Chapter 3 No 3.

Alicia stood speechless in the living room after her mother left them.

The house helps were terrified as they feared those men in black were robbers. But no one was killed, except that Mr. Max was kidnapped.

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

"Hello, everyone! 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?" he asked.

Samantha and Caden's eyes widened in shock. They hadn't expected the police officer to know Alicia.

"Yes, Jonathan. This is where my family and I live," Alicia replied and lowered her head in shame. She knew that she had been keeping it a secret where her family now lives.

Alicia 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 on how to help him get his release from the unknown gunmen," Jonathan Leonardo asked. He was a 32-year-old man with fair skin, handsome, tall, and he loved Alicia so much. He wanted to marry her, but she kept on dribbling the talk of marriage or for him to visit and 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 Jonathan's embrace. She calls him John as his shortened name.

"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.

Alicia and her two siblings shook their heads.

"We don't know. We just found out today that our father has been owing Damian for long, going on five years now, so they came here today and took him away, ordering us to pay his debt," Alicia cried, standing in the living room, and the two police officers sighed.

"Hmmm. This is serious. You know that Damian and his men wouldn't just come here if your father isn't among their group," Jonathan said. "We would need evidence to know what the embezzled funds were all about. Do you have any idea what the business money was for?"

Alicia hastily shook her head and replied, "No. We don't know. All that doesn't matter now. If we get anything that could expose their group, they would come for us, and that would be a threat to our lives and to my father in their grip. They only told us to pay the debt, or else they would deal with him."

Alicia cried, moving back to sit on one of the black couches in the living room.

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 dollars," Caden announced.

"What?! That's a whole lot of money!" Jonathan gasped. "Anyway, you should assist us to get the evidence to get Damian behind bars. That way, we 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 any of them to get closer to Damian, to see if she can help us to seduce him and get any information on how to arrest their group?" Brown suggested. "We need solid evidence, or would your mother know what her husband does?"

"None that I am aware of," Caden declined. "And I cannot allow them to have Samantha or Alicia. We will have to raise the money on our own to pay them up."

Caden shook his head in disapproval as he paced the living room.

"I agree with him, Brown. You don't expect me to offer my girlfriend to that son of a devil. I want to marry Alicia next month. Now all this is happening," Jonathan said, a look of frustration washing over him. "Alicia, where is your mother, Alicia?" He asked.

Alicia sadly pointed upstairs.

"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.

"Don't worry, baby. I will help you raise the money if the need arises. Your father cannot get killed," Jonathan assured her.

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." Jonathan pulled Alicia close and kissed her forehead. They arrived at the front of Alicia's mother's sitting room door.

When Alicia knocked, she gently opened the door and entered the sitting room. Then she invited Jonathan in as well.

Mrs. Jennifer was standing in the sitting room, as she phoned Mr. Max's older brother, Daniel Dawson, to see if he could help.

However, Mr. Daniel refused and said, "Max has never helped me before when he was rich, and you don't expect me to lend you a helping hand now."

The phone call ended.

Mrs. Jennifer sadly looked back at Alicia and then the police officer in black who were holding hands together.

At first, Mrs. Jennifer was stunned and wondered if she wasn't dreaming.

But the police officer spoke, "Good evening, ma'am. I am Officer Jonathan Leonardo, Alicia's boyfriend."

"Oh!" Mrs. Jennifer gasped, her jaw dropping, looking from Alicia to Jonathan's face.

Jonathan cleared his throat and said, "I know we didn't mean for the first introduction to be this way. But I have plans to come and marry Alicia next month. I truly love her, and especially now that my rank has been promoted to Sergeant."

"I see," Lady Jennifer replied, looking at the police officer gazing at her daughter lovingly.

It reminded Lady Jennifer of when she had recently married Mr. Dawson and fell in love with him, before his greed led him to do dirty deals.

"So back to why I am here, ma'am," Jonathan began. "We got a phone call report from the housekeeper that your husband, Mr. Max Dawson, was kidnapped by some unknown gunmen. And we made inquiries from your children, receiving the reports that your husband lent money from Damian Tucker, the mafia lord, and hasn't paid up yet."

When Jonathan finished speaking, he watched Mrs. Jennifer's face intently.

Lady Jennifer sighed, standing in the sitting room in front of Jonathan, and frowned.

"Yes. Damian and his men came here and took my husband away. I didn't know what my husband does for them, or when he lent the money from Damian, but he claimed to be doing legitimate business with Damian's father, before Damian took over the T-Group," Mrs. Jennifer disclosed.

Jonathan sighed and 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 does," she said.

"Hmm. But we need strong evidence against Damian 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 from home? We can find a lead from there," Jonathan asked, watching Mrs. Jennifer intently.

"No, Officer. My husband has none of those," Lady Jennifer quickly declined. 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 I still don't know his work. I just know that he is a good man and provides for us," Mrs. Jennifer said, tears welling up in her blue eyes 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, officer, as I will like to make a call to my older brother to see how we can raise the money to pay Damian off," Lady Jennifer concluded.

"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," Jonathan said, bowing to leave. "I will get going now to report to the station about the case so that my senior can take it from there."

"Alright. Thank you for coming to our home," Lady Jennifer forcibly replied. Although, she would have preferred if they didn't report the matter to the police station in North Haven. But it could get worse, especially when it involves her family and a threat to their lives.

"It's my duty," Jonathan replied with a smile before he exited the sitting room with Alicia.

Alicia sighed and followed Jonathan out of her father's house. They paused beside the black police car that he came with his assistant.

Jonathan turned to face Alicia 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 don't get him now, we cannot guarantee our service to saving our people."

Jonathan looked frustrated.

Alicia then placed her right hand on him and said, "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 said, looking sad.

Alicia sighed and told him, "It's fine, my love. We will still get married."

"I know." Jonathan's gaze softened, and he said, "Take care and don't go anywhere close to Damian Tucker."

"I understand," Alicia replied with a smile.

Jonathan then drew near her and kissed her forehead goodbye.

Alicia sighed, watched him get into his car, and she went back into the house.