Mistake

Alfred sat there, his face a mask of tension, trapped in a perilous situation with no clear escape. His eyes darted frantically around the room, searching for any glimmer of hope that might save him. He cursed his wretched fate, grasping desperately at the faintest possibility of mercy from the man towering over him.

"I've told you over a hundred times now," Alfred pleaded, his voice cracking with desperation. "He was my son, not Ryan or whoever you're talking about." The words tumbled out of him in a frantic repetition, each syllable a lifeline to his fraying hope.

The man before him remained utterly unmoved, his eyes a cold, impassive sea. He lounged in his chair with a disturbing calm, exuding an air of unassailable authority. His legs were spread wide, one foot tapping rhythmically against the ground, a subtle yet menacing reminder of his control.

Alfred's heart pounded in his chest, his pleas echoing in the oppressive silence. But the man did not flinch, his expression a mask of indifference. The room seemed to shrink around Alfred, the walls closing in as he searched desperately for any sign of mercy.

A Few Hours Earlier___

The men surrounded the masked man, cornering him at the back gate of Alfred's house. One of them pulled out his phone and dialed quickly. "Boss, we've got him," he said, his voice low and urgent.

"Bring him to the warehouse," Damien's cold voice replied from the other end of the line.

The men grabbed the masked man and began dragging him towards a waiting car. Just as they were about to shove him inside, a sharp crack echoed through the air. The unmistakable sound of gunshots.

"Take cover!" one of the men shouted, and they instinctively ducked, their grip loosening on their captive. Smoke filled the air, obscuring their vision and adding to the chaos. Gunshots continued to ring out, ricocheting off nearby surfaces and creating a cacophony of confusion. The men shielded their eyes, coughing and trying to regain their bearings. In the midst of the chaos, the masked man seized his chance. He twisted free from their slackened hold, his movements quick and desperate. He bolted through the smoke, his figure barely visible in the thick haze.

"He's getting away!" one of the men yelled, but the masked man was already gone, swallowed by the darkness and smoke. They fired into the smoke, hoping to hit something, but it was futile. The masked man had vanished as suddenly as he had been caught, leaving the men cursing in frustration. The leader of the group pulled out his phone again, his voice filled with dread as he reported back to Damien,

"Boss, he escaped."

As Damien's men had failed. The masked man had slipped through their fingers, and now they had turned their attention to Alfred, certainly, he had helped the masked man escape. Now Alfred was paying for the harm he caused.

"Trust me, he is my son, Not Ryan he is Aran. And no way I know who Ryan is, I told you the day you broke into my house and repeated this same again" Alfred stated hoping to gain his trust over his words. Damien's icy gaze bore into Alfred, exuding an aura of lethal calm. Finally, he leaned forward, his voice a chilling whisper that sliced through the air like a knife. 

"You think I care about your pathetic excuses?"

Alfred flinched, but Damien continued, his tone growing harsher with each word. "My men failed to capture him, who I've been searching like a dog, and you dare to help him escape. And now, you are blabbering your rubbish before me?" He seethed stressing every word intentionally.

Alfred's heart pounded in his chest, the oppressive silence suffocating him. "I swear. He was my son, how can I let him.... "

"Enough!" Damien's voice thundered, the sudden outburst making Alfred jump. 

"Shut the fuck up!!" He greeted his teeth in anger " You still have fucking time to open your damn mouth before I shove this fucking gun in your mouth. We know what you did. And you will tell me everything, or I will make you regret the day you were born."

Alfred's eyes widened in terror. "Please, you have to believe me," Alfred pleaded, his voice cracking with desperation. "I don't know who Ryan is. That fucking son of mine is a bastard. Every time he made a mess, I had to deal with it. This time, I did the same as always. I thought you were after his life because of the money he lost gambling."

Damien's cold eyes bore into Alfred, who was trembling on the floor. The tension in the room was palpable, a thick, suffocating presence that made it hard to breathe. Damien leaned forward, his gaze unwavering, a deadly calm in his voice.

"Do you think I'm a fool, Alfred?" Damien's tone was icy, a stark contrast to Alfred's panicked rambling. "Do you think I care about your fake gambling debts?"

Damien stood up, his imposing figure casting a long shadow over Alfred. He bent down, his face inches from Alfred's, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper... 

"You had one last chance to tell me the truth, and you squandered it," he hissed. "Now, get ready to face the consequences of your dirty game." 

"I've told you the truth," Alfred stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. "He was my son."

Damien straightened, a cruel smile curling his lips. He motioned to his men. "Take him. Make sure he understands what it means to cross me."

The men moved forward, grabbing Alfred by the arms. Panic surged through him as he struggled against their grip. "No, please! I swear I'm telling the truth!" He screamed trying his best to save his life

But Damien had already turned away, his cold eyes fixed on the horizon beyond the window.

As Alfred was dragged out of the room, his pleas echoing off the walls, Damien remained standing, his expression as unreadable as ever. He knew he would get the information he needed. One way or another, Alfred would break. And when he did, Damien would be waiting, ready to exact his vengeance.

Right then, Austin entered the den, grabbing everyone's attention. "Boss!" he called out, urgency in his voice. 

"He was not Ryan. He is telling the truth."

Damien turned his cold gaze towards Austin, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face. Alfred cried in satisfaction as his words got cleaned now it was evident he was telling the truth. Damien sighed then stated "Explain," he demanded, his tone icy and controlled.

Austin stepped forward, his eyes darting nervously between Damien and the trembling Alfred. "The CCTV camera of that area captured him running without a mask. He is not Ryan's. He's indeed Alfred's son. "He has been hiding for two years, addicted to gambling and entangled in illegal activities. Alfred has been helping his son evade deadly situations with the dealers for the past 2 years."

Damien's jaw tightened, the muscles in his face twitching with barely suppressed anger. He turned his gaze back to Alfred, who was now looking at Austin with a mix of hope and fear.

"Fuck it" Damien's voice was a low growl. There was a pause on the other end before Damien's voice came through, cold and menacing, 

"Find him. I don't care what it takes. Do whatever you have to do for that."

"Searching is going on Boss, soon we will find him, I think you should let him go now, he is no use to us," Austin stated looking at Alfred who was sighing now in relief. 

Damien's eyes narrowed, his mind racing as he considered the implications. He motioned for his men to release Alfred, who collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath.

"Austin," Damien said, his voice cold and commanding, "if he's not Ryan, then where is he? I am expecting no mistake from you" He said closing the remaining distance between them which Austin nodded,

"We're still searching, Boss. But we have a lead that might point us in the right direction."

Damien's eyes flickered with a dangerous light as he considered Austin's words. "Then follow it," he ordered. "And make sure you find him. No more excuses."

Austin nodded again, quickly turning to leave the room. Damien watched him go, his mind already calculating the next steps. He glanced back at Alfred, who was still on the floor, his body shaking with relief and fear.

"Consider yourself lucky," Damien said, his voice a deadly whisper

Alfred nodded frantically, closing his hands before him, his eyes wide with terror. "I understand."

Damien's expression remained cold and unforgiving as he turned away, his thoughts already moving to the next phase of his plan. The hunt for Ryan was far from over, and Damien was determined to find him, no matter the cost.