Chapter 3

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

The head maid had even called 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 police officer to know Alicia.

"Yes, Jonathan. This is where my family and I live," Alicia lowered her head in shame, knowing she had been keeping it a secret where her family now lived. She recalled that five years ago, 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 the report so we can help get him released from the unknown gunmen," Jonathan Leonardo, a 32-year-old who loved Alicia and wanted to marry her, asked, but she kept dodging the talk of him coming to see her father for her hand in marriage.

"No, John, you can't do anything to save my father. He owed Damian Tucker, the ruthless mafia boss," Alicia announced, moving away from Jonathan's embrace.

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

"How did your father get into business with Damian? Is your father into the Mafia world?" the second police officer, Sergeant Brown, asked. But Alicia and her siblings shook their heads.

"We don't know. My father has been owing Damian for a long time, going on five years now, so they came here and took him away, ordering us to pay his debt," Alicia cried, and the two police officers sighed.

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

Alicia quickly shook her head and replied, "We don't know. All that doesn't matter now. If we get anything endangering 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 are you guys told to pay up?" Jonathan asked, a look of worry washing over him.

"$10 million," Caden said, and Jonathan gasped. "What?! That's a whole lot of money. Anyway, you should assist us in getting the evidence to get 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 them to get closer to Damian to see if she can get any information on how to arrest their group? We need solid evidence, or would your mother know what her husband does?" Brown queried them.

"None that I'm aware of. And I cannot allow them to have Samantha or Alicia. We'll have to raise the money to pay them up," 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 want to marry Alicia next month. Now all this is happening. Where is your mother, Alicia?" Jonathan asked, and Alicia sadly pointed towards 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, and Alicia rose from the couch and sadly followed him upstairs.

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

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

Alicia knocked and entered the sitting room with Jonathan. However, Mrs. Jennifer was on a phone call, calling Mr. Max's older brother to see if he could help, but the man refused, saying, "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 then the police officer in black, who were holding hands together.

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

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

"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, especially now that my rank has been promoted," Jonathan said.

"I see," Lady Jennifer replied as she looked at the police officer 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 make dirty deals.

"So, back to why I'm here. We got a phone call that your husband was kidnapped, and we made inquiries from your children, receiving the reports that your husband lent money from Damian Tucker and hasn't paid up yet," Jonathan said, watching Mrs. Jennifer intently.

Lady 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 company," Mrs. Jennifer said, and Jonathan asked her, "Do you have any evidence of what your husband does for them?"

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

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

"No..." Lady Jennifer quickly refuted, as if she was protecting her husband from getting caught in any crime.

"I'm sorry, officer. But my husband never lets me know what he does. We have been married for 29 years, and we dated for five years, and he still doesn't share his work with me. I just know he's 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 will 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."

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

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

"Alright," Lady Jennifer forcibly replied. Although, she would have preferred if they didn't report the matter to the station. But it could get worse, especially when it involves her family and a threat to their lives.

Alicia followed Jonathan out of her father's house, and he paused beside the black car he came with his assistant and said, "I have to go now, babe. Take care, and I'll 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 can't guarantee our service to saving our people." Jonathan looked frustrated, and Alicia placed her hand on him 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, and don't go anywhere close to Damian."

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

Alicia sighed and went back into the house.