The Enigma Called Greg

Chapter 8

Alina didn’t hesitate.

Which man would have done what Greg had done for her? Risking himself without a second thought, stepping in when no one else did—saving her. There was no doubt in her mind.

“Yes… I will,” she said softly, but with certainty.

The next day, Greg adjusted his suit jacket as he walked beside Alina, her hand resting securely in his. She looked radiant—calm, composed, and quietly glowing.

They had both agreed there was no need for anything extravagant. No grand ceremony, no crowd—just something simple, official, and real.

As they stepped into the courthouse, the clerk looked up with a polite smile. “Good morning! Here for a marriage?”

“Yes,” Greg replied, his voice steady and assured.

Alina stood beside him, her posture straight, her gaze fixed on him. There was gratitude in her eyes—but also something deeper now. Trust. Admiration.

The ceremony was brief. A few words. A few signatures. Then—the final stamp.

“You may now kiss,” the clerk said.

Greg glanced at her with a small smile. “Shall we?”

Alina smiled back, and they leaned in. The kiss was gentle, brief—but meaningful.

When they pulled apart, Greg’s voice softened. “Welcome to the rest of our lives.”

Alina’s smile widened, her eyes shining. “I’m grateful… for everything. For saving me. For you.”

Hand in hand, they stepped out of the courthouse into the open air.

For the first time in days, Alina felt free. Free from fear. Free from the men who had tried to take control of her life. Free from the shadow of someone who believed money could buy her.

And now—she wasn’t alone anymore.

Meanwhile, across the city, in a dimly lit office, the men who had attempted the kidnapping paced anxiously.

“Boss is going to kill us,” one muttered, his hands trembling as he clutched his phone. “We failed. We didn’t get her.”

Another man nodded, biting down hard on his lip. “We underestimated that bastard… whoever he was. He stepped in out of nowhere and took her from us. We—”

“Saved her?” a third snapped, cutting him off. “Don’t say it like that. We didn’t fail—we just… miscalculated.”

But even as he spoke, none of them believed it.

They all knew the truth.

Failure, especially in front of their boss, wasn’t something you simply brushed off. Their entire operation had revolved around delivering Alina—and now she was gone.

The office phone rang.

Shrill. Sudden. Commanding.

Every man in the room froze.

One of them jolted forward and grabbed it with shaking hands. “Y-Yes, sir?”

“Where is she?!”

The voice on the other end was cold, sharp, and laced with barely restrained fury. It belonged to the one man they all feared—the CEO of ValenTech Industries.

ValenTech wasn’t just a company. Its influence stretched across industries, its name alone enough to command obedience.

“B-boss…” the man stammered, his throat dry. “We… we couldn’t… someone—someone intervened.”

A dangerous pause followed.

“Someone?” the CEO repeated, his voice dropping to a deadly calm. “What do you mean someone intervened?”

The man swallowed hard. “H-he was strong… fast. He overpowered us. And the woman… she escaped.”

“Escaped?”

The word exploded through the line.

“Do you understand what that means?” the CEO thundered. “Do you understand the consequences of failing me?”

“Yes… sir… we understand,” the man said, his knees threatening to give out.

“No—you understand nothing!” the CEO roared. “You were given a simple task. Bring her to me.”

His voice turned colder, more dangerous.

“She rejected me—I don’t care. She will be mine. One way or another.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Then find her!” the CEO barked. “Now. Do not return without her. And if you fail me again…”

There was a brief pause—heavy and suffocating.

“You will pay for it. Every last one of you.”

“Do I make myself clear?”