The Truth About Alexander
1733 Words
CHAPTER SIX
The gunshot echoed through the warehouse.
Elena felt Alexander's arms tighten around her as he pulled her behind a concrete pillar.
“Stay down.”
Her heart hammered against her chest.
“Who fired?”
“I don't know.”
Another shot struck the metal beam above them.
Sparks scattered across the darkness.
Alexander looked toward the opposite side of the warehouse.
“There's someone else here.”
Elena stared at him.
“What?”
“Adrian isn't the only person inside.”
Before she could respond, footsteps sounded somewhere in the darkness.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Someone was approaching.
Alexander raised his weapon.
“Come out.”
The footsteps stopped.
Silence followed.
Then a woman's voice echoed through the warehouse.
“Alexander?”
His expression suddenly changed.
Elena noticed immediately.
“You know her?”
Alexander didn't answer.
The woman stepped into the faint light.
She was tall and elegantly dressed, with long black hair and a cold, confident expression.
Elena stared at her.
The woman looked directly at Alexander.
“You shouldn't have brought her here.”
Alexander lowered his weapon slightly.
“Why are you here?”
The woman smiled.
“To warn you.”
Elena stepped out from behind the pillar.
“Who are you?”
The woman's eyes moved toward her.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then she smiled.
“So you're Elena Carter.”
Elena's stomach tightened.
“How do you know my name?”
“Everyone who matters knows your name.”
Alexander stepped between them.
“Answer her question.”
The woman looked at him.
“You haven't changed.”
“Neither have you.”
Elena glanced between them.
“You two know each other.”
“Yes,” the woman answered.
Alexander's jaw tightened.
“Her name is Sophia.”
Elena looked at the woman.
“Sophia who?”
“Sophia Blake.”
The name meant nothing to Elena.
Sophia smiled.
“I used to work for Alexander.”
“Work for him?”
“I'm his former head of security.”
Elena looked at Alexander.
“Former?”
“She left three years ago,” Alexander said.
Sophia's smile disappeared.
“Because of you.”
Elena frowned.
“What happened three years ago?”
Sophia looked at Alexander.
“Tell her.”
Alexander remained silent.
Sophia sighed.
“Three years ago, I discovered someone inside the Black family was leaking information.”
“Who?” Elena asked.
“We never found out.”
Sophia continued.
“But the information being leaked concerned your family.”
“My family?”
“Yes.”
Elena's heart raced.
“What information?”
“The location of your father.”
Elena froze.
“You knew where my father was?”
“No.”
Sophia's expression softened.
“We knew someone had been searching for him.”
“Who?”
“Adrian.”
Elena looked toward Alexander.
“Then why didn't you tell me?”
Alexander's voice was quiet.
“Because we didn't know if Adrian was working alone.”
Sophia nodded.
“He wasn't.”
A cold feeling moved through Elena.
“Who was helping him?”
Sophia looked toward the dark entrance.
“We still don't know.”
Suddenly, the warehouse doors shook.
Someone was trying to break through.
Sophia turned.
“We need to leave.”
Alexander nodded.
“There's a back exit.”
They hurried through the warehouse.
Elena kept pace with Alexander.
“What about the box?”
Sophia looked at her.
“What box?”
Elena held up the black box.
Sophia's eyes widened.
“Where did you find that?”
“Under the floor.”
Sophia stopped walking.
“You need to give it to me.”
Elena immediately pulled it against her chest.
“No.”
Sophia frowned.
“You don't understand what's inside.”
“I know enough to know everyone wants it.”
Alexander stepped closer.
“She's right.”
Sophia looked at him.
“Then you understand how dangerous it is.”
“I do.”
“Then why are you letting her keep it?”
“Because it's hers.”
Sophia looked at Elena.
“Your father left it for you?”
Elena nodded.
Sophia's expression changed.
“Then you need to hear this.”
“What?”
“Your father trusted almost nobody.”
Elena swallowed.
“Did he trust you?”
Sophia shook her head.
“No.”
“Then who did he trust?”
Sophia looked at Alexander.
“Him.”
Elena stared at Alexander.
“You?”
Alexander looked away.
“I knew your father before you did.”
“How?”
“He came to me when I was twenty-three.”
“What did he want?”
“He wanted me to protect you.”
Elena's eyes widened.
“You were supposed to protect me?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you reject me?”
Alexander's eyes met hers.
“Because your father told me that if I stayed close to you, they would kill you.”
Elena's voice trembled.
“And you believed him?”
“I saw what they were capable of.”
She stepped closer.
“You could have trusted me.”
“I couldn't risk it.”
“You made that decision for me.”
“I know.”
She shook her head.
“I hate you for that.”
Alexander's expression softened.
“I know.”
“But I also hate that part of me still believes you.”
For a moment, their eyes remained locked.
Sophia cleared her throat.
“We don't have time for this.”
Alexander looked away.
“She's right.”
They reached a hidden door at the back of the warehouse.
Sophia opened it.
A narrow passage led outside.
They stepped into the cold night.
Elena breathed deeply.
They were finally outside.
Then her phone rang.
Unknown number.
She answered.
“Hello?”
Her mother's voice came through.
“Elena?”
Elena froze.
“Mum?”
“Yes.”
“Where are you?”
“I don't know.”
Her mother's voice trembled.
“Listen carefully. You must not trust—”
The call suddenly cut off.
Elena stared at the phone.
“Mum?”
She called back.
No answer.
Alexander took the phone from her.
“Let me see.”
He examined the screen.
“It's been traced.”
Sophia's expression changed.
“They know where we are.”
A black SUV suddenly appeared at the end of the road.
Its headlights blinded them.
Sophia immediately drew her weapon.
“Get down!”
The SUV accelerated toward them.
Alexander grabbed Elena and pulled her behind a concrete barrier.
The vehicle stopped.
Three armed men jumped out.
Sophia fired first.
The men scattered.
Alexander returned fire.
Elena crouched behind the barrier, terrified.
“Stay here!”
Alexander moved forward.
Elena noticed one of the attackers approaching from the side.
“Alexander!”
He turned.
The man fired.
Alexander ducked.
Sophia shot the attacker before he could fire again.
The remaining men ran toward the SUV.
Alexander chased them.
“Stop!”
The SUV sped away.
Alexander returned.
Sophia lowered her weapon.
“We can't stay here.”
“Where do we go?” Elena asked.
Sophia looked at Alexander.
“Your penthouse isn't safe.”
“My estate?”
“Also compromised.”
Alexander thought for a moment.
“There's one place they won't know about.”
Sophia raised an eyebrow.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Elena looked at him.
“Where?”
“My grandmother's house.”
Sophia stared at him.
“That place has been abandoned for years.”
“Exactly.”
They got into the car.
As Alexander drove, Elena looked at the black box sitting on her lap.
She opened it again.
The USB drive was still there.
So was the newspaper.
But now she noticed something she hadn't seen before.
A small folded piece of paper was hidden beneath the photographs.
She pulled it out.
There were only five words written on it.
YOUR MOTHER KNOWS THE TRUTH.
Elena's heart stopped.
She looked at Alexander.
“My mother knows everything.”
Alexander's expression became serious.
“Then we need to find her before Adrian does.”
Elena unfolded the paper completely.
Something fell from it.
A small photograph.
She picked it up.
It showed her mother standing beside a young Alexander.
Elena stared at the picture in disbelief.
“Alexander…”
He glanced at it.
His face went pale.
“I've never seen that photograph.”
“You're standing beside my mother.”
“I know.”
“When was this taken?”
Alexander didn't answer.
Elena turned the photograph over.
A date was written on the back.
Twelve years ago.
Her hands began shaking.
“My mother knew you before we met.”
Alexander stared at the photograph.
Then he whispered:
“She wasn't meeting me.”
Elena looked at him.
“Then who was she meeting?”
Alexander's eyes darkened.
“My father.”
Silence filled the car.
Elena slowly lowered the photograph.
“What did they have to do with each other?”
Alexander shook his head.
“I don't know.”
But Elena could see the fear in his eyes.
He knew something.
Something he wasn't telling her.
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
“What?”
A man's panicked voice came through.
“Mr. Black, we've found something.”
“What?”
“We searched the old Carter property.”
Alexander's grip tightened around the steering wheel.
“And?”
“There was a hidden room.”
Elena leaned closer.
“What did you find?”
The man hesitated.
“A recording.”
“From who?”
Another pause.
Then the answer came.
“From your father.”
Elena's breath caught.
“Play it.”
“We already did.”
“What did he say?”
The man's voice trembled.
“He said that if Elena ever found the recording, she should never trust the man she loves.”
Elena slowly turned toward Alexander.
Alexander's face had gone completely pale.
The call ended.
Neither of them spoke.
Elena looked at the man who had once broken her heart.
For the first time, she wondered whether the greatest danger in her life had been protecting her from Alexander...
Or protecting her from him.
TO BE CONTINUED.
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