Who hired you?

She looked up the moment she heard his footsteps on the hardwood floor.

“Everything alright?” Melissa asked, her voice soft but laced with exhaustion.

Alaric slipped his phone into his pocket with practiced ease.

“One of my security teams called. Something came up at one of our facilities.”

Melissa studied him for a long second before nodding slowly.

“I guess emergencies don’t wait until morning.”

“They rarely do.”

She offered him a tired smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

His brow lifted slightly.

“For what?”

“For taking up so much of your time today.” Her gaze drifted toward the staircase, heavy with guilt and worry. “If it wasn’t for you… I don’t even want to think about what could’ve happened to Rhea.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” he said gently.

“But I do.” Her voice broke just enough to reveal how close she still was to falling apart. “You’ve done more for us in one day than anyone has in years.”

Alaric said nothing. He simply stood there, letting her words settle in the quiet room.

Melissa drew in a slow, shaky breath, her fingers twisting the edge of her cardigan.

“I know tonight wasn’t supposed to end like this,” she said quietly, her eyes drifting toward the staircase. “We were supposed to have dinner together… all three of us.” A sad smile touched her lips before quickly fading. “I guess we’ll have that dinner another time.” She looked back at him, gratitude shining through the exhaustion on her face. “Instead, you spent the entire evening at the hospital because of Rhea.” Her voice caught. “Thank you… for staying with us. And thank you for saving my daughter.”

Alaric held her gaze for a long moment.

“You don’t have to thank me.”

“I do.” She shook her head gently. “I’ll never be able to thank you enough.”

“There wasn’t anywhere else I needed to be.”

For the first time that evening, Melissa’s expression softened. She rose from the couch and pulled her cardigan tighter around herself, as though trying to hold herself together.

“I won’t keep you any longer.”

Alaric reached for his car keys on the console table.

“If anything changes…”

“I’ll call.”

“If she wakes up confused, don’t let her move around too much.”

Melissa nodded.

“I know.”

Their eyes met briefly.

“Get some rest if you can,” he said quietly.

“You too.”

Before he turned to leave, Alaric stepped forward and wrapped her in a brief, comforting hug. Melissa leaned into him, holding on for just a moment as though drawing strength from his steady presence. When they pulled apart, neither of them said another word.

Alaric walked out the front door while Melissa remained standing in the middle of the living room, listening as his car disappeared into the quiet night.

****

Alaric drove through the nearly empty streets with one hand resting lightly on the steering wheel. His expression remained unreadable, but his thoughts refused to settle. Rhea’s terrified face flashed through his mind again — the panic in her eyes, the desperate struggle inside the cab, the sickening sound of metal crushing against concrete, and the overwhelming relief he’d felt when he’d pulled her from the wreckage alive.

A few minutes later, the glittering skyline faded behind him, replaced by the industrial outskirts of the city. Most of the buildings stood dark and abandoned. Only one property remained illuminated behind a tall security fence. From the outside, it appeared completely ordinary: a two-story concrete building with fresh paint and well-maintained landscaping. No company logo. No sign. Nothing to draw attention. Only a handful of people knew what it really was.

The building had no sign because it didn't need one. Those who worked there already knew where they were, and those who didn't were never meant to find it. Behind its ordinary appearance was one of Thorne Security's private operations centers, reserved for the company's most sensitive cases.

His headlights swept across the entrance as the steel gate slid open automatically. Matt was already waiting outside, hands tucked into his pockets, expression unreadable. The moment Alaric stepped out of the car, Matt fell into step beside him.

“Everything went smoothly,” Matt said quietly.

Alaric glanced at him.

“Our medical response unit reached the scene just before the city ambulance. While the paramedics focused on Ms. Bennett and her friend, our team extracted the driver.”

“And the police?”

“In the middle of the chaos, they assumed we were part of the emergency response. By the time they secured the scene, the driver was already gone.”

Alaric gave a single nod.

“Good.”

Neither man spoke again.

Inside the building, the driver had finally regained consciousness. And before this night ended, Alaric intended to find out exactly why the man had tried to kidnap Rhea and her friend.

The heavy steel door slid open after Matt entered the access code. Beyond it stretched a brightly lit corridor with spotless white walls, polished floors, and security cameras quietly monitoring every angle. Everything about the place felt professional and controlled.

Two security officers stationed outside a reinforced door immediately straightened.

“Mr. Thorne.”

Alaric acknowledged them with a nod.

“Status.”

“Vitals are stable, sir,” one of them replied. “He regained consciousness about thirty minutes ago. He attempted to remove the restraints twice but hasn’t cooperated.”

“Has he spoken?”

“Only asked where he was.”

“And?”

“We didn’t answer.”

“Good.”

Matt unlocked the reinforced door. The room beyond looked less like a holding cell and more like a modern interview room. A steel table sat beneath a single overhead light. Medical monitors quietly tracked the occupant’s condition. A surveillance camera watched silently from the corner.

The driver sat restrained in a chair. Fresh bandages wrapped around his forehead. Dark bruises spread across one side of his face. Dried blood stained the collar of the hospital shirt someone had changed him into. His fair complexion, sharp angular features, and light brown eyes made it immediately obvious he wasn’t from around here. Even with the bruises marring his face, there was something distinctly foreign about him. Strong restraints secured both his wrists and ankles.

The moment Alaric entered, the man’s breathing changed. Recognition flickered across his face — gone almost as quickly as it appeared. Alaric noticed. He noticed everything.

Without a word, he pulled out the chair opposite the driver and sat down. Matt remained near the wall with his arms folded. Silence settled over the room — heavy, deliberate, uncomfortable.

Finally, Alaric spoke.

“You drove the taxi.”

The driver said nothing.

“You picked up the girls outside Luminar Enterprises.”

Silence.

“You deliberately drove them away from their destination.”

No response.

“You attempted to kidnap them.”

The man’s jaw tightened ever so slightly. Alaric caught it immediately.

“So…” he said quietly. “You do understand English.”

The driver’s eyes narrowed. His first reaction. His first mistake.

Alaric leaned forward, his gaze never leaving the man’s face.

“I’m going to ask you one simple question.” His voice remained calm. Controlled. Dangerously so. “Who hired you?”