Alpha's Shadow

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My husband's mistress killed someone with a bomb. A month later, my husband finally realized something was wrong. He asked, "Why hasn't the victim's family asked for compensation?" His assistant said, "Sir... You are the family." He froze. "What do you mean?” "Remember the fake bomb you used to stage your son's kidnapping? Kayleigh switched it with a real one. "And when your wife asked which wire to cut... You said, 'the red one'. "She believed you. But your son died instantly. "Sir... you didn't know?" His face went white. --- I secretly sent Alexander Carrillo's mistress, Kayleigh Levine, overseas without telling him. That same night, he kidnapped our son, Thomas Carrillo, who had just finished his SAT, and hid him at a reservoir. There was a ticking time bomb strapped to his body. His expression was eerily calm, as if he were negotiating a business deal. "Natalie Aguirre, you'd better tell me where Kayleigh is. Otherwise, your son is going to be blown to pieces because of you." I broke down, screaming, "He's your son too!" Alexander didn't react. He just glanced at the time. "You've got 56 minutes." Sobbing, I gave him Kayleigh's location. In return, he told me where the reservoir was. I ran like mad. When I got there, I saw Thomas tied up, the countdown on the bomb ticking down second by second. 59 seconds. 58 seconds. 57 seconds. My hands were shaking as I desperately tried to untie the ropes. But no matter what I did, I couldn't figure out how to disarm the bomb strapped to him. The ticking countdown kept ringing in my ears, like a death sentence closing in. Tears streamed down my face. I wished I were the one tied up instead of Thomas. "Don't be scared, baby. I'm here. I'm going to save you. I won't let anything happen to you..." His face was ghostly pale. Tears welled in his eyes as he whispered goodbye. "Mom, just go. Stop trying. I'm really happy to be your son. You and Dad can have another child later. Don't be sad because of me..." Even now, he didn't know the person who tied him up was his own father. I was falling apart. Completely losing control, I called Alexander, begging for help. "Tell me which wire to cut! Hurry!" He let out a cold, mocking laugh, his voice tight with suppressed anger. "The red one. Cut the red wire." Then, he hung up. I stared at the countdown, found the red wire, and yanked it with everything I had. The moment it snapped, a deafening explosion ripped through the air, throwing me back several meters. I ignored the pain and forced my eyes open, searching for Thomas. But all I saw was red. "Thomas!" I couldn't understand what went wrong. I did exactly what Alexander told me. I cut the red wire. I crawled over and pulled Thomas' broken, bleeding body into my arms, sobbing so hard that I could barely breathe. At the very last second, he had pushed me away. And now, all I could do was watch him lying there. I gathered every bit of strength I had and lifted him onto my back. After calling for an ambulance, I stumbled toward the road. The doctors and nurses rushed over. When they saw him, even they were shaken. "Quick! Get him into the ER now!" I stayed outside the operating room. A nurse tried to treat my injuries, but I refused. I kept praying over and over. I was willing to trade my life for Thomas'. But what I got instead was a critical condition notice. I dropped to my knees, grabbing the doctor's pant leg, banging my head on the floor as I begged. "Please, save my son. He just finished his SAT. His life is only just beginning..." The doctor hesitated, clearly struggling. "I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do. In a case like this, only top specialists might have a chance." I ran to find those specialists, only to be told they'd all been transferred. And the person who ordered their transfer was Alexander. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Hands trembling, I dialed his number once more. ###Chapter 2 "Alexander, Thomas is dying. He needs emergency care. You have to get the specialists—" Before I could finish, he cut me off, his voice cold and hard, "Natalie, if you're going to lie, at least make it believable. Don't try to trick me into coming home by using Thomas." I broke down, begging. "I'm telling the truth. He was injured in an explosion." His tone turned even colder. "That's enough! Those bombs were fake. There's no way he could've been hurt! You're unbelievable. You'll say anything to get your way!" Then, he hung up. When I tried calling back, his phone was already turned off. I begged for hours, banging my head against the floor until my face was covered in blood. Still, no specialists came to save Thomas. When I went back to the ward, I looked at Thomas lying there, his body torn apart, not a single place untouched. I couldn't stop crying. "I'm so sorry, baby. I failed you..." I couldn't save him. His eyes slowly turned toward me, and his lips moved faintly. I leaned in close to hear him. "Mom...don't be sad... I-It doesn't hurt... "Where's...Dad? I want to talk to him... "If I...don't say it now...it might be too late..." Tears kept falling. I didn't dare to tell Thomas the truth. If he found out Alexander had done this to him for another woman, how cruel would that be? Thomas was the son Alexander had once longed for. We used to be a happy family of three. I didn't know how things had fallen apart like this. I pulled out my phone and called Alexander again, but it was still off. I called his assistant, Richard Vazquez, instead. This time, someone picked up. I heard a voice on the other end. "Mr. Carrillo, it's Mrs. Carrillo. She says Mr. Thomas wants to talk to you." Alexander sounded irritated. "Her again? From now on, just hang up whenever she calls." I wanted to say it wasn't an excuse. I wanted to tell him that Thomas was really dying. But before I could say a single word, the call was cut off. When I turned back, I met Thomas' eyes. The pain in my chest felt like something was tearing me apart. "Dad...won't answer? Is it because...I didn't do well on my last exam...? "Mom, can you...tell Dad I'm sorry... "Mom...when I'm gone...will Dad be sad for me?" When I heard him say that, my chest tightened so badly it felt like I couldn't breathe. Thomas had always wanted Alexander's approval. He studied so hard for it. But Alexander's heart had already moved on. I gripped Thomas' hand tightly, shaking my head. "No. H-He's just busy. He doesn't know. "Baby, don't fall asleep. Look at me... Hang on a little longer. Just a little longer and you'll see him..." I kept calling over and over, but every call was rejected. I was breaking down, desperate. I could only hold Thomas' hand and beg him to wait. But I watched as his eyes slowly closed, his hand slipping out of mine. In that instant, the world spun. Everything went black, and I collapsed. When I opened my eyes again, I stared at the white ceiling, disoriented. For a moment, it felt like I had just woken up from a terrible nightmare. Then, I heard a nurse's voice beside me. ###Chapter 3 "Mr. Carrillo had all the specialists at our hospital put on standby. Turns out it was just to run a checkup for the woman he loves. Must be nice. "But that mother and son from yesterday were so unlucky. I heard the boy who died had just finished his SAT. I guess life really isn't fair." They had no idea the boy who died was Alexander's biological son. Tears slipped from the corners of my eyes. I didn't want to open them. I hated him so much. All I could think was, "Alexander, you killed our son." I yanked out the IV from my hand and got out of bed, trying to find Thomas. The moment I stepped outside, I saw Alexander carefully supporting Kayleigh, like she was something fragile and priceless. "Oh, Alex, I told you I'm fine. You didn't have to make me come in for tests." His voice was gentle, nothing like the cold, merciless tone he used with me. "I'm not taking chances. I'll feel better after you're checked out." Watching them, my eyes burned. When we first got together, he used to treat me like that too. If I got so much as a scrape, he'd insist the doctor check it before he felt at ease. After Thomas was born, Alexander would stay up all night taking care of him if he had a fever. If he coughed a few times, Alexander would personally make him warm milk and honey. I used to think we'd stay this happy forever. I never imagined that just a few years later, other women would start appearing around him. He came home later and later. He spent less and less time with Thomas. And now, just to find out where Kayleigh was, he kidnapped Thomas and had him blown up. Just to get her a full-body checkup, Alexander left Thomas with no one to treat him, abandoning him to die. And even at the very end, Thomas was still thinking about Alexander. More tears fell. The pain in my chest had started to go numb. I didn't even have the strength to confront Alexander. I turned to leave. But Kayleigh suddenly pointed in my direction, her face filling with fear. "I-It's Mrs. Carrillo. Why is she here? Is she here to send me away again?" She grabbed Alexander's clothes tightly, like she was terrified of me. His expression darkened, his cold gaze snapping toward me. "Natalie, you just don't know when to stop! You even followed us to the hospital!" He signaled the bodyguards, and they dragged me over. I struggled, and blood started seeping from the back of my hand. He saw it and let out a mocking laugh. "What? Are you trying to play the victim now? "Yesterday, you lied about Thomas being hurt. Today, you're faking an injury. What's next? Are you going to buy an urn and set up a fake funeral?" I jerked my head up, my eyes filled with raw hatred. "Alexander, do you even have a heart? Thomas is dead! You killed him!" For a moment, he froze at the crazed look on my face. A flicker of hesitation crossed his expression. Kayleigh stepped forward, frowning slightly, her voice soft and timid. "Alex had people use a fake bomb. There's no way it could've killed Thomas. Mrs. Carrillo, if you're going to lie, at least make it believable. "I know you don't want me around Alex, but you can't joke about Thomas' life like this." Alexander's face turned icy in an instant. "Natalie, having a mother like you is the greatest stain on Thomas' life!" I stared at him in disbelief. Thomas was dead, and he still thought I was lying. I wanted to laugh, but my tears hit the ground first. ###Chapter 4 It didn't matter anymore. Thomas was dead. Arguing about any of this was pointless. I pushed myself up from the ground. I just wanted to find Thomas. But Alexander had his bodyguards force me back down, pinning me to the floor. His voice was cold, stripped of any emotion. "You're going to kneel here and think about what you've done. You don't get up until you admit you were wrong." He walked away with Kayleigh, leaving me on my knees as people passing by stopped to stare. I tried to stand, but every time I moved, one of the bodyguards kicked the back of my knees. I slammed hard onto the ground. Blood had already started seeping through beneath my knees. I turned and glared at them. "Did you forget who I am? How dare you try to stop me!" They stayed expressionless. "We take orders from Mr. Carrillo." They forced me to kneel for ten hours. Blood spread across the floor beneath me. Still, I tried to get up. When another kick came, my body gave out, and everything went dark. The two bodyguards exchanged looks before finally calling Alexander. "She's only been kneeling for a few hours and has already passed out? She's probably faking it again. She's at the hospital. She won't die. Just leave her." When I woke up, I was still lying on the cold floor. The bodyguards were gone. Ignoring the pain in my knees, I staggered to my feet and braced myself against the wall as I made my way to the morgue. But when I saw Thomas, there was a gaping hole in his chest. His heart was gone. I stared, unable to believe it. It felt like all the blood in my body had frozen. I rushed out of the room, demanding answers from the hospital staff. That was when I found out Alexander had signed a consent form for organ donation. The taste of iron filled my mouth. My eyes burned red. "Alexander, how could you be this cruel?" I murmured. My eyes were so dry I couldn't even cry anymore. I carried Thomas' ashes home. Once the funeral was over, I would leave with him. We would leave this place forever. I set up a memorial in the living room and called my mother-in-law, Meredith Carrillo, asking her to come for the funeral. Then, I dragged my numb body into Thomas' room. The bed was neatly made. His textbooks were stacked high on the desk. His handwriting was still clear on the pages. Everything was the same, except he was gone. A sharp pain twisted through my chest. I clutched one of his notebooks and collapsed onto the floor. I didn't know how long I stayed like that, lost in a daze. Then, the door slammed open. Alexander stormed in, furious. He grabbed me and dragged me into the living room. "Natalie, you've really outdone yourself. I just said something this morning, and now you've actually set up a memorial? You even got ashes in there? "You kneeled for a few hours and still didn't learn your lesson! You even called my mom and told her to come to Thomas' funeral?" He was so angry that he started laughing. Then, he threw me to the ground. "If you want to make a scene, I'll play along!" He turned and tore apart the memorial I had set up. Then, he picked up Thomas' urn. My eyes went wide as I screamed from the floor, "Don't!" But I could only watch as the urn hit the ground and shattered into pieces, the ashes spilling everywhere. I crawled over, desperately trying to gather them with my bare hands. But Alexander kicked me hard. I watched as Thomas' ashes scattered into the air. "Where did you hide Thomas? Being around you must've corrupted him. He's actually helping you pull something like this?" ###Chapter 5 I stared at him, my eyes bloodshot, and screamed like I'd lost my mind, "He's dead! He's dead! Thomas is dead! You killed him! You had his heart taken out, leaving him with nothing! And now you smashed his urn! When you lie awake at night, do you ever think about him? Do you ever have nightmares?" Alexander's anger only grew. "How dare you keep making this up?! Natalie, when are you ever going to stop lying? "Back then, you lied about never being with another man. Then you lied about buying gifts for Thomas when you were really hiding assets. And now you're even lying about him being dead. Do you even have a conscience?" I froze. "What are you talking about? I've only ever been with you. When did I lie to you? And what hidden assets?" Alexander took a couple of steps back, looking at me with a mix of pain, accusation, and hesitation. "You're a great actress. You can still pretend to look innocent even now. "Fine. Explain this, then. If you've never been with another man, why didn't you bleed the first time? "Those houses you bought and the money you transferred to other men. Don't tell me that was for Thomas." Kayleigh stepped forward and held onto his arm, her face full of concern. Hearing him, I finally understood what it meant to be accused without proof. "So if I didn't bleed, that means I've slept with someone else? I have no idea about those houses and transfers you're talking about." "Why did Kayleigh bleed then?" he retorted. I looked at him, and suddenly, I felt exhausted. I was so exhausted I didn't want to say another word. Nothing mattered anymore. Thomas was gone, and I didn't care about anything else. I knelt on the floor, gathering the ashes, moving like a lifeless puppet. For a brief moment, the rage on Alexander's face faltered. Something like unease crept into his eyes. Kayleigh suddenly grabbed his hand and turned to me, her brows slightly furrowed. "Mrs. Carrillo, this joke has really gone too far. At the very least, you shouldn't drag Meredith into this." Alexander seemed to recall that call, and his face darkened instantly. "Throw all of this out and dump those ashes into the fire! I don't want a single trace left!" As soon as he said it, the bodyguards rushed forward, snatching the ashes I had gathered and throwing them into the fire pit. "No... Please, don't..." I fought with everything I had, but it was useless. I could only watch as Thomas' ashes burned away completely. I collapsed onto the floor, hollowed out, like there was nothing left inside me. "Alexander, you're going to regret this," I thought. That night, a fire broke out in the house. "Fire! There's a fire!" People were running everywhere. The bodyguards and maids tried to put it out, but the flames were too strong. Nothing they did made a difference. Coughing, Alexander staggered through the smoke. Beside him, Kayleigh had part of her hair burned off, her face pale with fear. He covered his mouth and scanned the area. "Is everyone out?" A maid, trembling, pointed toward the house. "Mrs. Carrillo...she's still inside..." Alexander turned toward me, his pupils shrinking. "Natalie, get over here now!" I stood there, holding Thomas' clothes, the flames roaring behind me. I looked at him one last time. Then, I turned and walked straight into the fire.