Alexander's Pov~

Flashbacks..

(Note: While sitting in the car along with Max he thinks about all of the below flashbacks.)

Our First Meeting~~~~

I was heading to my cabin when I saw Maddie standing along with Scarlet....My new Personal Assistant.

"Sir, she is here." Mrs. Madeleine informed to me.

"Good morning Miss Reeves. Welcome to Pearce Industries. As a start you can get a coffee for me. All the rules and tasks will be informed to you by Maddie. Maddie, do show her office and introduce her to what she has to do. And after that you can come to me, i will give you, well your rest of the day tasks."
I said all these things without looking at her because I was checking an important update from one of my client but I got no response from her.
So I looked up at her and said,

"Miss Reeves I didn't receive an
answer from you."

"Yes Sir." She answered me obediently. But the instant I looked at her I was mesmerized with her eyes. Those electric blue eyes and her beauty were intriguing me. But I quickly averted my eyes off her and said,

"Good. You both may go now."
*******************************

Our First Elevator Ride Together~~~

It was our first time to ride the elevator together. I asked her to accompany me to one of my hotel for official purpose. My private elevator was having some technical issue and hence it is under construction so we are using the other elevator for the time being.

We entered into another elevator and he pressed the ground floor button. But the elevator was stopping in between for other people to enter and the space inside were getting smaller and smaller as a lot of people got in. Now it's packed and we were unable to move. The people entering were all managers and clients not the employees as employees used a separate elevators on the other side of the wing.

Suddenly Scarlet got pushed by some idiot and landed onto me and we were in close proximity. She was facing me and I instantly held her in my arms to keep her steady. I don't wanted her to get hurt so gently I placed her head over my left shoulder and kind of hugged her in a protective stance. The moment I held her in my arms I felt a connection. I felt a jolt.
I wanted to protect her and hold her like this forever. I could feel her body stiff right now and she was trying to calm her nerves down. Her eyes were closed for a moment as she took several small deep breaths.

Finally the elevator stopped at the ground floor and people walked out of it. She too stepped out of my hold and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. And then we both silently walked out of the elevator. But I could still feel that warmth of her body on mine.

************************************
Saying Sorry For the First Time in My Life~~~

I was so mad seeing my ex-lover that all my anger was lashed out on Scarlet that day at office. I troubled her so much with shit load of extra work. She tolerated my bad behavior and had stressed her out.

Later on, it was Ashton who made me realize that I did wrong. It was unfair and she didn't deserve to be treated like that. She was my best employee.

As soon as I realized my fault, I mentally started preparing about how to apologize to her and called her inside my cabin.

But the problem was...I just...I didn't know how to say the "Sorry" word to her. That word was foreign to me and I felt too damn difficult. It was just one word.
Yet I couldn't!

She was sitting in front of me with a pen and a notepad.

I looked up at her and I just.......noticed how beautiful she is.

She was saying something to me at that time but I was not listening instead I just looked at those pretty pair of electric blue eyes and the movement of her lips while she spoke. She looked like a gorgeous model. At that moment I felt something for her, some kind of unknown feelings started to develop inside of me which I couldn't understand or explain.

"Sir...is it okay to reschedule your today's meetings?"

"Yeah...." I was in a trance and then she interrupted it by asking something and I just replied to it without knowing what it is!

"I wanted to ask you regarding the meeting of a client which is on Sunday; could you please give me the details for it?"

I was such a dick by making her work on Sunday. I braced myself and started explaining to her...

"Scarlet, these past days it's been shit. I know. I...just, it's been rough for me so the thing is we will reschedule that meeting from Sunday to Thursday so that you have an off on Sunday. Okay?"

"Scarlet, I'm sorry."

I saw from my peripheral vision that she whipped her head up and was staring at me in shock.

Yes because I said sorry to her and that was a first for me.

**********************************

Entry of new employee i.e Vince D'Costa.

"Are you going somewhere?" I asked her while eyeing Vince. From the day he had joined I didn't like him being around her.

"We both were just about to have lunch right now, Sir. It's already late." Vince replied to me politely.

Hell no!

"Scarlet. I need you to accompany me right now for a meeting with the manager of Hotel Bliss project. We will grab lunch for you on the way. Now come on." I ordered her and left first. Though she was not required for that meeting but I didn't want her to be with him. Hence I ordered her to come along with me.

And then that incident~

He pulled her closer, held her in his arms and kissed her, that made me go all out like a hulk. I landed a punch on his right cheek and Vince fell on the ground.

She gasped and was afraid. But I couldn't contain my anger towards him.
He kissed her. How dare he do that? She is mine. At that moment I felt that jealous feeling so strongly and it confirmed that I got feelings for her. I like her.

It irked me when Vince was with her and I really care about her. She affects me in every way.

I was very much pissed off and raging with a shit load of anger.

Vince slowly got up from the floor holding his cheek.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" I asked him menacingly.

"I...can explain. Please." Vince said while holding his hands in the air.

"You...come with me." I said to Scarlet while grabbing her hand. Then pointed a finger at Vince and said,

"You...leave right now. You're fired. Out...!" I roared at him.

Angrily I dragged her along with me in my cabin.

I immediately closed and locked the door and then pushed her towards the left side of the wall. At first I stood there clenching my fist then when I faced her, I softened a bit.

"Why did u punch him?" She asked in shock in a low voice.

"Why did you kiss him?" I asked her angrily and took a step closer to her.

"What? I... but...he... "She raised her voice to defend herself but I interrupted.

"Is he your boyfriend? Or...He paid you to be with him?"

I asked this annoyed while being closer to her ears. I was beyond mad.

Instead of replying to me she got angry and instantly slapped me across my face.

"How could you say like that?
I am not like other bimbos who are dying to do anything for money. I certainly don't need to explain to you anything and I don't wish to work with you anymore.

Goodbye Mr. Pearce."

Saying she left me in a shocked state.

She left me. She freaking resigned.

That hurt me.

Next day, I missed her presence terribly in my office. Felt empty.

Then Taylor visited to my office to talk about Scarlet. She told me it was Vince who initiated the kiss and she doesn't have any kind of feelings towards him apart from friendship. I misunderstood her.

Then I remembered our main conversation.

"Also, she still doesn't know anything regarding us, we being childhood friends and she still thinks this job, which she had been achieved only because of her education and her skills. Not because I called you up and asked for a favor, so do not tell her all this. It's a secret between us. Okay?"

"Okay." I replied to her.

**********************************

Back to Present...

And this secret of ours is still a secret. I haven't told Dove about me knowing Taylor. Taylor is like a sister to me and she was my partner in crime while we were kids.

My god I hope both are fine, my Dove and Taylor.

I texted Ray and gave him the address of the hospital where Taylor is admitted. I told him to check upon her.

After driving an hour suddenly Baxter slammed on his car brakes.

"What the hell are you....?

"Shush lover boy." Max said in a whisper and pointed ahead. I looked towards the direction he has pointed with his finger and I saw a humongous Villa. Vince and Cherry entered the main entrance gate after thorough check up and few formalities performed by the guards stationed outside.

We stopped our car a bit behind, out of their view so that they don't get a hint of us following them.

"Damn that's the lion's den!" Baxter whispered yet again with wide and excited eyes.

"What!" I exclaimed as I have no idea what he is talking about.

"This is the Italian Mafia's hub in our city. Hell it's restricted and a very dangerous territory to enter. And I think there will be more people surrounding this area. People such as them... "He pointed towards his right side; a black SUV was stationed near to the motel.

"Those are our very own FBI guys."

"Shit. You mean..."

"Yes indeed. She is under their watch. Obviously he wouldn't hide her in any other place when he has such powerful connection to help him do whatever he wishes to. Now this is all fucked up. We will have to go back home for now and layout a proper plan to get your girl back." Baxter said while driving us back home.

"Baxter you better lay out a proper, safer and faster plan. Ray can also help us out in this and...."

Suddenly I was interrupted by a phone call.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" A familiar voice said over the other end of the call in a thick accent.

Perfect. It's him.

"Why the hell you care Maximo? What do you want?" I snapped at him.

Maximo Rosario, my Business Partner for Italy project...
(Note: I hope you remember our very own Max who had proposed Scarlet but she realized that she has strong feelings for Alexander)

"I do because it's about Scarlet." He said in a very serious tone.

"She is my..." He interrupted me.

"She is kidnapped and is now under the watchful eyes of the Italian Mafia.
It means she is absolutely in the hands of that son of a b***h- Lucca Donati who happens to run a business of trading innocent girls across the sea for you know what!" He yelled at me in frustration.

I was stunned with his information. I tried to open my mouth and say something to him but no words came out as I was processing his information in my mind.

"I'm on my way to your place and we will talk about this." He disconnected the call.

I closed my eyes for a moment to contain my anger. I came across her beautiful smiling face in my mind and it helped me to calm my nerves. But when I opened my eyes, I was beyond angry for all the things that is happening in my life. Especially with my Dove and I swear that bastard Vince is going to pay for it. I will kill him that's for sure.

"Baxter drives faster. We have a guest coming home tonight and also I need a lot of answers from my father."

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At Pearce's Residence~

"Where is she?" Mom asked me with concern and fear.

"She is yet to be found but we will get her back Mrs. Pearce. Don't worry." Baxter replied to her.

I could see my whole family is worried with this situation. Especially Sera, mom said she was crying the whole time begging to rescue her sister. Somehow Estelle and mom assured her that I will bring Scarlet back home safely. Hearing that she somehow calmed a bit and due to tiredness she fell asleep. Taylor was shifted in our house along with all the needed medical assistance. I didn't want to take a chance by keeping her in the hospital. The kids are also here along with their nanny. My house is fully protected 24 x 7 by guards. Right now we doubled the security.

After half an hour I, Ashton, Ray, Derek, Baxter and My father- we all settled outside in our patio area for discussion.

Baxter explained the situation to everyone. He then pulled out the file which had details on Vince. He handed that file to my father.

Father started going through all the contents in the file. But he was cool as an ice. No surprised reactions given at all with the information mentioned in it. While Ashton was curious as to know what it is hence after once father read it, Ashton took from him and started going through it.

"Well, would you explain this entire thing father?" I asked him calmly to get a clearer picture of all this.

"Hmm... very well...." He sighed.

"What the hell! Vince is your son."
Ashton yelled in anger while gripping the file. Ray and Derek were shocked and then all pair of eyes was on my father to get an answer to it.

"To be honest yes...in a way he is. But he is not my son." Father said in a neutral tone.

"Please explain father." Ashton said.

Now we all were curious.

"Well, he is my cousin sister's son. So he is your brother in that way. Not that I am having another affair or anything like that. Hell I'll never cheat on my wife, your mother. She is my world."

"But why then my sources gave me info stating you as his father?" Baxter asked while frowning because his sources give apt and true info.

"Well, Vince's mother i.e. my sister Rose requested me to hide the identity of her child's father. She did the biggest mistake of her life by falling in love with a dangerous man. She never wanted that man to know he has a son, as that will force her to let her son follow the footsteps of his father, footsteps which will lead to the dark side of the world. She was afraid. But I couldn't take care of her and the baby. I was so much involved with my work. Besides that your mother was busy with Ashton and you both. Hell I never even told your mother about all this because our family can be in danger. So I had send Rose and Vince away to Mexico. I made all arrangements for them over there and gave Rose new identity, so that man can never get to them. In every once in a while I received letters from Rose about how Vince has grown up and going to school and she is also has a steady job, life was good. After a couple of months, I got a call from her boss stating that she and her son is missing. I personally visited there in Mexico and ordered my search team to get into finding them. But I couldn't get any trace of them. It was like they got vanished. I knew why! Its that man, he found them that's the only answer to it." He sighed and was sad while remembering the past.

"So who is this man?" Ashton asked.

"But I don't understand why Scarlet is being kidnapped by him? What did she do?" Derek asked confused.

"And why is Vince involved with the Italian Mafia?" Ray asked with a serious expression and I was pissed off with all this.

"Don't tell me. It is him...isn't he. His father is...." Baxter voiced out.

"Yes Indeed. You got it right. He is Stefano Santoro." Father said.

"Who is Stefano Santoro?" Derek asked curiously.

"He is one of the leaders of The Italian Mafia.

Well, there is more....

Actually...I met him after Ashton's birthday party. I only knew Vince D'costa as our company employee not that he is my sister's son. That day he revealed to me his true identity as Vincenzo Santoro- son of Stefano and Rose. We had a talk and I came to know that Stefano found out about him and he took them both to Italy during when they were in Mexico. He was very angry at Rose first for not telling about Vince. But eventually he forgave her but unfortunately she was killed by one of Stefano's enemy.

And then he also said about Scarlet..." father hesitated to continue as he looked at me with concern.

"What about her?" I asked him.

He sighed and said,

"Apparently he too has got strong feelings for her. He said he needs her in his life. I think he is serious about her the same way you are Alex."

"Shit. Fuck." Derek, Ray and Baxter said in unison.

"So how are we going to get her back?" Derek asked with concern. Baxter was calling his team to get more info on Stefano and his mafia gang. Dad said he has a file on Stefano and will give Baxter tomorrow to go through it.

"We need a full on planning and we need to get inside that Villa somehow to get her out from there safely. How...?" Ray said while calculating a strategy in his mind.

But I was so much disturbed right now hearing upon dad's words. Never... That's never going to happen.
He will not be able to take her away from me. I was so engrossed with my thoughts and suddenly I heard a familiar voice from across the entrance of the patio.

"I have a plan." He said with a smirk.

All heads whipped to the direction of the entrance and was stunned to see him of all people standing there along with someone whom we hate to acknowledge at this time of situation but shocked to see with him.

"Maximo Rosario" I said in a low tone.

"Cherry." Derek, Ray and Baxter said with a shocked expression.   

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Dedications~

berthahernadez, raksha2107, RenitaRogers, iloveludvica,
Dzifanoel, shweta1831

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Hope you all enjoyed reading the above chapie.

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