PROLOGUE

GIANNA'S POV

2 Weeks Back.

"Thank you, ma'am." I smile at the old woman as she hands me my bag of fruits. The oranges looked so fresh I couldn't resist stopping to buy from this roadside shop. And to think of it, I don't remember when last I ate fruit. I need to improve on my diet.

I walked back to my car and drove straight home. It gives me a different joy whenever I pull up at our home. How far we've come. We were poor in a richer than the poor way, but we were poor. If you get what I mean.

My father could barely put us through school so we all had to apply for scholarships to finish high school and college. We could barely afford a three square meal and I wouldn't dare look at a freshly shaded fruit by the roadside when I was still gathering up money to buy textbooks and pay for my project. It was different now. I'm glad how things turned out.

I always admired the small mansion Dad had bought with his first big salary. I admire the number of foods I would see on our table when it was time for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

I didn't have it all. My father wasn't the richest but he was the sweetest. My mother wasn't the bravest but she was the toughest. My twin sister and my junior brother were blessings. I had it all, the happiness of an average town girl.

It was perfect. Perfect until I walked into the house.

The living room was dark. Not even one of the lights dispersed in the huge living room was on. The only way I could see through to walk was the kitchen lights which beamed through the kitchen door, out, onto that area.

I moved to the switch and turned on the lights. I sighed and took off my shoes before making my way upstairs. The light had a way of making everything better. It shows the beauty of things that the dark hid.

I headed towards Joanna's room first. I opened it to see it dark. The house was a bit weird today. Lights are not usually turned off in early afternoons unless at night. The living room especially.

I quickly turned on her light to see her room in a mess. Her duvet and pillows were scattered everywhere. I try to walk further into her room but stop at the sharp pain under my leg.

I hiss as I raise my right leg to look under my feet. "Shit," I mutter as I take the small piece of glass out. I ignore the small blood that ooze out and drop my legs to the floor. I'll be making a mess but who cares when the atmosphere feels amiss? It smelt of bad air.

My phone rings. I take it out of my back pocket as I roam my eyes at the broken flower vase, light stand, and scattered beads on the floor.

They belonged to Joanna. She loved them so much and I never could have dreamt of them ever being part of such a mess in her room. Something must have happened.

My phone rings again and I quickly pick it up without looking at the caller ID. My eyes roamed Joana's room as I placed the phone to my ear.

"Hello," I spoke, partly distracted by my wild thoughts.

"Listen up. I have your sister here with me. If you ever want to see her again, do exactly as I tell you." A demanding male voice spoke through the phone.

"What the. . ." I furrow my brows. "Who are you?"

"That's nothing for you to be concerned about. You should be worried about your sister and not my identity."

That was when my eyes widened and my brain clicked. I realized what the mess was for and who was calling. But how did they get in here?

"Oh my God." I panicked. "Joanna!Joanna!" I called out to her as she could hear me. I hear muffled sounds and countless hmms to tell she could. "Oh, my God. Joanna are you alright?. . . Did they hurt you. . ."

The caller groaned. "I don't have time for this ma'am. Listen carefully, if you want to see your sister alive then you'll have to give us the sum of ten million dollars." My eyes shone, ten million? "We'll send you the location. Be there in 36 hours and no more."

"Ten million? Where would I get such a huge amount from? Please let her go. We don't have that. . ." I trembled as tears gathered in my eyes.

"You'll figure it out when we send you your sister's fingers in a box and yes, don't even dare to involve the cops if you don't want your sister's fingers to be replaced with her head as your gift."

"Please don't hurt her. I'll do as you say. How. . . how will I be sure she's safe and fine."

"36 hours, lady." He says and I hear the line cut.

"Wait. Hello. Hello." I call on the line again with shaky hands. It rings but no answer. I try again and again until it says switched off. I quickly walk out of Joanna's room, stepping on another piece of glass. I cry and quickly raise my legs to pull out the glass.

I jogged to my brother's room but it was empty. I guess no one is at home.

What a good time for everyone to be away. Fuck.

I dialed my father's number but it didn't go through, as every other person. What? Have they also been kidnapped? I won't be able to survive 'Last Doxon standing' for more than two days.

My phone dropped telling me I had a message. I quickly raised it and pressed on the message from the unknown number. It was a picture of my sister, tied down to a wooden chair with a cloth tied to her mouth.

Her hair was messy and her red baggy eyes yelled she had cried a lot. The white t-shirt and blue jeans she wore were dirty and shredded. I placed my palm over my mouth and cried at her state.

I didn't know what to do. How to help. Dad was away on a business trip and I was clueless about his return. Mum and Bronx are nowhere reachable.

I let out a light gasp as my mind moved to my last option. Cole.

I ran down the stairs to my car and drove straight to his house. I sat in my car, anxious for a while and hesitating if I should or shouldn't. He was my boyfriend and I trust he will be there for me through thick and thin. Things like this. He would help, I'm sure he'll be glad to help.

I walk to his luxurious apartment which he occasionally stayed at, away from his parent's house. I knocked, a few times before the steel door opened to me.

"Babe." He cracked a smile at me. "I wasn't expecting you." I know, I could see it in his face. He stretched out to look around to see if any other person was there with me.

"I'm the only one and I need your help."

"My help?"

"Yes." I sniffed, I'm sure my eyes were a bit red and anyone could guess tears had recently run through them. "My sister has been kidnapped." His eyes shone as I revealed the problem. "The kidnappers are asking for a ten million ransom and I don't have that much on me."

"Ten million." He repeated like it was a lot of money. Here, standing before me is a billionaire's grandson. He smelt of wealth and spoke like wealth. Yet, he mentioned the ten million just the way an average like me had said it back in the house to the kidnappers.

"Is it too much for you to help? I can contribute or I'll work hard to pay you back. Please help me."

"I...I don't have that much with me."

"You don't?" I asked like I could almost believe his lie. I watched him, feeling a bit betrayed by his lie. That's when I realized he was standing by the door, and he hadn't bothered to let me in even in my state. I said nothing and looked through the small space that exposed his house, but it was too dim I couldn't see anything.

"I wish I could help you, babe. I do." He places his palm on my cheeks and rubs his thumb on them. "But I don't have that much to give out."

"It's fine." I lie.

"I...I could ask my mum?"

I cracked a smile. "I'll update you later, Cole."

"Cole?" I had never been the one to call him Cole even when I wasn't in my best mood. But the mood I'm in now is worse. A mood I can't put into words and it's sad, he can't be my shoulder of support.

I say nothing and step back to my car. Just as I start the engine, he goes back inside and shuts the door. I stared at the closed door and wondered if I ever knew him.

Maybe you see the true side of people in your toughest times. I was seeing mine right now.

As much as I wanted to ignore his behavior and just drive away, I didn't. I stepped down from the car and angrily walked to the building without shutting my car door. I wanted to rant about how much of a dick he's being right now but I'm silenced by what I see when I badge into his house.

Four eyes shone up to me and I stared back with as much shock. I didn't know why a tear slipped down my eyes. On one hand was my sister and on the other was my cheating boyfriend.

June 1st. A day I don't think I'll be able to forget.

I swallow and clean my tears. Without saying a word, I walk out of his apartment.

I have a sister to save.

"Babe!" I stop on my track, turn, and walk to him to slap him. It was hard, loud, and passed on my message.

He placed his palm on his cheek and gaped at me, dismayed by my action. I'm sure a spoilt brat like him has never been hit so hard before. Glad I'm the first. His father's paparazzi better put me on the news.

"I don't. Ever. Want to see you again. . ." I pointed at him, my eyes daggered at him as I put an end to a two-year relationship. "Or I'll cut your balls off."

"Don't do this. I can explain." He attempts to touch my arm but I hit it off and push him.

"Explain when you are no longer a coward." I walk to my car and drive off.

Don't cry. Don't cry over that jerk. Cry about your sister whose head will gifted to you if you don't hurry up with the money.

I drive back to the house. Not knowing where else to go.

"Father." I let my tears flow as I rushed to hug him on the stairs.

He brushes my hair before pulling me away to clean my tears. "What's wrong?. . .Where's everyone?.. Why so many missed calls?"

"I wasn't expecting you to be back so soon." I pull away from him. "Joa. . .Joanna is in trouble and. . . and I couldn't get through to you all. I'm so scared. . . I'm glad you're here. . . cause I don't. . .I don't know what to do father." I broke down.

It was all too much to contain. The heartbreak and the fear of losing my sister.

"Calm down Gianna. Calm down and tell me what's going on. Joanna. Where is she? What happened to her?"

"Joanna has been kidnapped, father." His chest rises like he holds his breath to process what I just said. He says nothing so I continue. "The kidnappers are asking for ten million. They sent me the location and told me to give them what they want in 36 hours." I cried harder, looking at my father as I spoke. "36 hours Dad. How do we get so much money in 36 hours."

He says nothing. In a matter of seconds, this man was traumatized. Never had he thought the little success he had managed to achieve wouldn't be able to save his precious daughter from the hands of kidnappers.

I didn't know if I should keep talking or just cry, cause the more I spoke, the more his breathing heavied.

"Say something father. What are we going to do?"

"Let's. . . We should call them again and strategize. No. . .I'll. . I'll give them all the money I have. It should be close to, I think. . . Or maybe we should. . ."

"Father." I cried. He was so confused. Out of words and full of sentiments. I've never seen him this way. He couldn't even hide how he felt because he was now incapable of controlling himself.

"He messaged you or called or. . ." I nod. He motions for me to show him my phone. I do as told and he looks at it in deep thought before standing. "Stay here. I'll be right back." He says as he strides to the door. "Don't leave the house, Gianna." He commands before walking out.

I sit on the stairs, crying quietly. My head ached and my throat throbbed with effect. I stared at the door, thinking of my sister and wondering if Dad's off to pay them or. . . Shit . . . or the cops.

I stand and search for my phone before recalling I had given it to him.

I hope he doesn't make a wrong move. What to do? What to do? I didn't know. I was clueless and my head right now was blank.

I stood and moved to and fro in the living room in anticipation. Seconds felt like minutes and just like that, time passed. I moved to the curtain to see the sun setting. The evening had reached and there was no news yet from anyone.

I turn away from the curtain and decide to occupy myself with tidying up Joanna's room. She'll be home soon. She'll need a tidy room after all she'd passed through today. I told myself.

. . . Little did I know, she was never coming back.