CHAPTER 3

Alicia stood speechless in the living room after her mother left them. The household staff were terrified, fearing that the gunmen were robbers. But no one was killed—except that Mr. Max had been kidnapped.

The head maid had even phoned the police, who arrived a few minutes later.

"We heard that Mr. Max was kidnapped by some unknown gunmen. Is that true?" one of the two police officers asked. However, the second officer's eyes fell on Alicia, and he rushed to her. "Babe, what's going on? Is this where you live with your family?"

Samantha and Caden's eyes widened in shock, as they hadn't expected the policeman to know Alicia.

"Yes, Jonathan. This is where my family and I live," Alicia said, lowering her head in shame. She knew she had been keeping it a secret from him about where her family now lived. She recalled five years earlier, when she had heard her parents arguing. Since then, their lives hadn't remained the same.

"Tell me, what happened to your father? You need to give us a report so we can help him get released from the unknown gunmen," Jonathan Leonardo asked Alicia. He was a 32-year-old man who loved Alicia so much and wanted to marry her, but she kept putting off the talk of him coming to see her father for her hand in marriage.

"No, Jonathan. You cannot do anything to save my father. He owes Damian Tucker, the ruthless mafia boss," Alicia announced, moving away from John's embrace. She called him John for short.

"What?!" The two officers exclaimed. Of course, they knew who Damian Tucker was.

"How did your father get involved in business with Damian? Is your father in the mafia world?" the second policeman, Sergeant Brown, asked. But Alicia and her siblings shook their heads.

"We don't know. Our father has been owing Damian for a long time—going on five years now—so they came here and took him away. Their order is for us to pay his debt," Alicia cried, and the policemen sighed.

"Hmm. You know that Damian and his boys wouldn't just come here if your father isn't involved with their group. We would need evidence to know what the embezzled funds were all about. Do you have any idea what the business money was for?" Jonathan inquired.

Alicia quickly shook her head and responded, "We don't know. All that doesn't matter now. If we get anything incriminating that could expose their group, that would be a threat to our lives and to my father in their grip. They only told us to pay—or else they would deal with him."

Alicia cried as she moved back to sit on one of the black couches in the living room, and the two officers sighed.

"This is serious. So how much were you told to pay?" Jonathan asked, a look of worry washing over his face.

"10 million dollars," Caden said, and Jonathan gasped. "What?! That's a whole lot of money. Anyway, you should assist us in getting evidence to put Damian behind bars. That way, the police would apprehend him and take him into custody."

Caden shook his head and said, "I don't know about my father's business. It's a secret business, and maybe that's why they took him away."

"How about your two sisters? Can't you use one of them to get closer to Damian and see if she can get any information on how to arrest their group? We need solid evidence, or maybe your mother knows what her husband does," Brown queried.

"None that I'm aware of. And I cannot allow them to have Samantha or Alicia. We will have to raise the money to pay them off," Caden said, shaking his head sadly.

"I agree with him, Brown. You don't expect me to offer my girlfriend to that mafia boss. I plan to marry Alicia next month. Now all this is happening. Where is your mother, Alicia?" Jonathan asked, and Alicia sadly pointed toward the stairs.

"Come and show me to your mother's room. We should see if she knows how to help us get evidence," Jonathan said. Alicia rose from the couch and sadly followed him.

"Don't worry, baby. I will help you raise the money if the need arises. Your father cannot get killed." Jonathan assured her, but Alicia shook her head and doubted him. "Where do you want to get 10 million dollars from? Do you want to get involved in illegal dealings just for my father's sake?"

"Don't worry, babe. I will go to any length for you." He kissed her forehead as they arrived at the front of her mother's room door.

Alicia knocked and entered the sitting room with Jonathan. However, Mrs. Jennifer was on a phone call with Mr. Max's older brother, asking if he could help. But the man refused, saying that "Max has never helped me when he was rich, and you don't expect me to lend you a helping hand now."

The call ended, and Mrs. Jennifer sadly looked back at Alicia and the policeman in black, who were holding hands together.

At first, Mrs. Jennifer wondered if she was dreaming, but the policeman spoke. "Good evening, ma'am. I am Officer Jonathan Leonardo, Alicia's boyfriend."

"Oh!" Mrs. Jennifer gasped and looked from her daughter to Jonathan's face.

"I know we didn't mean for the introduction to be this way, but I have plans to come and marry Alicia. I love her very much, and especially now that my rank has been promoted to sergeant," he remarked.

"I see," Mrs. Jennifer said as she looked at the policeman, who was gazing at her daughter lovingly. It reminded her of when she had recently married and fallen in love with Mr. Max, before his greed led him to do dirty deals.

"So, back to why I am here: We got a phone call at the police station that your husband was kidnapped, and we made inquiries from your children. We received reports that your husband borrowed money from Damian Tucker and hasn't paid it back yet," Jonathan said, watching Mrs. Jennifer's face intently.

Mrs. Jennifer stood in front of Jonathan and frowned.

"Yes. I didn't know when my husband lent the money, but he claimed to be doing business with Damian's father before Damian took over the loan company," Mrs. Jennifer disclosed, and Jonathan asked her, "Do you have any evidence of what your husband does for him?"

"No. My husband doesn't get me involved. He never does, and I don't know what he does."

"Hmm. But we need evidence if we want to get your husband freed. Think of any evidence. How about your husband's suitcase, laptop, or whatever he uses? We can find a lead from there," Jonathan inquired.

"No, officer," Mrs. Jennifer quickly refuted, as if she were protecting her husband from getting caught in any crime.

"I am sorry, but my husband never lets me know what he does. We have been married for 29 years, and we dated for five years, and I still don't know his actual work. I just know he is a good man and provides for us." Mrs. Jennifer looked somber as she recalled her past.

"Damian gave his word that if we tried anything funny, he would deal with my husband, and I don't want to lose him. The police should look for their own way to catch criminals and not use my family. Please, excuse me, as I would like to make a call to my older brother to see how we can raise the money," she said.

"Mom..." Alicia tried to speak, but her mother used her eyes to signal her to keep shut.

"It's fine, ma'am. I will see how I can be of help too. I will get going now to report to the police station about the case, so that my senior can take it from there," Jonathan said as he bowed to leave.

"Alright officer. Thank you for coming," Mrs. Jennifer replied forcibly. Although she would have preferred if they didn't report the matter to the police station, it could get worse—especially when it involved her family and threats to their lives.

Alicia followed Jonathan out of the house, and he paused beside the black car he had come with his assistant.

"I have to go now, babe. Take care, and I will see what I can do to help your family. Damian has been a threat to many lives here, and if we don't get him, we cannot guarantee our service to saving our people." Jonathan looked frustrated, and Alicia placed her right hand on his shoulder and told him, "It's fine. Take care, my love."

"You too, babe. I wish this never happened. I already bought the engagement ring, and now this." Jonathan looked so sad, and Alicia told him, "It's fine. We will still get married."

"I know. Take care of yourself, and don't go anywhere close to Damian," he warned.

"Understood," Alicia replied, and Jonathan kissed her forehead goodbye before he got into his car.

Alicia sighed and went back into the house.