He accidentally pulled the trigger, shooting the driver. It made the SUV swirl out of control.

Octavio and Sanders watched as what was unfolding before them. The SUV lost control and swirled out of the highway, hitting a tree hard. Both were shocked and worried for Madelyn. They parked the truck. Octavio got out immediately while Sanders was calling his colleagues their location on the cellphone.

Madelyn opened her eyes and saw the occupants down. She went by the guard, who was either dead or unconscious and got out of the SUV. Blood dripped from her forehead from the impact. She then saw Octavio running towards her. “Madelyn!”

“Octavio!” She was about to run to him but felt an arm around her neck and something cold on her head. It was Xander putting a gun on her head.

40: New Beginning & End

Octavio’s eyes became wide with horror as he saw Xander holding Madelyn with a gun in hand, pointing it at Madelyn’s head. Madelyn stood still with terror as she was being held against her will. She wanted to call out to Octavio, but her lips quivered. The realization hit her that she was now in a life-and-death situation.

Sanders exited the SUV, pointing out a gun he found in the truck’s compartment. He stood side-to-side with Octavio and kept his distance. “Xander. It’s over! There’s no point in trying to escape with Madelyn! Let her go!”

Xander was injured as a part of the skin of his forehead was dangling a bit. There was also an open wound on his right arm. He was bleeding, but it didn’t seem to faze him. Xander’s let out an evil smile; his eyes were crazed as blood dripped from his wounds. “There’s no way in hell I’ll let her go. I sacrificed a lot to have her by my side. I’ve come too far to lose her.”

As Sanders was about to respond, more police officers arrived, and they all took out their weapons as they exited their vehicles. Xander eyed the police officers; he was surrounded and knew it. The SUV was destroyed, and he wouldn’t escape with the SUV. Xander smirked as he eyed the many cars around him. “I’m willing to kill her and myself. There’s no point in living if she leaves me. I would rather her be dead than be with anyone else.”

Octavio couldn’t believe what he heard. The situation was getting dire. Xander wouldn’t hesitate to kill Madelyn and himself. The man was crazy. Sanders put down his gun and laid it on the ground. “Sanders, what are you-?”

The older man shook his hand as he focused on Xander and Madelyn. “You love her that much, don’t you?”

“Don’t bother; you’re trying to get to my emotions.”

“Yes and no. I won’t bother lying to you since you’re too smart for that. I know you wouldn’t fear dying and killing the woman you love. However, I’m more concerned for your unborn baby. Your child is innocent of all of this. Are you willing to kill your unborn baby? It has both of your lineages.”

Xander stilled. His unborn child. He almost forgot about his unborn child. “If I let her go, she will abort our child. It would be pointless in the end.”

“I doubt she will abort it. Keeping the baby will be vital once she sees the child’s image. Since you also kept her against her will, she threatened to abort the child to feel power or threaten you to let her go. Aborting an unborn child is not simple. One has to be entirely selfish or in a dire situation to abort. Madelyn has no either of the reasons. I know she won’t abort the child. She doesn’t have the will to do it.”

“Ha! Like I’d believe you! You-!”

“Dear boy, I have worked in law enforcement for half my life. I have worked with many people like you and Madelyn. Women like Madelyn won’t have the strength to abort an unborn child.” Sanders slowly walked towards them with hands half raised. “I know that deep down, you don’t want to kill your innocent unborn child. Your child won’t be able to take their first breath, step, word, go to school, date, marry, and have a family.”

Xander felt his heart beating rapidly. He hated to admit it; Sanders’ words got to him. He didn’t want Madelyn to abort their child. Xander then felt Madelyn shaking and noticed tears in her eyes. Sanders’s comments brought to her. He threatened the police to get one of the cars to make a gateway, but it would be pointless. They would try to find them. He and Madelyn would eventually be found.

He was trapped. Slowly, he let go of Madelyn. The young woman was loose, and she immediately ran towards the men. Octavio also ran to her. The two were together again and hugged. Madelyn cried. Xander saw this and bit his lower lip. He raised his gun. One of the police officers noticed and shot him in the chest.

Xander fell to the ground. The gun fell from his hands. He was bleeding, and one of the police officers called for an ambulance.

Octavio, Madelyn, and Sanders were shocked. Octavio held onto Madelyn tightly as she did the same with him. “You’re safe, Madelyn. You’re safe.”

Madelyn began to cry. AllShed to stay strong, and all those times, everything she went through was too much. She was free. Free.

Then, twelve months later, Xander survived the gunshot wound and was taken to the hospital. When he recovered, he was going to stand trial. Sanders decided to retire once Xanders was to stand the test officially.

Madelyn was reunited with her loved ones, and everyone was thrilled that she was safe and alive. Octavio never left her side. He immediately connected with a therapist to help Madelyn get through her trauma.

Madelyn also decided to stay with Octavio since she felt safer, and he agreed. Madelyn went o to therapy with Octavio by her side. It was difficult for her to express her fears and explain everything she went through. For Octavio, it was difficult for him to hear the torture that Xander forced on her.

Then, there was the issue of her pregnancy. Madelyn wanted to get an abortion, but she felt the baby kick and move during her healing time. Sanders was right; Madelyn was having second thoughts about aborting the baby. Deep down, she knew that the unborn baby had no blame for what Xander did.

Octavio nonetheless supported her decision to keep the baby. He even offered to help raise the baby.

Their time together made them even closer, strengthening their feelings towards one another. Nine months went by, and the baby was born. It was a baby boy who they named Von, which in old Norse means ‘hope.’ Von had his mother’s face and hair but had his father’s eyes. Either way, the couple felt tender love for the baby. Madelyn’s anger and uncertainty faded when she looked at her son.

The two were happy. One night, Octavio hired a babysitter to watch over Von while Madelyn went out to eat. Octavio took M delyn out to a small private beach house he owned. The two had a lovely evening at a small meal that they ordered.

“I can’t believe how time flies,” said Madelyn.

“Yes, I’m so proud of you and your progress. You have a strength that not many people have.”

“You helped me through it; not many men would do what you are doing.”

Octavio cleared his throat. “I brought you here for a reason. I never thought that I could be this happy. You and Von bring me so much meaning in this life, and I hope I bring the same to you.”

She held his hands. “Of course, never doubt that.”

The young man got off his seat and knelt, holding out a box with a ring. “Madelyn, will you marry me?”

The young woman’s eyes became wide as she saw the ring. “O-Octavio!?”

Madelyn, if it’s too soon, then I would understand. I-” He couldn’t finish as Madelyn jumped on him, making both falls to the floor.

“Yes! Yes, of course. Nothing will make me happier!”

Octavio felt his heart soar. The two knelt in front of one another as he put the ring on her finger—the two kissed with utter love and happiness. Moments later, Octavio’s phone rang. He tried to hear it, but it kept on ringing. He let out an annoyed sigh and saw that it was Sanders. Octavio answers d.

“Sanders, what in the?”

“You and Madelyn are okay!?”

“Yes, why?”

“Xander escaped!”

Octavio’s heart skipped a beat. “What in the world are you talking about!? I thought his trial was about to begin!?”

“He escaped prison before the commencement of the trial! There’s no way he could’ve escaped unless…he had help! Police were di patched to your house as they heard some commotion. I’m heading there now!”

Both hung up.

“What’s wrong?” asked Madelyn.

“Xander escaped, and something happened back at home! We have to go back! Try calling the babysitter!” The couple was in the car as Octavio drove like a madman. Madelyn tried calling the babysitter, but there was no answer. “She’s not an erring! Why isn’t she answering!”

About twenty minutes later, they arrived, and to their horror, there were police cars everywhere. The two got out and ran to the house. Some police officers tried to stop them, but they went inside anyway.

The couple saw their babysitter lying in her pool of blood in the living room. She was shot in the head. Sanders was on the scene. “Sanders, what …?” Octavio tried to speak, but his throat turned dry.

“Xander. It was Xander.”

Madelyn screamed as she covered her lips, and that was when she remembered. “Von! Where’s my baby!?” Before Sanders could answer, Madelyn and Octavio ran to the baby’s room. Inside, the room was in disarray. The baby was nowhere in sight. Madelyn screamed in horror. “My baby! My baby!”

Sanders heard the screaming, and deep down, he knew it would be challenging to find the baby. He had a hunch that Xander had help from inside the justice system. The older man didn’t know if the baby and Xander would be found.

Meanwhile, in a private jet, a man with slicked-back dark blonde hair was sitting by the window as the plane was getting ready for takeoff. His eyes were blue, and he had a dark blonde beard. He also wore a buttoned-down white shirt with a black undershirt beneath black slacks and shoes.

Inside the plane, he wasn’t alone. Guards and an older woman were sitting beside a small cradle. Inside the car was Von, who was looking at the man. The man smiled as he held the baby boy. “Von, eh. Not the name I would have given you. Alexander will suit you just fine. Although, I have to change my name and appearance. I’m no longer Xander Maximillian.” The jet was starting.

“I wanted to kill your mother, but I couldn’t. She gave me yo. Though I still love her deep down, she betrayed me, which is her punishment. I will raise you to be the man you were always meant to be. You will avenge me, my boy. We will have a new beginning, eventually bringing Octavio and your mother to their end.” The jet took flight.

The End..