A Divorce He Regrets (Raina and Alexander) novel Chapter 218

FAITH

I couldn't hold it in anymore—not with Raina's life at stake. As we were leaving the house, the air was charged with tension, and without thinking, I grabbed Dominic's hand so tightly that he flinched in surprise. "Eliza was there, too!" I screamed out, my voice shaking with fear and desperation. At that time, both Dominic and Alex's eyes opened wide with shock as they both cried out, "What?!”

My heart beat furiously against my chest as I went on, "All along, Eliza has been in it with Nathan." Dominic's reaction was instant and raw, his reply a low, furious growl: "No fucking wonder…" I could feel the myriad questions whirling through his mind—how had the hotel records somehow disappeared into nothingness, and why had nothing ever come of it?

Alex, wanting to get our out-of-control situation back on track, interrupted with a combination of frustration and real concern, "Let's drive and talk. I'm going bonkers worrying about Raina." And instantly, a choking wave of remorse enveloped me. I knew with crushing certainty that I had no idea this was part of their plan all along. A nagging thought kept racing through my brain—perhaps I should have stayed put and waited for Raina to return so that we would have been rescued or escaped together.

I could hear Dominic growl under his breath, scarcely above a whisper, "Why can't it be one problem at a time?" His tone was thick with disappointment and despair, and I felt the burden of all the mistakes bearing down upon me.

“Dom, " I pleaded, my voice trembling but determined, "you have to go to the company. I'll remain with Alex and his men and go search for Raina."

I wasn't asking him to protect me this time; I just wanted him to trust me that he'd provide me with the courage to take this risky move.

Dominic stopped dead in his tracks, his anger blazing in his eyes as he glared at me, his voice stubborn and low. "No," he said brusquely, "I can deploy my men out to Alex as well, but you're not getting away from under my nose. Have you forgotten that you're carrying a baby with you? His words stung like a punch, a harsh reminder that my reckless escape wasn't entirely about me—about Caleb as well.

I had begun protesting, my voice shaking with anger and fear, when Alex interrupted me with a harsh, calculating tone that chilled me to the bone. "It's okay. This is precisely what Nathan wanted," he said once more, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife. "Alex, what are you saying?" I snapped, my heart pounding so hard I could hear it ringing in my ears. "You think Nathan would deliberately let us split up?"

I stepped out of the conference room, the shouting and raised voices coming from Dominic's office echoing down the hallway like a muffled, ongoing reminder of our crumbling plans. While I was confident that Dominic would clean up his side of the mess, an insistent, nagging desire to call Alex wouldn't allow me to let it go. My head was a whirl of fear and desperation—every idea filled with terror for Raina and the question of whether or not we would ever be able to escape it. I made it to the door before my heart was racing so wildly that I could've sworn that everyone in the hall could hear it, and for a moment I stood there, questioning the danger of leaving the room to locate a telephone. I whispered to myself, “I’ll ask the receptionist—I’ll be back before Dominic is done,” trying desperately to convince my racing thoughts that a brief absence wouldn’t cost us dearly.

My heart was thundering in my ears as I crossed the room towards the counter, still mired in panic and mad thinking. But before I could even request a phone, the door was flung open. I stood there paralyzed as I saw him—the detective who had already taken me away—standing in the doorway. His presence was infuriating and unsettling.

His thin lips twisted into a sneer that sent shivers down my spine. "Well, well, Faith," he slurred, his voice full of sarcasm as he lounged insolently in the doorframe. "Didn't think to run into you wandering around, huh?" My stomach coiled itself into knots of fear and anger as I struggled to stand against the tide that was rising too fast.

I gritted my teeth and struggled my voice into solidity, though it trembled when I snapped, "What do you want? "His smile grew, and I sensed his predatory satisfaction as he moved deeper into the reception area.