He Said He Loved Me in Front of My Ex

Tyler had always been authoritative. His terrifying aura caused people to retreat, and just a deadly gaze from him would weaken a person's knees.

I assumed it was because of his power over the city. He was known as "The Master," the one behind corporations, businesses, and powerful people.

The two cops in front of us looked afraid, but they didn't make any sound.

Mom was the first one to break the silence. "Tyler, oh goodness, you're here! Please help us. It has been so long since Caleb has gone missing. Ivy and I are already worried to death."

Mom paced back and forth, her eyebrows knitted together as tears streamed down her cheeks. I wanted to comfort her, but I felt anxious and weak. I couldn't even think straight.

Thankfully, Tyler was there. He walked up towards my mom and caressed her back in a comforting manner.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Dikkens. I'll help you find him," he said before looking at me.

Tyler slowly snaked his large, warm hands around me and hugged me tightly. "I'm here," he whispered.

His words made all of the emotions I repressed erupt. Warm tears started to wet my face as I hugged him back tightly. His embrace comforted me as I clung to him, thankful for his presence.

Tyler smiled before glancing at the officers. "I'm Tyler Rivers. Can you please request to your chief to dispatch a squad here in Central Park Square? You should also contact the staff and request for the security footage of the area," he said as he wiped my tears.

The cops immediately scattered back to their car to give way to Tyler's request. I almost found it funny that he had to introduce himself when everyone in the city clearly knew who he was.

When the cops left, Tyler grabbed his phone using his other hand and dialed.

"Allen, it's me. Assemble some people and come over here in Central Park Square."

The person on the phone said something, and Tyler responded, "No, I need you to help me find somebody as fast as possible."

After the call, Tyler gazed at me using his calm and sincere eyes. He asked my mother and me to wait in the car; I was about to refuse, but he urged me to rest, saying I should leave it up to him.

I didn't want to leave my son's safety in his hands, but I knew I could trust him.

Cops and civilians surrounded the square in less than twenty minutes. Police cars with sirens and a dozen black Range Rovers arrived, their lights turned on as they scattered around the area.

Tyler stood in the crowd, surrounded by onlookers, and ordered everyone to search. The group of people quickly left a moment later.

I glanced at my mom, only to see her sleeping, her cheeks wet from all the crying. Slowly, I climbed out of the car and sat on the ground. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing, no matter how I told myself to be strong and that Caleb was fine.

A warm coat covered my shoulders, and the familiar scent surrounded my nose. I turned and saw Tyler sitting next to me. His thin shirt waved together with the strong wind.

"Come on, don't cry. Our son is smart, and he will be fine. Trust me," he uttered. His words were supposed to be comforting, but they only made me shed more tears.

"My Ivy Dikkens is a tough woman who never cried, even if I annoyed or stressed her out. Where's my Ivy now, huh? Come on. Bring her out. I know she's in there."

I snorted at his lame joke. I tried wiping the tears away, but they couldn't stop coming out.

"Stop crying, could you?"

I sniffed.

"I swear to god, if you don't stop crying now, I'm going to kiss you."

"Don't you dare!" I shouted and glared at him.

Tyler took a box of cigarettes from his pocket, a wicked smile on his face. He took one out and lit it while tilting his head. Then he leaned back against the rock, not saying anything.

His eyes were bloodshot, and under the streetlight, I could see a ring of black stubble on his chin. He appeared to have skipped shaving for two or three days.

"Have you been getting enough rest these days?" I asked, trying to distract myself.

"Not really. Something happened in the South Ridges; I had to be there to take care of it," Tyler responded with a rare calm tone. He sounded tired.

"Did you just get back when you called me?"

"Well, yeah, I just got off the highway and haven't gone home yet," Tyler answered.

My heart was pounding. Tyler turned around with a cigarette in his mouth and a sly smile on his face.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that? Are you checking me out?"

His eyes were among his most stunning facial features. He had an unfathomably beautiful smile. My heart seemed to skip a beat as I gasped for air.

With a guilty conscience, I turned away and said, "I was just curious where you were, but I don't care. It's none of my business."

A sigh of disappointment escaped his lips. "Gee, woman. You're so heartless. I hadn't slept for two days, and I came to you as soon as I got back. You could've at least kissed me, you know, not broken my heart."

After saying that, he straightened up. His side face was blurry because of the shadow. At that moment, I seemed to see the loneliness in his eyes.

I stared at him, watching every move of his chest as he breathed and blinked. I was about to say something when Tyler's phone loudly interrupted us.

"There's some breaking news." I heard the voice say. "I already sent it to you. Check it out."

Tyler immediately opened his messages and played a video recording. It was the security footage of the park, and a black Bentley appeared in it. Tyler enlarged the scale, revealing the face of Caleb in the passenger seat, and Zach was the driver.