Trapped in a Secret Marriage with a Dangerous Billionaire - Chapter 271

Chapter 271: An Ultimatum from The Major
Xander’s Private Residence.

Morning sunlight filtered through the tall windows of the dining room, casting a golden glow on the polished mahogany table. The air was still, heavy with an unspoken tension that had lingered since last night.

Aurora stepped into the dining room, her expression neutral as her gaze flickered toward the head seat at the table. Empty.

She released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and made her way to her usual spot. The absence of Xander felt like a small victory. At least he was listening to her on this one.

As soon as she sat down, a plate of her favourite breakfast—fluffy pancakes, scrambled eggs, and fresh fruit—was placed before her. The aroma was warm and inviting, but her appetite was dimmed by the events of the past few days.

Still, she shut her eyes and murmured a quiet prayer before picking up her cutlery.

Just as she took her first bite, Nene appeared beside her, a small tray in hand.

“Ma’am, your routine medications,” Nene reminded softly, placing the small bowl of pills next to her juice.

Aurora grimaced instantly. The mere sight of the pills made her stomach churn, and the bitter medicinal scent nearly had her gagging.

She covered her nose and shook her head. “Take them away, Nene. I can’t stand the smell.”

Nene, ever patient, simply nodded and picked up the tray. “I will bring them back once you’re done eating, Ma’am.”

Aurora groaned in frustration, watching as Nene walked away with the offensive pills. She wished there was a way to avoid taking them altogether, but she knew she had no choice—not if she wanted her baby to be healthy.

Resigning herself to the inevitable, she resumed eating.

But in the middle of her meal, her gaze drifted back to the empty head seat. The reminder of Xander’s absence didn’t bring relief this time—it brought irritation.

She scoffed under her breath, stabbing at her food with more force than necessary.

Placing a gentle hand on her belly, she whispered, “Little one, promise me you’ll never be as stubborn as your father.”

She sighed.

Deep down, she knew she was being childish. Xander was a complex man, and his job was complicated. But that didn’t change the fact that she felt unheard and disregarded.

She just wished he would stop making her feel like she was competing with his duty.

—

Meanwhile, at the other end, Xander sat behind the heavy wooden desk in his study, his fingers moving swiftly over the keyboard. He was reviewing surveillance reports, analyzing intercepted messages, and cross-referencing data about the network behind Daniel.

His focus was razor-sharp, but the dark circles under his eyes hinted at the restless night he had endured.

Then his phone rang.

Glancing at the caller ID, he straightened slightly. It was Major Walker.

He answered immediately. “Sir.”

The Major’s voice came through, sharp and direct. “Give me an update. Has the spy talked?”

Xander exhaled, rubbing his temple briefly. “Not yet, but we’re working on it.”

The Major clicked his tongue in disapproval. “That’s not good enough, Lex. It’s been days. If he hasn’t cracked yet, what makes you think he will?”

Xander’s jaw tightened. “He’s trained. We underestimated his resilience.”

“That’s clear,” the Major said dryly. “Do you need reinforcement? Arsenal’s interrogation team can take over.”

Xander immediately dismissed the idea. “No. We’re handling it. I just need more time.”

A brief silence followed before the Major spoke again, this time with a hint of suspicion. “Where exactly are you keeping him?”

Xander hesitated for a split second before replying, “In the basement of my home.”

A sharp inhale came from the other end of the line. “You’re keeping a captured enemy operative in the same house where your wife sleeps?”

Xander’s fingers tapped against the desk. “He can’t escape. I have complete control over the situation.”

Major Walker’s concern came from a place Xander understood. Aurora was his doctor, so of course, he would be concerned about her.

“You’d better hope so,” the Major warned. “Because if anything goes wrong, it won’t just be your problem—it will be mine,” he said, pretending like his daughter’s safety wasn’t the reason he was all hyper and concerned.

But if the situation wasn’t different, he could as sure as hell, already scolded Xander’s ass and made him sorry for jeopardizing his daughter’s safety. Unfortunately, he hasn’t acknowledged Aurora as his daughter, and he wasn’t ever going to.

Xander remained silent.

“Enough of this,” the Major continued. “I’m giving you two days. Either you get the information we need, or you bring him in.”

With that, the call ended.

Xander dropped his phone onto the desk and leaned back in his chair, his mind calculating.

Two days. That was all the time he had.

A moment later, he picked up his phone again and dialled a number he knew by heart. The call connected after two rings.

“Xander,” Asher greeted. “What’s up?”

“Major Walker gave us an ultimatum,” Xander informed him without preamble. “Two days to get answers, or we have to send Daniel to HQ.”

There was a slight pause before Asher responded, “We can’t let that happen.”

Xander nodded even though his friend couldn’t see him. “That’s what I thought. If we hand him over, there’s a chance that someone in the chain of command—someone working with the people who sent him—could silence him before we get the truth.”

“Exactly,” Asher agreed. “And that would mean we’ve lost everything.”

Xander exhaled. “Then we have until tomorrow night to break him.”

There was a brief chuckle from Asher’s end. “Torture session, round two?”

Xander smirked slightly. “Round three.”

“Damn,” Asher muttered. Then his tone shifted, becoming serious. “I will come over. And we will make sure he talks before the deadline.”

Xander nodded. “See you soon.”

As the call ended, Xander set his phone down and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his desk.

Two days.

That was all the time they had left. And he wasn’t about to let it go to waste.