Chapter 3

Alicia stood speechless in the living room after her mother left them and gone back to her room. The house help were terrified as they feared those gunmen were robbers. But no one was killed, except that Mr. Max was kidnapped.

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

"We heard that Mr. Max Dawson was kidnapped by some unknown gunmen. Is that true?" one of the two police officers asked. However, the second police 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 had not expected the police officer to know Alicia.

"Yes, Jonathan. This is where my family and I live," Alicia lowered her head in shame, knowing that she had been keeping it a secret of where her family now lives. She recalled that five years ago, she had heard her parents arguing. Since then, their lives had not remained the same.

"Tell me, what happened to your father. You need to give us the report on how to help him get his release from the unknown gunmen," Jonathan Leonardo asked Alicia. He was a 32-year-old guy, and he loved Alicia so much and wanted to marry her, but she kept on dribbling 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 owed Damian Tucker, the ruthless mafia boss," Alicia announced, moving away from Jonathan's embrace. She calls him John for short.

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

"How did your father get to do 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. Our father has been owing Damian for a long time, going on five years now, so they came here and took him away and ordered us to pay his debt," Alicia cried, and the two police officers sighed.

"Hmmm. You know that Damian and his boys would not just come here if your father isn't among 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?" asked Jonathan.

Alicia quickly shook her head and replied, "We do not 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 kill him."

Alicia cried and 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 to get the evidence to get Damian behind bars. That way, the government would apprehend him for frauds and take him into custody."

Caden shook his head and said, "I do not 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?" queried Brown.

"None that I am aware of. And I cannot allow them to have Samantha or Alicia. We will have to raise the money to pay them up," Caden said, shaking his head in disagreement.

"I agree with him, Brown. You do not expect me to offer my girlfriend to that son of a devil. 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, to which Alicia rose from the couch and sadly followed him upstairs.

"Do not 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 from? Do you want to get involved in illegal dealings just for my father's sake?"

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

Alicia knocked and entered the sitting room with Jonathan. Meanwhile, Mrs. Jennifer was on a phone call, calling Mr. Max's older brother to see if he could help, but the man refused, saying that "Max has never helped me when he was rich, and you do not 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 am Officer Jonathan Leonardo, Alicia's boyfriend."

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

"I know we did not mean for the introduction to be this way, but I have the plans to come and marry Alicia next month. I love her very much, and especially now that my rank has been promoted to Sergeant," said Jonathan.

"I see," Lady Jennifer said, as she looked at the police officer looking at her daughter lovingly. It reminded her of when she newly married and fallen in love with Mr. Max, before his greed led him to do dirty deals.

"So, back to why I am here, Madam. We got a phone call that your husband was kidnapped, and we made an inquiry 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 intensely.

Lady Jennifer stood in front of Jonathan and frowned.

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

"No. Ny husband does not get me involved. He never does, and I do not know what he does," 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 to operate? We can find a lead from there," Jonathan asked, his voice calm.

"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 before we got married, and he still does not share his work with me. I just know he is a good man and provides for us," Mrs. Jennifer looked sad, as she recalled her past.

"Damian gave his word that if we tried anything funny, he will kill my husband, and I do not 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 will 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 the matter to the station, 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 did not 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 of yourself, and I will see what I can do to help your family. Damian has been a threat to many lives here, and if we do not get him, we cannot guarantee our service to saving our people." Jonathan looked frustrated, and Alicia placed her 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 okay. We will still get married."

"I know. Take care of yourself, and do not 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 her father's house.