Chapter 20

Sylvester sat at his desk, head in his hands, the weight of everything pressing down on him. Papers were strewn across the surface, unfinished reports, contracts that needed signing, and a half-drunk cup of coffee that had gone cold hours ago. His phone buzzed incessantly with messages, missed calls, and notifications—none of which he had the energy to address.

The weight of work was becoming unbearable. Every day, it felt like the walls of his office were closing in. Deals were slipping through his fingers, deadlines were fast approaching, and every move he made seemed to be met with resistance. His company was his empire, but lately, it felt like it was crumbling before his eyes.

And then there was Melinda.

Her safety had become his top priority, but it came with its own set of challenges. Despite the team of guards he had hired, despite the fortress-like security measures in place, he could never shake the constant dread that something—**someone**—was out there, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The threats hadn’t stopped, and the silence only made him more paranoid. Every creak in the house, every shadow outside the window felt like a harbinger of something worse.

“Sylvester?”

Melinda’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts. She was standing in the doorway, her arms crossed, looking at him with concern.

“Yeah?” he muttered, not even lifting his head from his hands.

“You’ve been at this for hours,” she said softly, walking over to him. “You need a break. You’re burning yourself out.”

“I can’t afford a break,” he replied, his voice strained. “There’s too much going on. The business is in trouble, and...”

“And?” she pressed.

“And I need to keep you safe.”

Melinda sighed, pulling up a chair next to him. “You don’t have to do everything on your own. The guards are here for a reason. Logan and his team are handling security.”

“It’s not enough,” Sylvester snapped, his frustration boiling over. “They can’t stop everything. They can’t predict the next move. If something happens to you...”

“Nothing’s going to happen to me,” she said firmly, placing her hand on his arm. “You’re doing everything you can. You need to trust that it’s enough.”

He stared at her hand for a moment, his jaw clenched. “I’m not losing you, Melinda.”

“You won’t,” she whispered, her voice gentle but unwavering.

---

Later that afternoon, Sylvester decided to step away from his desk for a moment of respite. He wandered into the living room, turning on the television more out of habit than anything else. The news channel flickered to life, and he stood there, remote in hand, his mind still half-occupied with work and security.

That was until he heard it.

“Breaking news: We’ve just received reports of a massive prison break at Crestview Correctional Facility. Several high-profile inmates have escaped, and authorities are currently investigating the details surrounding the breakout. Among the escapees is Derek Harlan, a notorious figure with ties to organized crime.”

Sylvester’s hand froze on the remote, his heart stopping in his chest.

Derek.

He felt the blood drain from his face as the news anchor continued, but the words blurred into a dull roar in his ears. Derek had escaped. The one person Sylvester had worked so hard to put behind bars was now free. Free to come after him. Free to come after Melinda.

“No,” he muttered under his breath. “This can’t be happening.”

He dropped the remote and turned away from the TV, pacing the room as his mind raced. **How?** How had Derek escaped? Crestview was one of the most secure facilities in the state. There was no way he could have gotten out without help.

An outsider.

Someone had orchestrated this. Someone had wanted Derek out badly enough to make it happen. Sylvester knew Derek still had allies, people who would do anything for him. But this? A full-scale prison break? It had to be something more than that.

“Damn it!” Sylvester slammed his fist against the wall, his frustration bubbling over. This wasn’t just bad luck or coincidence. This was planned. Deliberate. And it meant Derek was coming for him.

As if on cue, his phone rang, cutting through the tension in the air. He snatched it up, recognizing the number immediately.

“Harris, tell me you’ve got news,” Sylvester barked into the phone.

“I was just about to call you,” Harris replied. “You heard about the prison break?”

“Of course, I heard,” Sylvester snapped. “Derek’s out. Tell me how the hell this happened.”

“There’s not a lot of information yet,” Harris said, his tone cautious. “But I’ve been digging, and it looks like someone on the outside pulled some serious strings. This wasn’t just an ordinary prison break. It was coordinated.”

“By who?” Sylvester demanded, pacing the room.

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” Harris replied. “I’m following a few leads, but you need to know—Derek’s got some powerful friends. They’ve been working quietly in the background for years. My guess? They finally decided it was time to make their move.”

Sylvester clenched his jaw, his grip tightening on the phone. “I want names, Harris. I want to know exactly who’s behind this.”

“I’m working on it,” Harris said. “But Sylvester, you need to be prepared. If Derek’s out, he’s not going to waste time.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Sylvester growled. “He’ll come after me. After Melinda. I need to know who to hit first.”

“I’ll keep you updated,” Harris promised. “Just... be careful. Derek’s always been dangerous, but now? He’s got nothing to lose.”

Sylvester hung up the phone, his mind reeling. Derek’s escape changed everything. He had already been on edge, stressed with work, with trying to protect Melinda from unseen threats. But now, the threat was clear. It had a face. Derek wasn’t just some distant nightmare anymore. He was real. He was out there.

And he was coming.

---

Sylvester stormed into the security room where Logan and his team were monitoring the estate’s cameras. Logan looked up from the screens, instantly sensing the tension radiating from Sylvester.

“What’s going on?” Logan asked, standing up.

“Derek’s out,” Sylvester said, his voice cold and controlled.

Logan’s eyes narrowed. “Prison break?”

“Yeah,” Sylvester muttered. “He’s out, and he’s going to come after us. We need to lock this place down tighter than ever.”

Logan didn’t hesitate. He grabbed his radio, barking orders to his team. “Increase patrols around the perimeter. No one gets in or out without my say-so.”

Sylvester stood by the monitors, watching the various camera feeds. The estate was massive, and despite the security, there were always vulnerabilities. His mind raced as he considered every possibility, every way Derek might try to get to them.

“He’s not going to stop,” Sylvester muttered, almost to himself. “Not until he gets what he wants.”

Logan glanced at him. “And what does he want?”

“Revenge,” Sylvester said bitterly. “He’s wanted it for years. And now he’s got the perfect opportunity.”

---

Later that night, Sylvester sat alone in his study, a glass of whiskey in his hand. The house was quiet, too quiet. Outside, Logan’s men patrolled the grounds, but the silence inside the house felt suffocating.

Melinda had gone to bed hours ago, but Sylvester couldn’t sleep. His mind was too restless, too consumed by thoughts of what was coming.

The break-in, the threats, the escalating tension—it all made sense now. Derek had been planning this, or at least, someone had been planning it for him. Sylvester had been so focused on protecting Melinda from unknown enemies that he hadn’t considered the one person who had always been the most dangerous.

Derek.

Sylvester downed the rest of his drink and stood up, pacing the room. He needed a plan. Waiting around for Derek to make his move wasn’t an option. He had to be proactive. He had to strike first.

But how?

His phone buzzed on the desk, breaking the silence. Sylvester glanced at the screen and saw a message from Harris: **“I’ve got something. Call me.”**

Sylvester dialed immediately, his pulse quickening. “What have you got?”

“I dug deeper,” Harris said. “It’s worse than we thought. The prison break wasn’t just about Derek. There were several other key players involved—people with ties to organized crime. It looks like whoever helped Derek escape has a bigger plan in motion.”

Sylvester’s grip tightened on the phone. “What kind of plan?”

“I don’t have all the details yet,” Harris admitted. “But they’re not just coming for you, Sylvester. They’re after your business too. This is about more than just personal revenge. They want to take everything from you.”

Sylvester’s heart pounded in his chest. “Who’s behind this?”

“I’m still working on that,” Harris said. “But you need to be prepared. Derek’s not alone in this.”

Sylvester’s mind raced, the pieces starting to fall into place. Derek wasn’t just after revenge. He was after everything—his life, his business, everything he had built. And he had powerful people backing him.

“Keep digging,” Sylvester said. “I need to know who I’m up against.”