Baited & Attacked
A few days later, the sky had already turned dark when Alexander left the office. He decided to drive himself home instead of calling for the chauffeur. The roads were relatively clear, and he needed the quiet time to think.
He was halfway home, navigating a quieter stretch of road near the industrial area, when a man suddenly staggered onto the street ahead, waving his arms desperately.
Alexander slammed on the brakes. The car screeched to a halt just a few feet away from the man.
He unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out, concern etched on his face.
"Hey, are you okay?" Alexander called out, approaching cautiously. "What's wrong? Do you need help? Should I take you to the hospital?"
The man was heaving and panting heavily, bent over with his hands on his knees. He looked genuinely distressed.
Before Alexander could say another word, the man suddenly straightened and threw a vicious punch straight into his jaw.
Alexander's head snapped violently to the side. Pain exploded across his face as he stumbled backward.
"What the-?"
Three sturdy, masked men immediately emerged from the shadows near the roadside. They moved fast.
The first punch landed on his ribs. The second caught him in the stomach. Within seconds, they were on him: punching and kicking with brutal force.
Alexander tried to fight back. He swung at the closest attacker, landing a solid hit to the man's cheek, but they were stronger and more coordinated.
A heavy boot slammed into his side, knocking the air out of his lungs.
Another kick connected with his thigh, making his leg buckle.
He hit the ground hard. The men didn't stop. Fists and feet rained down on him: his face, his ribs, his back.
Alexander curled instinctively, trying to protect his head, but the pain was becoming unbearable. One particularly vicious kick to his side made him gasp, tasting blood in his mouth.
This might be it, he thought grimly as another kick landed. They're going to kill me.
Suddenly, bright flashing lights cut through the darkness, accompanied by the loud wail of a police siren.
"Police! Stop right there!" a voice boomed over the speaker. "Hands where we can see them!"
The attackers froze for a split second, then scattered into the darkness like rats. Two of them disappeared between buildings, while the third sprinted down the road.
The police car screeched to a stop. Two officers jumped out, weapons drawn, shouting commands, but the men were already gone.
One of the officers rushed to Alexander while the other called for backup and an ambulance.
"Sir? Sir, can you hear me?" The officer knelt beside him, carefully helping him sit up against the side of his car. "Jesus Christ..."
Alexander groaned, spitting blood. His face was a mess: lip split, left eye already swelling shut, cheekbone bruised and bleeding. His ribs screamed with every breath.
The second officer crouched down, shining a flashlight over his injuries. "We've got multiple contusions to the face and torso. Possible broken ribs. Ambulance is on the way."
The first officer spoke into his radio, giving a quick description of the attackers and the location. "Suspects fled on foot. Male, approximately 5'10" to 6'2", dark clothing, masked. Requesting immediate perimeter search."
He turned back to Alexander. "Sir, do you know who those men were? Did they say anything? Any idea why they targeted you?"
Alexander shook his head weakly, wincing. "No... never seen them before. They just... came out of nowhere."
The officer nodded, taking notes. "We'll pull the street camera footage. For now, try not to move too much. Paramedics are two minutes out."
The second officer gently checked Alexander's pulse and breathing. "Stay with us, okay? You're going to be alright. We're taking you to the hospital."
Alexander leaned his head back against the car, breathing shallowly through the pain. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
In the distance, the wail of an approaching ambulance grew louder.
The officers exchanged a grim look. Whoever had attacked Alexander Prescott tonight had meant business.
And they had almost succeeded.
×××××××
The sports room was filled with the sound of clacking pool balls and Ivy's occasional laughter. Jesse leaned over the table, lining up a shot, while Ivy stood on the opposite side, twirling her cue stick playfully.
"You're going down this time, big brother," Ivy teased.
Jesse smirked, about to strike when his phone rang loudly on the side table. He straightened and picked it up. The moment he saw the caller ID, an unknown number from the city hospital, his expression changed.
He answered quickly. "Hello? Yes, Jesse Prescott."
The voice on the other end was professional but urgent. Jesse's face drained of color as he listened. His grip tightened on the phone until his knuckles turned white.
"I'll be right there," he said, voice tight. He hung up and stood frozen for a second.
Ivy frowned. "Jesse? What's wrong?"
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he rushed out of the sports room, Ivy following close behind.
"Mom! Grandpa!" Jesse shouted as he descended the stairs. "Alexander's been attacked! He's at the hospital!"
Rebecca shot up from the living room couch, her face paling. Grandpa Prescott looked up sharply from his newspaper.
"What do you mean attacked?" Rebecca demanded.
"I don't have details yet. Someone called from the hospital. He's injured. I'm going now," Jesse said, voice strained with stress. He turned to one of the maids who had appeared at the commotion. "Melania, grab my black jacket... quickly!"
The maid nodded and hurried off.
Rebecca stood up, already moving. "I'm coming too. Let me get my bag and coat."
Jesse nodded tightly and headed to his room to grab his wallet and keys. He had just picked up his wallet when the door opened slowly.
Emery stepped in, looking concerned. "Jesse? What happened? Are you going somewhere?"
Jesse looked up and paused, his gaze lingering on her for a long moment... on her worried eyes, her hand resting protectively on her bump. His chest tightened.
"Yeah," he said finally, voice gentler. "Someone attacked Alexander. He's at the hospital."
Emery's eyes widened in shock. "Attacked? What? Why?"
"I don't know, love," Jesse replied, stepping closer. "I'll go talk to the police and then tell you everything. Right now I just need to get there."
"I want to come too," Emery said immediately, her voice trembling.
Jesse shook his head, gently but firmly. "No, Emery, you're tired. You should rest. It's not good for you or the baby to be stressed like this."
"But Jesse, someone attacked him," she insisted, her eyes already filling with tears. "He's your brother... my husband..."
"I know, Emery." Jesse cupped her cheek tenderly with one hand, thumb brushing away a tear that had escaped. "But Alexander wouldn't want you to worry right now. He's going to be alright. I'll bring him home with me, okay?"
Emery started sobbing softly, her shoulders shaking. "What is happening? Everything keeps falling apart..."
Jesse pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her carefully, mindful of her bump. "It's okay, Emery. We'll get through this. I promise."
He held her for a few seconds, letting her cry against his chest, then pulled back just enough to look at her.
"Take care, alright? We'll be back soon."
Emery nodded, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "Please be careful."
Jesse leaned in and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her forehead, his hand still cupping her cheek with quiet affection.
Unbeknownst to them, Harper had just walked past the slightly open door. She froze in the hallway, eyes widening as she witnessed her brother tenderly kissing his sister-in-law's forehead while holding her face so gently.
Harper's expression twisted: shock, disbelief, and a fresh wave of anger flashing across her face.
She stood there silently for a moment longer before slipping away without a sound, the image burning into her mind.
×××××××
Jesse drove fast, Rebecca in the passenger seat and Ivy in the back. The car was tense and silent the entire way to the hospital. When they arrived, two police officers were already waiting near the ER entrance.
"Mr. Prescott?" one of the officers stepped forward. "We have your brother's statement recorded. He was attacked on Ridgeway Road. Three men. It looks like a targeted ambush."
Jesse's jaw tightened, his voice sharp with barely controlled anger. "I need those men found. Soon. I don't care what it takes. Use every resource you have. My brother is the CEO of Prescott Real Estate. This wasn't random."
The officers exchanged a quick glance and nodded. "We're already pulling camera footage and canvassing the area. We'll keep you updated."
Jesse gave a curt nod. "Good. Thank you."
They were led inside to a private ER bay.
Alexander was lying on the bed, looking worse than Jesse had imagined.
His face was badly bruised and swollen - left eye almost completely shut, lip split, cheekbone cut and bandaged.
There were bruises visible on his neck and arms. A nurse was carefully injecting pain medication into his IV cannula.
"Alexander?" Jesse rushed to the side of the bed, voice tight with worry. "Jesus... look at you."
Alexander managed a crooked, painful smile. "Hi."
"Alexander, my love," Rebecca breathed, moving forward quickly. She gently touched the uninjured side of his face, her usual composure cracking. "What is this? Who were those men?"
"I don't know, Mom," Alexander replied, voice hoarse. "I've never seen them before. They baited me. One guy stepped onto the road pretending to be in distress. When I got out to help... they came out of nowhere. It was a setup."
"A setup?" Ivy whispered, eyes wide with disbelief. "Who could've done this...? We don't have enemies like that."
Jesse stood at the foot of the bed, arms crossed tightly over his chest, his intense dark eyes burning with restrained fury. "We'll know soon enough."
Alexander let out a tired sigh, wincing as he shifted slightly. "Can we go home?"
"Not yet, sir," the nurse said calmly, checking his vitals. "You have a mild concussion, two cracked ribs, and significant bruising. We need to monitor you for a few more hours and run a couple more scans to rule out internal bleeding. Rest is important right now."
Jesse placed a firm, reassuring hand on Alexander's shoulder. "Whoever did this... they're going to regret it. I promise you that."
Alexander nodded slowly, his swollen face making the movement painful. "I know you'll handle it."
Rebecca sat down on the chair beside the bed, her hand gently resting on Alexander's arm. "We're all here. Just focus on getting better."
Ivy stood on the other side, looking shaken but trying to stay strong. "You scared us, you know."
Alexander gave a weak smile. "Sorry about that."
The room fell into a heavy but united silence, the beeping of the monitors the only sound breaking it. Outside the bay, police officers could be seen talking on their radios, already working the case.
Jesse's jaw remained clenched, his mind already racing with dark possibilities.
Someone had dared to attack his brother.
And he would make sure they paid for it.
×××××××