Chapter 166
Alex’s POV.
I didn’t know how much longer I could watch Christiana fall apart. Her tears were endless, and each sob seemed to tear a little more at my heart. She was beyond herself, and no words I said could bring her back from the brink.
The school was empty now, the silence in the office oppressive. Christiana’s cries echoed in the air, but there was nothing I could do to stop them. The only thing I could do was hold her, try to be the anchor she so desperately needed right now.
“Christiana, we need to go,” I said, my voice firm despite the turmoil inside me. “We need to get to the police. We need to report this.”
She shook her head, her hair falling in disarray around her face. “No, Alex. No. I can’t just leave. What if they…what if they’re…” Her voice faltered, and she took a shaky breath. “What if they’re hurt?”
I knew the fear coursing through her veins was something I couldn’t erase. I wanted to say something, anything, to make her believe that everything would be okay, but I couldn’t lie to her. Not about this.
I reached for her hand, pulling her gently toward the door. “We’ll find them, Christiana. But we can’t do anything if we just sit here.”
She didn’t fight me, but I could feel the weight of her despair in every step she took beside me. Her head hung low, her shoulders slumped, her entire body heavy with grief. I had to get her out of this place, away from the walls that seemed to close in on her, because she wasn’t going to make it if she kept spiraling.
When we reached the car, I opened the door for her, helping her into the passenger seat. I could feel the tension building between us, thick and suffocating. She didn’t speak, and I didn’t push her to. The drive to the police station was silent, save for the occasional shuddering breath she took. Her face was a mask of anguish, and I had no idea what she was thinking. But I knew she was already drowning in worry for the kids.
At the police station, the air felt cold and sterile. I could see the officers behind their desks, looking up in surprise as we walked in. Christiana was barely holding herself together, but I couldn’t let her break down in front of them. Not yet.
“I need to file a missing persons report,” I said, my voice unwavering. “Two children. Ethan and Emma Davis Alistair. They were taken from their school.”
The officer behind the counter looked up from the papers in front of him, his expression momentarily confused. “Taken?” He straightened up. “What do you mean, taken?”
“Kidnapped,” I clarified. “Someone took them. A man, a stranger. He came to the school, said he was picking them no one questioned him. No one remembers his name. But my kids are gone.”
- up.
And
Christiana trembled beside me, and I could feel her anxiety radiating. “You have to find them,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “Please, they’re just children. They don’t deserve this.
The officer paused for a moment, processing the weight of her words. Then, with a sigh, he nodded. I’ll need all the details you have. The school, descriptions of the children, the man, anything.”
Christiana’s voice was soft, barely above a whisper, but her words hit like a punch to the gut. “He wasn’t just anyone. He was… he was someone they knew.”
I stiffened, my gaze sharpening. “What do you mean?”
They were happy to see him. They smiled,” she continued, her hands wringing together as she spoke. “It wasn’t like a stranger. They knew him. I just don’t know who he is.”
I could see the frustration and fear building in her. The pieces weren’t adding up, and the uncertainty was killing her. I could
barely hold it together myself, but I had to stay strong. For her. For the kids.
E
The officer was typing now, furiously entering the details into the system, but I could see his face shift when Christiana mentioned the man being familiar. “A man they knew?” he asked, looking at both of us. “Could it have been someone close to you? A relative or friend?”
Christiana shook her head, her eyes glazed with confusion. “No. No one like that. But…” She paused, her face contorting as if something was clawing at her from the inside. “I can’t shake the feeling that… I know who it might be.”
I didn’t need to ask. I could see the way she was looking at me, the suspicion starting to build in her eyes. We both knew who the most likely person was…the one who had hurt her before. The one with every reason to want to take our kids from us. The one who had gotten away with so much already.
“Bianca,” I muttered under my breath, my jaw tightening.
Christiana’s face twisted with hatred and pain. “Bianca Monroe Lewis,” she said, her voice barely audible. “She’s the only one who would do something like this. She’s the only one who’d send someone to take them.”
I nodded, my hand tightening around hers. “She’s the one. It’s her.”
The officer, still listening to our conversation, looked at us both carefully, as if weighing his options. “Do you have proof of that? Evidence?”
Christiana stood a little straighter, her eyes flashing with a mix of determination and anger. “No. But I know her. I know what she’s capable of.” Her voice dropped lower. “She burned down my house, Alex. She had me tortured. She had me kidnapped and nearly killed.”
The officer blinked, clearly taken aback by her statement. “You’re saying this woman is behind it all?”
“She’s behind everything,” I said, my voice low but steady. “She’s done this before. And we’re sure she’s involved this time.”
Christiana’s breath was ragged as she fought to keep herself composed, but I could see the raw emotion burning in her eyes. “She got out. She got out of jail after my house burned down. After everything she did to me.”
“Because of her lawyer and Madam Margaret Alistair,” I said bitterly, my throat tightening. “That woman walked free. She had a high–powered team behind her, and they convinced the court she was innocent. But we know the truth.”
The officer’s expression was unreadable, but I could see his mind working as he processed everything. “I’ll put the name in the system. But we can’t jump to conclusions just yet. You’ll need more than just suspicion to make an arrest.”
Christiana looked like she wanted to tear through the walls. “I don’t need you to arrest her, I need you to find my Please. I don’t care about the rest right now. I just need my children back.”
kids.
The officer nodded, taking the details from us and sending them to the team. “I understand. We’ll do everything we can.”
But we both knew it wasn’t enough. I could feel it in my gut. The system wasn’t going to move fast enough. They weren’t going to do what needed to be done. Bianca was out there, and if she was behind this, she wouldn’t stop until she had control of everything.
Christiana slumped against the desk, her head in her hands, her entire body wracked with sobs. I didn’t know how long we’d been at the station, but the weight of everything was starting to suffocate me. All I could think about was the kids…their innocent faces, their laughter.
And now they were somewhere out there, in the hands of someone dangerous.
Neached down and gently lifted Christiana to her feet. She didn’t resist, but she didn’t look at me either. Her gaze was lost in her own thoughts, her mind racing as fast as mine.
“We’re not done yet,” I said firmly. “We won’t stop until they’re safe.”
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She nodded slowly, tears still streaming down her face. “I just… just want them back.”
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And I would do whatever it took to make sure she got them back.
As I guided Christiana back to the car, her trembling body barely leaning into me, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I helped her into the passenger seat, closing the door gently before pulling out my phone. The name flashing on the screen sent a wave of surprise through me: Sebastian.
“Sebastian,” I answered sharply, stepping a few feet away from the car so Christiana wouldn’t hear. “This isn’t a good time.”
“Alex,” Sebastian’s voice was weak, almost strained. “I called to check on Christiana. She received a phone call and just ran out of the hospital when she came visiting me. Something feels wrong. Is she…alright?”
I exhaled, my jaw clenching. I hadn’t wanted to involve him. Not in his current state, lying in a hospital bed, still recovering from the hell my mother had put him through. But there was no point lying. Not about this.
“The kids,” I said, my voice tight. “They’ve been taken. Ethan and Emma…they’re gone.”
“What?” Sebastian’s voice cracked, and I heard him shift uncomfortably, likely trying to sit up. “Gone? What do you mean gone?”
“Someone picked them up from school. Pretended to be sent by us. They’re gone, Sebastian. And we think Bianca is behind
it.”
The line went silent for a moment before he let out a string of curses, his voice shaking with anger. “That woman… that witch! I told you she’d come back to haunt you! Alex, how could this happen? How could they…” He stopped, his breath hitching. “Christiana… how is she?”
“She’s barely holding it together,” I admitted, glancing toward the car. I could see Christiana through the window, her face buried in her hands, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed. “We’re filing a report with the police, but you know how slow they are. Right now, we’re trying to piece everything together.”
“You know the police won’t be able to do anything,” Sebastian said bitterly. “This is Bianca we’re talking about. She’s always two steps ahead. And now, with your mother backing her…” He trailed off, his voice heavy with frustration. “Alex, what are you going to do?”
“I’ll handle it,” I said firmly. “You focus on recovering. You’re in no condition to…”
“Don’t you dare tell me to sit this out,” Sebastian snapped, his voice suddenly fierce despite its weakness. “Those kids are my family too, Alex. I may not be able to do much from here, but if there’s anything…anything…I can do, you need to tell me.”
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “If I need you, I’ll call. For now, just rest.”
“Rest?” He let out a bitter laugh. “How can I rest knowing Ethan and Emma are out there with God knows who? Knowing Bianca is behind this? Knowing your mother let her walk free?” He cursed again, his voice shaking. “Alex, promise me you’ll bring them back.”
“I promise,” I said, my voice low but resolute. “I’ll bring them back. No matter what it takes.”
Sebastian let out a shaky breath. “They’re just kids, Alex. They don’t deserve this.”
“I know,” I said quietly. “Neither did Christiana. But this time… this time, Bianca won’t get away with it.”
“Good,” Sebastian said. “Because if you don’t make her pay, I will
Tended the call and slipped the phone back into my pocket. For a moment, I stood there, trying to collect myself. The weight of everything was pressing down on me, but I couldn’t afford to crumble. Not now. Not when Christiana needed me.
I got back into the car, the soft sound of Christiana’s weeping filling the silence. She didn’t look up as I started the engine,
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her face buried in her hands,
“Who was that?” she asked, her voice muffled.
“Sebastian,” I said, keeping my tone calm. “He knows about the kids. He’s just as furious as we are.”
She let out a shaky breath, lowering her hands to her lap. “Does he think it’s Bianca?”
“Yes,” I said. “But we don’t have any proof yet. All we know is that someone picked them up, and Bianca is the most likely suspect.”
Her lips trembled, and fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. “How could this happen, Alex? How could someone just take them? They’re just little kids…”
“I don’t know,” I admitted, my hands tightening on the steering wheel. “But we’re going to find them. And when we do, whoever’s behind this will pay.”
She nodded weakly, wiping at her eyes, but her tears didn’t stop.