Divorce To Marry a CEO

Chapter 28: Gerald Escape

“Amelia!” Sophia gasped, throwing a pillow at her friend in mock protest.

The teasing continued as they settled down in the living room with breakfast. Once they got comfortable, the conversation turned serious as Sophia recounted everything that had happened recently—the threats, Gerald’s kidnapping of her family, and how Alexander had been protecting them every step of the way.

“I can’t believe all of this is happening,” Amelia said, shaking her head in disbelief. “I mean, I knew marrying into the Evans family came with its perks, but I didn’t think it also came with all this danger.”

Sophia sighed. “Neither did I. I just wanted to start a new chapter with Alexander, but it seems like Gerald isn’t done with us yet. That’s why I have to stay put until things calm down.”

Amelia nodded understandingly. “Makes sense. But hey, at least you have Alexander watching your back. He seems like a good guy, and clearly, he adores you.”

Sophia smiled softly, thinking about her husband. “Yeah, he’s… amazing. More than I ever expected.”

They continued catching up, with Amelia filling Sophia in on her own life—her work, a new guy she was seeing, and all the little ups and downs that came with dating. Sophia found it refreshing to hear about someone else’s normal life amidst the chaos surrounding her.

Just as they were finishing their conversation, Amelia glanced at the time. “I should probably get going soon, but if you need anything, just call me, okay?”

Sophia nodded. “Thanks, Amelia. And sorry again for not being able to go out today.”

“Hey, no worries. I’ll come over any time if it means seeing more of this billionaire lifestyle,” Amelia teased with a wink.

Sophia rolled her eyes playfully as she walked her friend to the door. “I’ll hold you to that.”

As Amelia left, Sophia returned to the living room, thinking about everything her friend had said. Despite the dangers and uncertainties, she felt lucky to have someone like Alexander in her life. And as much as she was nervous about what lay ahead, she knew they could face it together.

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The afternoon sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm, golden glow on the quiet road ahead. The convoy of police vehicles escorting Gerald to prison sped down the deserted road, the hum of engines the only sound breaking the silence. In the lead vehicle, Gerald sat in the back, his hands cuffed tightly, eyes trained forward, expression unreadable.

The officer driving the vehicle in front glanced at his partner. “It’s a straight road from here. We’ll be at the prison in 30 minutes.”

His partner nodded but gave nothing away. Tension hung in the air, thick and foreboding. The stillness of the afternoon made everything feel wrong, like a storm was about to break.

Suddenly, a black SUV appeared on the horizon. It sped toward the convoy and, in a well-practiced maneuver, intercepted them, screeching to a halt across the road. The police vehicles slammed on their brakes, coming to an abrupt stop.

Gerald remained calm, his eyes narrowing slightly. This was the moment he had been waiting for.

Three men dressed in dark clothing, faces covered, exited the SUV. The lead officer stepped out of his vehicle, gun raised, but the resistance was short-lived. The police put up a fake fight — a few shots fired in the air for show, shouts of “Hold your fire!” — but in mere minutes, Gerald was out of the police car, being escorted toward the black SUV.

One of the officers suddenly dropped to the ground, clutching his shoulder and groaning in pain. He had shot himself, but the scene was convincing. The other officers were on the ground too, appearing disarmed and overpowered.

Before Gerald got into the waiting vehicle, the man who had entered the police station the other day emerged from the shadows. He exchanged a nod with the police officers who had been “overpowered,” silently thanking them for their role in the escape. The man, face partially obscured by a cap, vanished with Gerald into the SUV, leaving the police to continue their charade.

When Alexander’s team arrived on the scene, it was already too late. The road was littered with the evidence of a fake struggle: a few bullet casings, tire tracks leading away. The lead officer, still clutching his wounded shoulder, grimaced as one of Alexander’s men approached.

“We were overpowered,” the officer rasped. “They came out of nowhere… I tried… I—” His voice trailed off, the guilt in his eyes poorly masked by the physical pain.

The investigator said nothing, watching the police’s dramatic performance with cold suspicion. He already knew it was a setup.

Alexander received the call while in his office. He was sitting at his desk, reviewing some reports when his phone buzzed. The moment the news was delivered, his face darkened. His jaw clenched, eyes narrowing dangerously as he listened to the report.

“They managed to intercept the convoy. Gerald escaped.”

There was silence on the other end of the line as the investigator hesitated before continuing. “The police are claiming they were overpowered. They say they put up a fight, but…”

“They let him go,” Alexander finished for him, his voice low and ice-cold. He had suspected as much the moment he heard the words ‘Gerald escaped.’

The investigator sighed. “There were no cameras on the road where it happened. We’ve tried tracking the vehicle that took Gerald, but they switched cars at least seven times. Each time, the trail goes cold.”

Alexander slammed his fist onto his desk, frustration bubbling up. He knew Gerald had powerful allies, but he hadn’t anticipated such a carefully orchestrated escape. His entire body tensed as anger pulsed through him, but he knew that, at this moment, there was nothing more he could do.

His next call was to the team responsible for keeping an eye on Gerald.

“You had one job,” he said coldly, the fury barely contained in his voice. “One job, and you failed. Gerald slipped through your fingers. You’ll be lucky to get half your bonuses this month.”

On the other end of the call, the team leader swallowed nervously. “We’ll take the punishment, sir. It won’t happen again.”

“You’re damn right it won’t happen again,” Alexander hissed before cutting the call abruptly.

For the next few days, Alexander was consumed by his work. He barely came home, staying in his office long past sunset, pouring over every detail of the operation, trying to piece together how Gerald had managed to slip away so cleanly. His focus sharpened to a razor’s edge, and he spent hours strategizing, preparing for the next move.

He had Mark and his team double the security on Sophia and her family. Alexander knew that as long as Gerald was free, they were still at risk. It gnawed at him, the thought of Sophia in danger. Every evening he would come home late, exhausted but with an undying fire in his eyes, driven by the need to protect what was his.

One evening, he arrived at the house just before dusk. The house was quiet, but to his surprise, Sophia was awake, waiting for him. She had a warm smile on her face, despite the exhaustion in her eyes.

“You’re back late,” she said softly as he approached her.

Alexander gave a faint smile, brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear. “I didn’t want to wake you. There’s still a lot going on.”

“I know,” Sophia said, her hand resting lightly on his chest. “But I’m glad you’re home.”

For a moment, Alexander let the weight of the past few days slip away, finding solace in her presence. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, grateful that at least for tonight, they were safe together.

As the tension of the past days began to fade, Alexander knew he couldn’t rest until Gerald was once again captured. But for now, with Sophia by his side, he allowed himself a brief moment of peace before the storm continued.