Hello, Ex! I Finally Found My Worth!-Chapter 102: We’re Close

Claire stood in the middle of Alex's living room, her hands shaking as she stared down at her phone.

The weight of Margaret's confession still bore down on her chest, and she struggled to think straight. With trembling fingers, she picked up her phone again and dialed Alex's number again.

She needed to call him and tell him what she now knew.

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This time, after two rings, he picked up.

"Claire," Alex's voice came through, hurried and tense. "Did you find out anything?"

Claire exhaled sharply, her words tumbling out. "Alex, I know who kidnapped Emma."

"What?" Alex's voice was a mix of relief and urgency. "You do? Who is it?"

"It's Vanessa," Claire said, her voice trembling with both anger and dread.

There was a heavy silence on the other end. Then Alex's voice came back, low and filled with relief. "Oh God..."

Claire's brow furrowed. "What? What is it, Alex?"

Alex hesitated, his mind racing. He couldn't tell her everything—not yet. Not until he was sure. "I—I'll explain later, Claire," he said finally. "I need to take care of something. I'll call you back, I promise."

Before Claire could protest, Alex hung up.

He set his phone down and leaned against the wall, his mind spiraling. Vanessa. How did I not see it before? It made too much sense—the timing, the escalation, her sudden disappearances.

He cursed under his breath, grateful now that Chris had insisted on following her after suspecting something was off.

Reaching for his phone again, he quickly dialed Chris's number.

"Chris," Alex said the moment he picked up, "it's confirmed. Vanessa's behind the kidnapping."

Chris's voice on the other end was tight with frustration. "I knew it! I knew it had to be connected to her. How do you know?"

"Claire just called me," Alex explained quickly.

"Claire?" Chris asked back, his heart skipping a beat.

"I didn't ask her the details, but I think she got it from Margaret. After hearing the kidnappers demands, Claire had thought it was Margaret's desperate attempt to free Jake. She probably gave Vanessa the idea in the first place, but that's not the point right now."

Chris let out a long sigh. "It's been over ten minutes since I started tailing her. She's taken some strange turns, but we're still moving. I just wish we'd get there already."

"Just keep following her," Alex urged. "And just continue sharing your location with me. I'll bring the police."

Chris paused. "You're sure about this, Alex? If we're wrong—"

"We're not wrong," Alex interrupted, his voice steely. "Vanessa's capable of this. And if we don't act now, Emma could..." His voice broke, and he took a steadying breath. "Just stay on her, Chris. I'm on my way."

Chris agreed and hung up, while Alex's heart pounded in his chest.

Harry leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he glanced at Alex, who was staring at his phone with a mix of frustration and determination after the call ended with Chris.

The room was dimly lit, the weight of the situation pressing heavily on them both.

"So, what now?" Harry asked, breaking the silence. "We were supposed to wait for the kidnappers' call so we could track it. But with Chris and Claire's updates... this changes things."

Alex sighed, setting his phone down on the table. "Yeah, it does. We can't just sit here anymore. Chris is following Vanessa, and Claire's certain Vanessa's behind all of this. If we wait for the call, Emma might not have that time. Besides it's almost time so I'm sure that's where Vanessa's headed."

Harry nodded, his expression grim. "But we're acting on a hunch. What if she doesn't go there? Or what if the kidnappers aren't where she'd take her final stop and we tip Vanessa off too soon?"

Alex's jaw tightened. "We can't ignore it. Chris and Claire can't be wrong especially if it's from Margaret. I'd rather act and risk being wrong than wait and lose Emma completely."

Harry leaned forward, his hands clasped. "Alright, then we move. But we need to be smart about this. Do you have backup coming?"

"I'll go the police and take them to wherever Chris stops," Alex replied. "But until then, I need your help. Vanessa can't know we're onto her, not until we're sure we can take her and anyone else she's working with."

Harry nodded, standing up and heading to a cabinet where he kept some tactical gear. "I'll grab a few of the guys. We'll move in quietly and get eyes on the situation. Just ask Chris to share his location with me too and if we find that Emma's at her last stop, we'll signal you, and you can bring the cops in."

Alex stood as well, his resolve hardening. "Good. I'm calling Chris now. We need to move fast. Vanessa won't hesitate to use Emma as leverage—or worse."

Harry gave him a firm nod, already dialing his team. "Let's not waste any more time, then. If Emma's with her, we'll get her out."

As Alex stepped out to make the call and head to the police station, his heart pounded in his chest.

Every second felt like an eternity, and the thought of Emma in danger spurred him forward. No matter what it took, he was going to save her.

A short while later, Alex parked his car outside the police station, his heart pounding with urgency.

As he stepped out, he spotted Claire pacing by the entrance. He froze for a moment, surprised to see her there.

"Claire?" Alex called out as he approached. "What are you doing here?"

Claire turned to him, her expression determined but tinged with worry. "There's no way I'm sitting at home while you handle all of this by yourself," she said firmly. "I knew you'd be coming to the police after what I told you, so I came here to wait."

Alex sighed, glancing toward the station doors. "Claire, I'm here to get the police. Chris is already tracking Vanessa..." before he could finish, his phone started ringing and he glanced at it.

The moment he saw that it was Chris, he raised a hand to Claire before picking up the call.

Alex answered the call, his expression tense as he placed the phone to his ear.

"Chris, what's going on?" Alex asked the moment he received the call.

"Alex," Chris said, his voice low and serious. "Vanessa just turned off the main road. She's taking some back route—real lonely, real isolated. I think we're getting close, but this doesn't feel right."

Though he wanted to save Emma and make sure nothing happened to her, he couldn't help feeling scared.

Alex's heart sank, his mind racing. "Be careful," he said firmly. "Harry and three of his boys are on their way to you now. They'll meet you as soon as they can. I'm at the police station trying to get officers to your location."

"Got it," Chris replied, his voice clipped. "I'll keep my distance and stay out of sight. Just get them here fast, Alex. This doesn't look like a simple drop-off," Chris said his eyes locked on Vanessa's vehicle.

"I will," Alex promised. "Don't take any risks. We can't afford to lose you—or Emma."

The last thing he wanted was for Chris to get hurt just because he was helping him save Emma.

He just wishes he was the one there, tailing every of Vanessa's move then he would've been more at peace knowing he was closer to Emma.

He didn't like that he was the one being updated but more than that he hoped Chris would be fine.

Chris exhaled sharply. "Understood. I'll keep my location live and stay sharp. Call me when the cops are en route."

"Will do," Alex said before the call ended.

As he lowered the phone, he glanced back at Claire, who was watching him with wide eyes.

"What did he say?" she asked urgently.

"Vanessa's heading down a secluded route," Alex said, his voice tight. "Chris thinks we're getting close, but it's making him nervous. Harry and his guys are on their way to back him up."

Claire nodded quickly, her own nerves bubbling to the surface. "That's good. I hope he doesn't do anything reckless though or get discovered. I would hate fir him to get in trouble with those heartless fellow because of Emma."

Alex sighed. "I just wish I was the one there."

Claire looked at him understanding that he was probably scared he might lose another person he was in love with.

If anything should happen to Emma, Alex might go crazy or lose his mind. "Alex, she'd be fine. You're here fir a reason and that is to get the police and make sure they arrive there in time. It's almost an hour since their first call. We don't have time to waste, Alex. Every second counts."

Without another word, Alex turned and strode into the station, his determination fueling every step.

Claire watched him go, her heart racing with a mix of fear and hope. Whatever happened next, they were getting closer—and they wouldn't stop until they brought Emma home.

Watching him go, she sighed as she remembered Jake's countenance when she spoke to him before Alex came.