“Thanks, Alex!”
“You’re welcome.” Alex grinned.
Ria had thanked him. His smile was so big, it was like he had just found money on the sidewalk. Holding the housekeeper’s hand, he turned to head home, practically bouncing with happiness.
But just as they reached the town square, a white van suddenly sped in.
Before Alex or the housekeeper could react, several masked men jumped out.
A cloth was pressed over Alex’s face and over the housekeeper’s too.
“Mmmph—!”
They struggled, but within seconds, the drug took effect.
Everything went black.
*
Back at Mistletoe Villa, lunch was ready. The table was set. All that was missing was Alex.
But no matter how long they waited, he didn’t return.
Everyone began to feel uneasy.
“I’ll go check on him. Maybe he ran into Ria and lost track of time.”
Just as Haley stood up, Justin—eager to prove himself in front of her—spoke first and beat her to it.
Without wasting another second, he grabbed his phone and headed toward Ria’
