Chapter Twenty-four: A Narrow Escape

Lucas drove Alexander straight to the hospital, urgently calling out for Dr. Hensley as he supported Alexander into the doctor’s office. Dr. Hensley stood up abruptly, his face tensing at Alexander's condition. He quickly approached them. “How could it be this serious?”

“I don’t know,” Lucas replied, worry etched across his face. “He’s not responding to any medication. We’ve tried everything, but nothing is working.”

Dr. Hensley grabbed an assortment of medicines and injections from his counter, swiftly administering them. After several minutes, Alexander’s condition remained unchanged. The doctor’s expression darkened as he assessed him. “This isn’t right… he should have shown some response by now.”

Lucas looked at Alexander with growing anxiety. “How could this happen? Mr. Alexander, please hang on,” he urged, desperation creeping into his voice. He turned to Dr. Hensley, pleading, “Doc, do something—anything.”

“Give me a moment,” Dr. Hensley muttered, pacing as he tried to piece together what could be happening.

Suddenly, Alexander murmured something faintly. Lucas leaned closer, barely catching the name, “Aria…” Alexander whispered, eyes slightly unfocused.

Lucas straightened, understanding dawning on him. “Young madam?” he asked, trying to reassure Alexander. “Mr. Alexander, don’t worry, we’re close to finding her.”

But Alexander seemed drawn to something else. With unexpected strength, he pushed himself up, moving unsteadily toward a door. Lucas hurried to support him, surprised to notice the spots and symptoms on Alexander’s skin beginning to fade. He turned to Dr. Hensley, excitement in his voice. “Doc, he’s recovering—the reaction is disappearing!”

Dr. Hensley gave a tight, forced smile, but a flicker of unease crossed his face as Alexander continued toward the door. Alexander opened it, finding himself in a small room. There, lying unconscious on a bed, was Aria.

Alexander’s gaze hardened as he turned back to Dr. Hensley. “Why is she here?” he demanded, his voice laced with fury.

Lucas was taken aback to see Aria there, looking just as surprised.

Dr. Hensley chuckled dryly, closing a folder on his desk. “Oh, I apologize. I must have forgotten to mention it. Please, take a seat. Let’s talk this through.”

Alexander’s patience snapped. “I’ll ask you again. Why is she here?” His tone was deadly calm.

Dr. Hensley’s eyes glinted with something unreadable as he replied, “Believe it or not, I found her lying on the street. Unbelievable, isn’t it?”

Before he could say more, Alexander lunged forward, grabbing Hensley by the collar. “I warned you, Hensley—don’t you dare mess with her.”

Hensley shrugged off Alexander’s grip, annoyance flashing in his eyes. “You couldn’t even protect your own wife, yet you blame me?” His lips twisted into a sneer. “Laughable. Like I said, she was unconscious on the street. Believe what you want.”

Lucas, seeing Alexander’s mounting anger, stepped between them. “Mr. Alexander, let’s be reasonable. There may be a misunderstanding here. Young madam was last seen with Ethan—perhaps Dr. Hensley just happened to find her.”

Dr. Hensley nodded curtly, keeping his tone even. “She was drugged when I found her. She should be waking up any minute now.”

Hearing this, Alexander quickly moved back into the room where Aria lay, a mixture of relief and anger filling him as he watched her slowly stir.

Aria blinked, her vision hazy as she adjusted to her surroundings. “Am I… back at the hospital again?” she muttered to herself.

Her eyes focused, and she saw Alexander standing beside her, watching her intently. She sat up slowly, her memories flooding back—Ethan, the car, her escape.

While in the car with Ethan, Aria had been bound and drugged. As Ethan drove, likely toward a secluded location, Aria managed to stay conscious just enough to strategize an escape. With considerable effort, she worked her wrists loose from the bindings, biding her time until she saw an opportunity. Finally, as they hit a stretch of road without many cars or witnesses, Aria managed to throw herself out of the moving vehicle, hoping to evade Ethan’s reach.

After tumbling out, Aria sustained some bruises and cuts but kept running, though her strength quickly waned due to the lingering effects of the drug. Eventually, she collapsed on the side of the road, too weak to continue.

“Mr. Alexander…” she whispered, piecing it all together as she saw him standing there watching her closely.

“ It was Mr Alexander who had saved me again” She thought to herself. And then she heard him ask

“Won't you explain it to me? How did you get here?”