#130 “I’ll Handle Vegas.”
Alexander glared at his phone, seeing yet another message from Megan. For days, he had been dodging her, avoiding calls and messages with the excuse of being too busy.
The weight of his responsibilities weighed heavily on him, especially with Kyle struggling and delayed with his research results. The impending merger of the two companies couldn’t be delayed forever.
His phone buzzed again with another message.
“Why are you avoiding me? We have to sign the agreement before the wedding, and I miss you. Text me.”
Running his hands through his hair, Alexander knew he couldn’t continue evading Megan. The stress of the past few days was taking a toll on him, and he realized he had to succeed in time or he risked reaching a point where, if the two companies merged, there was no going back.
Megan’s persistent messages and inquiries made him anxious. He knew that if Megan grew suspicious, Kyle’s mission to gather crucial information would be jeopardized.
A furrowed brow and a deep sigh accompanied Alexander’s realization that any misstep could foil the plan to expose Megan’s schemes once and for all.
About to dial Kyle and call him into his office for an update, his door slammed open. Kyle barged in, and Alexander shot him a stern look.
“You’re exactly what I needed. What’s taking so long with-”
“Not now, Alexander. There’s a more serious problem,” Kyle interrupted, catching his breath.
“What’s going on?” Alexander asked with a furrowed brow.
“Evelyn called me, they’re having trouble in Las Vegas.”
A knot formed in Alexander’s stomach upon hearing the news.
“What problem?” he asked urgently.
“Sophia, she’s been kidnapped,” Kyle revealed.
Alexander’s jaw dropped as Kyle delivered the bombshell.
“Wait, what? How, Who?” he exclaimed, disbelief etched across his face. Kyle nodded frantically, “Yeah, man. Evelyn just called me. We gotta do something!”
Anxiety gripped Alexander. His mind raced, torn between the urgency of Sophia’s situation and the pressing need to expose Megan’s scheming.
“We need to act fast,” Kyle urged.
“Damn right, we do,” Alexander replied, his voice tinged with worry as he frantically considered his options.
“But I gotta go to Vegas, sort this out,” Kyle declared, already halfway out the door.
“Hold up, Kyle!” Alexander barked, grabbing his arm before he could make a run for it. “You stay here and make sure our plan is still on track. I’ll handle Vegas.”
Kyle shot him a skeptical look, “You sure, man?”
Alexander nodded determinedly, but worry flickered in his eyes, “I got this. You keep things rolling here. We need that information on Megan.”
Kyle hesitated, sensing the weight of Alexander’s concern, “Fine, but you better fix this, Alexander. Sophia’s is in grave danger.”
Without wasting another moment, Alexander rushed out of the office, leaving a concerned Kyle behind. The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on Alexander as he headed towards the chaos unfolding in Las Vegas, desperately hoping that he would get there in time before something dreadful happened.
*
Sophia found herself seated on the cold floor of the dimly lit room, her mind racing like a runaway train, desperately searching for an escape plan.
She knew that Evelyn knew about the situation, she was sure that Sandro had already been notified. She was also sure that this man was not going to kill her.
That meant that she was having time to think.
Sophia had no window in the room or anything to tell her where she was. She decided to check if there was anyone at the door, secretly hoping that they had left her unattended.
Pressing herself against the door, Sophia strained to catch any sounds from the other side. Eavesdropping, she overheard the hushed conversation of the guards stationed outside.
“Ever heard of this Sandro?” one inquired.
“I’ve been in the game for years. Do you think I don’t know who he is?” scoffed the other, a hint of mockery in his voice.
“Don’t play around; spill the beans,” demanded the first, determined to get the scoop.
“He owns the biggest hotel and casino here in Vegas,” the knowledgeable one replied
“What’s the deal? Why did Dante take an interest?” probed the curious guard. Sophia’s mind whirred as she registered the discussion. So, Dante was their boss, and Sandro was somehow entangled in this mess.
“Well, I ain’t entirely sure, but they’ve had some beef for years. Word is, Sandro’s hands aren’t exactly clean. He used to run with a gang, a proper mobster, I think he was the big boss, from what I know.”
“And that’s why now they’re blackmailing him to get back at him by kidnapping his friend,” says the other.
Sophia let out an exasperated grunt. Of course, these guys would assume that a successful businessman had mob ties.
Stepping away from the door, she sighed, contemplating her next move. Rising to her feet, Sophia began pacing the confined space. Fear was absent, replaced by a steely determination to break free. All she needed was a bit of time to devise her escape plan.
