Chapter 8
The heavy front door clicked shut as the guard carried Emma outside, sealing David and Margaret inside the brightly lit kitchen with the apex predator of the underworld. The three remaining armed men stood entirely still, forming an impenetrable wall between the kitchen and the exit.
David pressed himself harder against the wall, his chest heaving with panicked breaths. He looked up at Alexander, his rosy skin slick with cold sweat.
"You can't do this," David choked out, desperation fueling his pathetic defense. "You can't just kill me in my own house! The police will investigate!"
Alexander stopped a few feet away, looking down at his son-in-law with profound boredom.
"Kill you?" Alexander mused quietly, raising an eyebrow. "David, you watch far too many movies. Killing you in a suburban kitchen would be incredibly messy and entirely unnecessary. Besides, my daughter requires a father, even an incapacitated one, to maintain certain trusts."
Margaret gasped from the island, hope momentarily flickering in her eyes. "You're... you're letting him live?"
"I am letting his heart continue to beat, Margaret. That is the only concession you will receive today," Alexander replied smoothly. "Your son is going to suffer a terrible, tragic accident this evening. A tragic fall down the stairs. Or perhaps a severe, debilitating stroke brought on by the immense stress of a domestic dispute."
David’s eyes widened in absolute horror. He finally understood. Alexander wasn't going to murder him; he was going to destroy his mind and body, leaving him a prisoner in his own skin.
"No! Please!" David screamed, scrambling to his knees, his hands clasped together begging. "I'll do whatever you want! I'll sign the divorce papers! I'll give her full custody! Just let me walk away!"
"You don't get to walk away after you break my daughter's leg," Alexander stated, his voice turning to ice. "You don't get to dictate terms."
Alexander nodded sharply to the two guards standing nearest to David.
The men moved with terrifying speed. They grabbed David by the arms, hauling him roughly to his feet. David thrashed wildly, screaming for his mother, kicking his expensive shoes against the cabinets, but he was entirely powerless.
"David!" Margaret shrieked, lunging forward, finally attempting to intervene.
The third guard stepped effortlessly into her path, placing a heavy hand firmly against her chest.
"Do not move, ma'am," the guard ordered coldly.
Alexander watched as the men pinned David against the wall. The struggling husband was weeping hysterically now, completely broken.
"I told you," Alexander whispered, stepping close enough so that only David could hear him over the screaming. "You had absolutely no idea where the edge truly was. Now, you are going to fall over it."
Alexander reached into his overcoat and pulled out a small, sleek, heavy metal baton. With a flick of his wrist, it extended with a sharp crack.
"Make sure he doesn't scream," Alexander ordered.
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One of the guards immediately clamped a heavy, leather-gloved hand securely over David's mouth, muffling his frantic shrieks.
Alexander raised the baton, locking his cold, unforgiving eyes onto David's right knee. He was going to ensure that the arrogant man who told his wife to 'tell everyone she slipped' would never walk without a cane again.
