‘You know me, Chief. I never proceed if I’m not one-hundred per cent sure,” Sabastian assured. He’d come with a piece of confirmed information that the Baresis were planning to kidnap Alexander’s son. They would use him to blackmail Alexander and take down the Carlos from their throne. Sabastian knew where Franco and Marco, the Baresi twins were hiding and he’s waiting for Alexander’s order to attack. 

Felicity watched shell-shocked as she heard her husband’s conversation with Sabastian. The thought of losing her only son scared her to death. Sabastian stopped mid-sentence as he saw her frightened face while she looked white as a ghost. Frowning, Alexander looked over his shoulder to see what caught Sabastian’s attention and he cursed at what he saw. 

Brushing his palms over his thighs, Alexander straightened his pant as he stood up from the couch. Felicity looked on the verge of tears, and he didn’t waste a second before pulling her into his arms. One hand wrapped around her waist, he ran the fingers of his other hand through her hair and kissed the top of her head. 

.

“Don’t you trust me, Felci? You don’t have to fear anything. You have my word, Sweetheart. I would never let any harm come to him,” he said, rocking her body in his arms and assured her. He could feel her worries and fears without her needing to use words to convey her feelings.

“Now be a good girl and let me handle this. Just relax and take care of Hera and yourself for me, okay?” Alexander suggested, his tone of voice soft and affectionate. She agreed with a nod but refused to leave his side. He pulled her to the couch next to him without any objection. 

Dialling a number, he waited for it to get connected and the person answered it from the other side after a second ring. “Matt, where’s my son?” He asked impatiently and Mathew, the personal bodyguard of his son, answered immediately. 

“He’s busy,” Mathew paused to glance at the boy. “Playing with his grandpa’s gun,” he whispered the last part. Alexander knew why the bodyguard whispered. If it reached Felicity’s ears, she would have the bodyguard’s head for letting her little boy touch the dangerous weapon. But Alexander knew how adamant and stubborn his son could get. He would never listen to Mathew if he refused to comply with his request. That boy listens to no one except his mother. 

Running his hand through his hair, he nervously glanced a chance at his wife. Felicity got alarmed and immediately cried, “Is he okay?” 

“Stop panicking, Sweetheart. He’s fine,” Alexander said. Moving a few feet away from her, he covered his ear with a hand before getting back to Mathew on the phone. “Watch him like a hawk and don’t let him out of your sight, not even for a second, Matt. He’s in danger and please be careful with his,” he paused and looked at his wife before continuing, “With his toy. You’ll not leave the place until I say otherwise,” Alexander ordered strictly. 

Mathew, a young man in his early twenties, was well trained in martial arts and he’s also a sharpshooter. “Yes, Chief,” came a short and crisp reply from him. 

Alexander dialled his father’s number, and to his relief, he picked it up on the first ring. 

“Dad, the truce we had with the Baresi family, is off. I’m going to wipe out that name,” Alexander jumped straight to the point, and his father didn’t sound pleased with the declaration. “No, Alessandro, whatever your reason is, you can’t do that. I’ve given my word to Matteo that no one will touch his family.” Francesco’s voice boomed from the other end, and Alexander couldn’t care any less. 

“They breached the rule first. Motherfuckers dared to think that they can harm my son,” he snapped in anger, and his father went silent for a second or two while Alexander waited for his reply. Francesco looked at his grandson. 

The little boy had his focus glued to Mathew’s hands, watching and listening carefully to his words as he removed the magazine from the barrel chamber of the gun. A proud smile graced Francesco’s face as he watched Mathew teaching his three-year-old grandson how to fire a bullet. 

He cleared his throat and asked his son on the phone like a businessman, “What’s in it for me?” Alexander chuckled at his father’s question. “You’ll get to keep your grandson with you until I clean up this mess,” said, Alexander. Francesco hummed, pleased with the bargain. “I’m a very greedy man, and your offer is irresistible. You know I would do anything for my grandson. I’m out of this, Alessandro, and don’t worry about your son. He’s safe here,” with that said his father disconnected the call. 

Alexander was tucking his loaded guns into the waistband of his pants while Sabastian instructed the men what to do. One took the position at baby Hera’s room, another received orders to stay with Felicity at any cost, and two others positioned at the door. Another team of guards was guarding at the gate. Alexander asked the maid and the cook to leave. 

“They’re outsiders, and I don’t trust them. Here, keep this with you all the time,” Alexander gave a loaded gun to his wife. “I’ve taught you how to use it, and I want you to use it when you need to, okay?” He asked Felicity, holding her face in his palms. She nodded and hugged him tightly, not wanting to let him go. He held her while she cried silently. She’d never been this vulnerable, was always a brave woman. 

Alexander could understand why she’s scared because this time it’s about their child. He wiped her tears and kissed her on the lips. “It’s not the time to panic, Felci. I want you to be brave for me,” he whispered against her soft lips. 

“Keep your phone with you. There are two cars, one comes with the driver, and this is the key to the other car in case you need it. Don’t step out until my men give you clearance,” Alexander said before inspecting her loaded gun once again. 

Felicity moved away to keep the weapon and the key on the small glass table with three legs in the centre of the living hall. Sabastian gave her a smile filled with assurance. “I hope you’re aware that this villa has a back entrance too, Sabastian,” she said, and he immediately jumped to his feet and jogged out. 

“He’d no idea about the backdoor it seems?” Felicity muttered to herself, but her husband heard her. He held her hand, and she turned to him with a faint smile on her lips. “I’ve covered that door too, Sweetheart, you don’t have to worry,” he said in a soft tone, pulling her into another kiss. 

“Why are you acting like you’re not going to return home anytime soon? You know how much you scare me when you do that, Alexander. Why do you have to go, anyway? Our baby boy is safe with his grandparents in Italy.” She asked, tone filled with worry. Alexander smiled warmly at her, caressing her cheeks. 

“I know, he’s safe with my parents, but I can’t sit quietly with my arms crossed when a snake is crawling under my feet. I’ve to smash it before it lifts the head to bite me. They’re planning to harm my child, and I can’t let them walk out of this without any harm. It’s necessary to show them what they’re daring to mess with,” he said, his tone held a promise. 

After assigning four more men to guard the back door, Alexander left with his men, and Johnathan smiled as he saw Felicity waving bye to him. 

And that was the beginning of the destruction of Alexander and Felicity’s perfect life. 

Present Day In London: 

“I need your help,” Hera said, bursting through Abigail’s door. Her cousin’s eyebrows rose, and before she could say something in return, Hera beats her to it. “Don’t judge me, Abby, I’m going on a date with Hunter,” she quickly added. It was already Friday, and even the thought of going on a date with him made Hera a nervous wreck. 

Hera wasn’t sure if he still remembered their date or had already forgotten it. She wouldn’t be surprised if he did. After all, his books held priorities. How would he top the rank otherwise? It’s not easy to maintain that ‘Topper’ tag, and he’d been doing that since forever. 

‘Never lose hope.’

Hope was the one thing Hera believed in, and she sincerely hoped he wouldn’t leave her stranded on their first-ever date. It would be heartbreakingly disappointing, wouldn’t it?

Holding onto the loose thread of hope, Hera decided to get ready for the said date anyway. She was beyond excited for her first date but tried her best to hide it because she didn’t want her cousin to preach her about her choice as her friends did. She wouldn’t entertain anyone dissecting her love life again. She’d had enough already.