ManyWriters

When I received the evidence from my client, I almost choked.
He said, his voice seething with anger, "This is the man my wife is sleeping with. She lied to me, tricked me into marrying her! None of it was real!"
My eyes were glued to the name—Alexander Mitchell.
"You know him?"
A bitter laugh escaped my lips.
"He's my husband of seven years."
Days later, I was kidnapped and thrown into an abandoned courthouse. The acrid stench of gasoline stung my nostrils, and then, a spark from a lighter sent flames roaring to life.
I screamed with every fiber of my being, a raw, desperate cry torn from my soul, "Alexander..."
I heard footsteps outside the door and a desperate hope flared within me—he had heard me.
But he just walked away, holding the woman in his arms, without so much as a backward glance.
I thought I was going to die in that inferno, but fate gave me a chance to fight back.
This time, it's their turn to pay the price.

Guilty as Charged

Alexander didn't say a word, his gaze burning as he looked at her, his hand gently caressing her waist.


A moment later, Isabella let out a soft moan.


Alexander laughed smugly. "Giving up so soon?"


His kisses fell inch by inch over her body. "Call me darling, and I'll let you go."


Isabella quickly chuckled and begged for mercy, "Darling, I was wrong..."


Alexander kissed her as if no one else was in the world.


If he had just looked back for a second, he would have met my gaze.


But he was completely engrossed, having even forgotten I was there.


Alexander stiffly bent down to pick up a phone. "My phone dropped, I was just about to pick it up. Honey, when did you wake up?"


He subconsciously reached out to touch me, but I frowned and moved away.


I stood up. "I have a bit of a headache. I'm going outside to get some air."


I might as well leave the private space to them.


I left the event hall, hailed a cab straight home, washed up, and took a nap before I received a text from Alexander.


"Honey, I couldn't find you when I left the party hall. Something urgent came up at the DA's office, and I have to head over. You go home first."


I glanced up at the security monitor showing the feed from the villa in the suburbs.


Sure enough, the two of them couldn't wait to go play the part of a loving couple.


I shook my head, rolled over, and went to sleep.


A few days later, while I was at the law firm busy with a case, I suddenly received a text from Marcus.


"Sophia, I've found more evidence. Could you please come meet me? It's very important."


Even though I'm a lawyer, I'd never before gone to a location specified by a client.


But when I thought about how this might involve Alexander, I hailed a cab and rushed to the address.


When I arrived, however, I discovered it was an abandoned building.


I called out as I walked forward, when a sharp pain suddenly shot through the back of my head. I was drugged and passed out.


When I opened my eyes again, I found myself locked in an abandoned courtroom.


"Sophia, you were doing just fine abroad. Why did you have to come back? You're just asking to die."She tightened the rope viciously around my neck, squeezing the air from my lungs.


Isabella's laughter only grew more maniacal.


"But it doesn't matter. Soon, you'll watch with your own two eyes as your husband chooses me and sends you to your death."


I tried to speak, but a towel was stuffed tightly in my mouth, and all I could manage were muffled sobs.


Just then, the kidnappers suddenly rushed in to report.


"Miss, Alexander is here. He's right outside the building."


Isabella feigned being a victim, and the moment Alexander burst in, her eyes filled with tears. "Alexander, save me!"


"That money we transferred..." she began, pausing as if hesitating to continue. "They kidnapped me... they wanted to stage an accident to kill me..."


She pointed an agitated finger at me, my face still covered. "Sophia found out about me! These are the people she hired! She wanted to threaten me for evidence!"


Alexander’s face turned an unprecedented shade of livid.


His fists clenched as he threatened in a cold voice, "Let them go."


Hearing this, the kidnappers exchanged glances, a wicked smile spreading across their faces. "So, you're Alexander? We're only in this for the money, as long as you meet our boss's demands."


Alexander hesitated for a moment, then said, "Deal." He then made a phone call.


After they confirmed it, "You think you can brush us off with this little bit? You can only save one of these two women."


Chapter 5