Chapter 124
Alex paused, his body still, his eyes narrowing as he turned back to face the man behind him. “What did you say?”
His father’s voice rose again, this time clearer, sharper. “I said get your useless mother and brother and get the hell out of my
house.”
That was it.
Alex didn’t think. He didn’t breathe. His fist moved on its own, fueled by years of buried pain, rage, and helplessness. The impact was solid, a clean punch that landed squarely on his father’s jaw. The sound of the hit cracked through the air like lightning.
It felt good.
His father stumbled back a few steps, his eyes wide with shock more than pain. The man who spent decades instilling fear in everyone around him never expected someone to finally strike back.
“Alex!” his mother screamed from behind.
He turned immediately, heart racing as he saw her standing at the foot of the stairs, hand over her mouth, tears already welling in her eyes.
“Mom, I told you to stay inside,” he said, walking over to her.
“Get out!” his father roared, voice echoing through the house.
“With pleasure,” Alex said calmly, almost smiling as he reached for his mother’s trembling hand. He squeezed it gently, protectively, leading her upstairs.
His mother was crying now, silent sobs shaking her body.
He pulled her close, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as they climbed the stairs. He pressed a kiss to her hair and whispered softly, “Pack everything you can. Including your passport.”
She didn’t speak. She nodded quickly and rushed to her room, her hands already wiping her face as she disappeared behind the door.
Alex jogged the short distance to Julian’s room and pushed it open. His brother was sitting on his bed. He looked up at Alex unsure if the storm outside had passed or was only just beginning.
“Pack up,” Alex said, out of breath but smiling. “We’re leaving.”
Julian blinked. “What? Really?”
“Yes,” Alex said, stepping into the room “This is it. We’re done here. Pack your passport.”
Julian’s face lit up with something between disbelief and hope. “Already in my bag,” he said, grabbing his bag to put what he needs inside
Alex nodded, his throat tight.
Julian didn’t waste another second. He began tossing clothes into his bag, grabbing what he could, not caring about folding or organizing. He just wanted to leave.
Alex stepped back into the corridor. He leaned against the wall but bont his cuna fund an hach Jan-
L: al .
Chapter 124
brother’s.
His father was unpredictable. Dangerous when angry. And Alex knew that if the man so much as tried to raise a hand at either of them again, he’d lose more than just his pride.
For now, Alex stayed alert, every nerve on edge. They were leaving. But until the front door slammed behind them, nothing was guaranteed.
He wasn’t taking any chances.
Not anymore,
His mother emerged from her room with a single suitcase, her face pale and tired, the trails of dried tears still evident under her eyes. Behind her, Julian came out too, dragging his bags. His steps were quick, filled with urgency, but his eyes kept darting back nervously.
Alex stepped forward immediately, taking the suitcase from his mother and placing a steadying arm around her shoulders. She was trembling.
“Let’s go,” he said, his voice low but firm.
No one said anything more.
The three of them descended the staircase.
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, they found Charles Blackwell lounging on the living room couch, drink in hand, as if nothing had happened.
He didn’t even turn his head to look at them.
“If you walk out,” he said casually, swirling the amber liquid in his glass, “never come back.”
Alex stopped for half a second, his jaw tightening. He scoffed, almost amused by the cowardice of the man before him. The same man who claimed to build a legacy yet couldn’t face the people he had destroyed with his bare hands.
He didn’t reply.
He just guided his mother through the door. Julian had already pushed it open and stepped out, looking over his shoulder once as if to confirm this was really happening.
Alex opened the passenger door and helped his mother inside. She was still crying, wiping at her cheeks silently. He crouched beside her, holding her hand for a moment.
“Mom, stop already,” he whispered. “It’s over now. We’re free.”
She didn’t respond, but her hand squeezed his just a little tighter.
Julian climbed into the backseat.
“I can’t believe this is happening, if this is a dream no one should wake me up, ever.”
Alex walked around and got in the driver’s seat. He started the car and pulled out of the driveway without looking back. He didn’t need to. There was nothing left in that house for him to care anymore.
The drive was quiet. But it wasn’t awkward or tense…
2/4
Everyone was lost in their thoughts, trying to process what just happened.
His mother didn’t speak, but he could see her trying to contain her emotions. The tears hadn’t stopped, but they came softer now. Not out of fear or heartbreak, but out of exhaustion. Maybe even relief.
Julian stayed silent too, his expression unreadable, but his foot tapped anxiously against the floor of the car. He kept his hand wrapped around the strap of his bag like he expected someone to snatch it away at any second.
And Alex-he just drove. Eyes forward, mind racing.
Getting them out of that house wasn’t just a win. It was liberation. A victory that had taken years to claim. Too many nights listening to his mother cry behind closed doors.
Too many times seeing his brother shrink under their father’s shadow.
Years of his father using them to hurt him over and over.
Keep him in line… like he used to say.
They were safe now. But safety was just the first step.
He had to move fast. The plan he had been carefully building to get them out of the country had to be accelerated. His father wouldn’t sit still for long. He knew that man too well. Charles Blackwell might not chase them physically, but he had power. Connections. Money. All things that could still be used as weapons.
No, Alex wouldn’t let that happen.
His grip on the steering wheel tightened.
They arrived at his penthouse. It was quiet, peaceful…
Julian walked straight to the guest room and closed the door behind him. Not out of anger, but out of exhaustion.
His mother stood in the living room, looking around like she didn’t know what to do with herself. Her suitcase sat by the door, untouched.
“Mom, you can take the other room,” Alex said softly.
She nodded, and for a moment, she reached out, taking his face in her hands like she used to when he was younger.
“You did good,” she whispered. “Thank you.”
Alex blinked. Those words, so simple, almost broke him.
He pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly.
No matter what came next, he would protect them. He had made a promise to himself years ago that he wouldn’t let their lives be dictated by fear anymore. Not his mother’s. Not Julian’s. Not his own.
Tonight was just the beginning.
