The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep - Chapter 146: Chapter 146

Keith had barely hung up the phone ten minutes ago. Even if he'd found her location immediately, it should have taken him much longer to get here.
Serena had expected it would take at least half an hour for him to arrive, which would have been impressive timing.
"When you left the office, Graham sensed something was off and came to find me pretty quickly," Keith explained.
Keith and Serena had suspected Chandler might get desperate and do something reckless, so they'd already planned to install the tracking app on her phone.
When Keith activated Serena's location tracker and saw she was heading toward the city's outskirts, he knew something had gone wrong.
That phone call was just a stalling tactic. He was also worried that if Chandler couldn't get the money, he might hurt his hostage.
"Thank God you're okay," Keith whispered.
That phone call had definitely caught Chandler off guard. If he hadn't already gotten the money, he never would have been so pleasant with Serena on the phone.
Now Chandler finally realized the truth—it was all a trap!
"Keith, you're going to pay for sticking your nose where it doesn't belong!" Chandler screamed his vicious curses from the side. "If it's not me today, it'll be someone else!"
Even the police officers frowned at his outburst. "Keep it down."
Here he was, the one who'd done wrong, yet he had the nerve to blame and threaten his victims. He acted like the police were invisible.
The warning finally shut Chandler up.
"Sorry about that, Mr. Brannon. We'll take him away now," the officer said.
Chandler wasn't just facing tax evasion anymore—he'd committed kidnapping and extortion. With a 30 million dollar ransom demand, he'd probably spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Serena and Keith moved to where Alyssa lay unconscious. They carefully lifted her and rushed straight to the hospital.
Alyssa had inhaled a significant amount of anesthetic. Because she was so young, and because Chandler's people had been reckless with the dosage, no one knew when she would wake up.
Sophia was completely shaken. She'd been holding Alyssa outside when they knocked her unconscious. When she came to, the child was gone.
Chandler had planned it that way deliberately. There was no point blaming the nanny, so Serena and Keith sent her home to rest and recover from the shock.
"I don't know what Alyssa will be like when she wakes up." Serena sat beside the hospital bed, studying Alyssa's small face with worry filling her heart.
Every time Alyssa showed even the slightest improvement, something like this happened. Serena desperately wished she could get better faster.
Keith draped his jacket over Serena's shoulders, his voice gentle. "Alyssa's strong, but you've been through a lot too. Rest here for a bit. We'll handle everything else when she wakes up."
Serena nodded and settled into the nearby couch, closing her eyes for a moment.
When she opened them again, Nate had arrived. Alyssa was awake now, clearly shaken but not as withdrawn as before. Once she realized she was safe, the panic in her eyes began to fade.
It was the best outcome they could have hoped for. Even Nate had to admit that it was like she'd found the perfect medicine whenever Alyssa was with Serena.
"Looks like Alyssa's getting recharged by Serena again," Nate said with a knowing grin. "Good thing you two are in a relationship now. No more worrying about that."
Nate had been gossiping about their relationship for ages. Serena shook her head, a helpless smile crossing her face.
Chandler had received his verdict—over fifty years behind bars. At nearly forty, he'd likely never see freedom again.
He deserved it. Serena felt no pity for someone who had hurt her.
Keith said, "By the way, you missed a call while I was out in the hallway. I didn't see who it was."
Serena paused, then reached for her phone. Leon's name appeared on the screen.
He was thoughtful that way—knowing Serena had moved on with her life, he rarely called, not wanting to intrude.
Serena hesitated, then stood up. "I need to make a call."
Keith had already seen the name on her screen, but didn't stop her. His eyes followed her movements. "Take your jacket. The hallway's cold."
Serena nodded, warmth spreading through her chest.
In the hallway, Serena dialed back.
Leon's young voice came through immediately, tinged with worry. "Mom, are you okay?"
Serena wondered how he'd sensed something was wrong, but she couldn't burden a child with details. "I'm fine, sweetheart. What's wrong?"
Leon's voice was cautious as he explained, "I didn't mean to bother you, Mom. It's just that Alyssa hasn't been to preschool in a while. I thought something might have happened."
It was surprising that Leon, who was usually self-centered, had noticed this. Serena thought, 'Was he concerned about Alyssa?'
"There was a little accident, but everything's fine now," Serena said softly.
Leon paused for a few seconds before speaking again. "Mom, can I come visit you two?"
This time Serena really did hesitate. While Alyssa's condition wasn't terrible, she wasn't her usual self either. And Serena knew that Alyssa and Leon had never really gotten along because of her.
Serena wondered, 'Is this really the right time for them to see each other?'
"If it's going to bother you, then forget it." Leon's voice carried disappointment, but he was surprisingly understanding about it.
The hospital room door suddenly opened behind her. Keith caught Serena's eye and gave her a slight smile. "Let him come. Alyssa will be fine."
Serena and Leon hadn't seen each other in a long time. Keith could tell that Serena wasn't entirely indifferent to Leon.
What happened before had hurt her, but she'd also seen how much the kid had changed. As a mother, she couldn't completely shut out her child.
Keith wanted to keep Serena to himself, but had to respect her choices.
With Keith's approval, Serena pressed her lips together and agreed to Leon's request. "Okay, but Alyssa isn't feeling well right now. So even if you come, you can't be rude to her. Got it?"
"I know!" Leon had already changed so much during this time. Now that he finally had Serena's approval, he wouldn't let Serena hate him again.
After hanging up, Leon felt genuinely excited. Victor watched his reaction and knew Serena must have given in.
She was always soft-hearted, nowhere near as tough as she pretended to be. Victor had never understood before that being gentle didn't mean having no boundaries.
Thinking about this, Victor couldn't help but smile bitterly.