My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 64

Chapter 64: The Confession (Part-2)

When Nicholas arrived at his office, he handed Alex the broken pieces of Ava’s phone. “Can you recover the memory?” he asked.

Alex looked down at the broken remnants in his hands, hesitation flickering across his face. Could he say no?

He nodded curtly. “Let me try.”

“No, you must recover it,” Nicholas commanded, his sharp tone leaving no room for questions.

Alex swallowed, squaring his shoulders. “I’ll do my best.”

“Cool.” Leaning back in his seat, Nicholas commanded yet again, “Bring Brian back. He needs to learn a hard lesson.”

Alex’s face crumpled like a crushed paper, shadows of frustration and guilt crossing his features. He had been on Brian’s trail as soon as the informant tipped him off about the attempted escape, but a few unknown men had taken him already before he could reach there.

“En…we lost him,” Alex stammered, feeling his heart sinking.

Nicholas sat up, his body tensing. “Lost him? What exactly does that mean?” he exclaimed, his forehead creasing.

Alex inhaled, dread building under Nicholas’s hard gaze. “I rushed to his place to stop Brian when I got the intel that he was fleeing. But when I got there, he wasn’t there. The informant said a few unknown men got to him first.”

“Who were they?” Nicholas’s frown deepened, and a dangerous gleam sparked in his eyes. His fists clenched tighter against the armrests.

“I’m looking into it,” Alex replied, barely able to meet his gaze.

In a flash of anger, Nicholas’s arm swept across his desk, sending a stack of files scattering to the floor. His breath came in sharp, controlled exhales as he struggled to rein in his fury.

Alex flinched as the files tumbled to the floor, his gaze flicking nervously from the scattered papers to Nicholas’s clenched fists. The fiery anger in his boss’ eyes was unmistakable, his face flushed with barely contained rage.

Alex’s pulse quickened as he feared that Nicholas’s anger may cause the rise in his blood pressure. In a quick motion, he reached for the glass of water on the desk, stretching it toward his boss. “Please, have some water,” he urged. His gaze was pleading, his heart trembling.

Nicholas glared at him, fury radiating from his eyes. His disappointment was palpable.

Alex took a deep breath, steadying himself. “All this is not important,” he tried to reason. “Gianna, Ava—all these issues come second. Your health is more important. The doctor warned you about stress. Please, you can’t let this get to you.”

The tension in Nicholas’s jaw eased as Alex’s words settled over him. He snatched the glass, taking a long sip, his breathing slowing as he fought to regain control. His anger dissipated a bit, replaced by steely determination.

“Find him,” he commanded, “and also find out who those people are.”

Alex nodded, feeling some of the tension release. “I’ve already dispatched a team. They’ll soon give us an update.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Brian’s eyelids fluttered open, and he found himself sprawled on the gritty, dust-covered floor of an abandoned house. The room was shrouded in neglect, cobwebs blanketing the corners, while the paint on the cracked walls had started to peel in flakes. A dull ache throbbed at the back of his head, and he winced as he tried to sit up, discovering that his hands and legs were bound tightly.

Some memories rushed back—he had been loading his suitcase into the car when someone struck him from behind. While passing out, he had seen a figure looming over him.

“Ugh…” he groaned as he wriggled himself upright and sat with his back pressing against the rough wall. Panic edged into his mind, his breath quickening as he whispered, “Who kidnapped me this time? Nicholas?”

A cold sweat broke out across his forehead as he thought Nicholas had found out about his lies. His blood ran cold as he recalled the cold fury in Nicholas’s eyes.

Last time, he had spun enough lies to get out of trouble, but he knew he couldn’t pull that off again. This time, there would be no escape.

“He’ll kill me,” he muttered, a shiver coursing through him as his pulse raced. His dread intensified as footsteps sounded from the outside. Instinctively, he tried to push himself further against the wall, as though he could disappear into the shadows.

Then a tall figure stepped inside, his very presence thickening the air with menace. Brian’s gaze shot upward, and he froze. The murderous glare in the man’s eyes dashed the last bit of hope of escaping there from his mind.

“Dylan!” Brian whispered, his heart pounding so fiercely he feared it might burst.

Dylan’s lips curled into a sneer as he stepped closer. “Expecting someone else?” he taunted. “You and Gianna, right? Partners in crime!”

Brian’s mind raced to find a way to escape this precarious situation. He knew lying wouldn’t work. Maybe if he told the truth, he’d have a slim chance at survival.

“It’s all Gianna’s doing!” he stammered. “She wanted Ava out of the picture so she could have you. I only… I just gave her the contact details of a local gang, that’s it. I didn’t hurt Ava.”

His words only stoked Dylan’s fury. In a swift, brutal movement, Dylan drove his boot into Brian’s stomach, sending a shockwave of pain through his body. Brian crumpled to the floor, gasping for air, his face flushed red as he fought for breath.

But Dylan didn’t give him the time to recover. In a flash, he crouched down, grabbed Brian by the collar, and yanked him close until their faces were inches apart.

“You didn’t hurt Ava?” Dylan hissed. “You have been Gianna’s right hand in this scheme against her, and you dare claim innocence? Do you honestly think I won’t kill you and bury you here without a trace? No one will find out where you’ve disappeared.”

Terror washed over Brian, his body shaking uncontrollably as he met Dylan’s unyielding gaze. Every instinct screamed at him to escape, but he was paralyzed.

“I’ll tell you everything,” he blurted out. “I’ll do anything you say. I’ll confess to the police. But please, don’t kill me. I am the witness of Gianna’s manipulations. I can help bring her down.”