Darling, You Lose

Chapter 18: Alexander’s Breaking Point

Alexander winced as his wounds were being treated in his office.

“I should have killed him when I had the chance.”

His voice was raw with anger, his hands gripping the edge of the desk so tightly his knuckles turned white. His eyes burned as he stared down at the grainy surveillance photos spread across the wooden surface—images of Rafael, of his men dragging Elena away, of her locked away in that goddamn penthouse like a prisoner.

Across the room, Nolan exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his neck. “You go after him now, and you’ll be signing her death sentence.”

Alexander clenched his jaw, barely able to contain his rage. “So what? I’m supposed to sit here while he—” His voice cracked, but he swallowed it down.

Nolan leaned against the desk, arms crossed, watching him carefully. “You think killing Rafael fixes everything? You think he hasn’t planned for that?” He shook his head. “You take him out, and his men will come for Elena next. They’ll blame her. She’ll never be safe.”

Alexander turned away, breathing hard. He knew Nolan was right, but logic didn’t ease the fury simmering inside him.

“She almost made it,” Alexander muttered, running a hand through his hair. His reflection in the dark window looked as wrecked as he felt. “I had her.”

“And Rafael knew it,” Nolan said grimly. “That’s why he’s tightening his grip.”

Alexander squeezed his eyes shut, the memory of Elena’s face as she was dragged away burned into his mind.

“I can’t let this happen,” he murmured.

Nolan sighed. “Then we do it right. We don’t just kill him—we dismantle him.”

The office was silent except for the distant hum of the city outside. Alexander paced while Nolan sat at the desk, flipping through files and scribbling notes.

“You said you found something on him,” Alexander said suddenly, stopping mid-step.

Nolan nodded. “Yeah. Rafael’s not just a controlling bastard—he’s dirty. His businesses, his money, everything is built on illegal deals and corruption. If we expose him, the right people will take him down for us.”

Alexander scoffed. “People like Rafael don’t go to jail. They buy their way out.”

“Maybe.” Nolan tapped a file on the desk. “But this time, we make sure he has nowhere to run.”

Alexander stared at the stack of evidence. It wasn’t enough. Not yet.

Nolan leaned forward. “Look, man. I get it. You want to put a bullet in his head. Hell, I want to put a bullet in his head. But you need to think about Elena. If you act on emotion, you’ll get yourself killed, and she’ll be trapped forever.”

Alexander didn’t respond. His breathing was uneven, his fingers twitching at his sides.

“Give me time,” Nolan said. “Let me dig deeper. There’s something bigger here—I can feel it. If we do this right, we don’t just free Elena. We destroy him.”

Alexander exhaled sharply, forcing himself to listen. His body was wired for violence, for action. But deep down, he knew Nolan was right.

If he wanted to save Elena, he had to be smart.

Just as Alexander was about to respond, his phone vibrated on the desk.

He grabbed it instantly, his stomach tightening when he saw the name.

Elena.

He answered in a heartbeat. “Elena?”

Her voice was quiet, but urgent. “No. Not yet.”