Stacey’s POVMrs. Lake and I walked down the long hallway of the building through the rooms that were mostly classrooms. It was true, the orphanage children, along with other children, were attending school. We finally arrived at the door of a room that was smaller than the others.Mrs. Lake knocked a few times until we heard an answer from inside, then she pushed the door knob down and pushed the door inward.“Good morning, Madam Carter,” Mrs. Lake said as she closed the door after I entered the room.“Good morning. Please have a seat,” she replied.We both sat opposite her. I didn’t expect Madam Carter to be about five years younger than me. Her skin was fair, her face beautiful and her smile very cute.“Is there anything I can help you with?” Madam Carter asked kindly.“We’d like to see Mark, and there’s one more thing,” Mrs. Lake replied.“Oh, what’s that?” she asked.Mrs. Lake pointed at me as she said, “his birth mother ordered her to take Mark to his grandparents in the city. S
Stacey’s POV“I won’t stop calling you until you pick up, Joe. Don’t run away or renege on our agreement, because I’m not a weak woman who will let a man like you get away with anything. Hurry and pick up the phone!” I muttered while frowning in annoyance.I was so annoyed. Joe was so slow.Luckily, fifteen minutes later, he picked up the phone. The voice behind him was very noisy. It seemed like he was in the middle of the bar.“Hello, boss,” he said. I could hear the girls laughing and the guys talking over the loud house music. I was sure he must be in the bar.“Where are you?” I asked curiously.“I’m at a bar. But this isn’t the bar you’ve been to. I’m visiting my friend’s bar. It’s a nice place. Check it out if you have time. My friend will give you a special discount,” he replied.“Please get out of there. I can’t hear your voice,” I pleaded.“Okay.” There was the sound of him saying goodbye to the girls and the sound of the bar door closing. Now the only sound I heard was the s
Jennifer’s POV“What’s going on? Please keep that knife away from my daughter’s body. If there’s anything you need, let’s talk this through,” I told them.Cold sweat covered my palms, my body was trembling, and my heart was racing. I swallowed a few times. I wanted to scream and ask for help from the people walking by, but Jean’s life was at stake.No! I didn’t want it to happen again. I didn’t want to experience it again. Didn’t Kelly go to jail? Then who intended to hurt me this time? Sam, Jack, Carol, where were you? Oh my God, what should I do? I had my two children with me and now their lives were in danger.“Don’t scream or try to call for help if you don’t want to lose the lives of these little ones. Do you understand Mrs. Harris?” the woman replied, sitting next to Jean.“Mommy,” Jean said. She wiped her eyes repeatedly.“It’s okay. Don’t be afraid, don’t scream, and follow what Mommy says, okay?” I replied as I hugged her tiny body tightly.“Where is daddy? Why is she pointin
She cried as she gazed at him. Her tears came out like Niagara Falls. Her chest was heaving with rage. Then, two other men tried to calm the heated situation before any bloodshed occurred. One man approached the man known as Joe, while the other man approached the woman known as Lisa. I saw them persuading both of them so that the situation returned to normal and calm. Suddenly, from the direction of the carnival exit, a security guard came to us. He walked closer to the van while staring intently at all of us. He was trying to observe the situation. "What's going on? What are you guys doing? Why is this woman kneeling on the floor with a child? Tell me the truth or I'll take you to the nearest police station," he demanded. Later, a man helped me up and asked me to get into the car. However, I brushed his hand away and tried to get help from the security guard. I tried to signal the security guard, but unfortunately, he didn't realize the signal. I couldn't possibly scream or tel
“Please don’t take us away from Valxina. What do you want? My husband can give you what you ask for,” I pleaded, wiping the tears from my eyes.“Shut up! We know your husband is the number one richest man in Valxina. It shouldn’t be difficult for him to give us what we ask for. But we won’t betray our customers’ trust. So, don’t offer us your vast fortune. Shut up and see where we take you,” Joe exclaimed.Jean hugged my body tightly with a look of fear on her face. “Mommy, please mommy.”I stroked her back. “Calm down, mommy is here.”I glimpsed Lisa fidgeting and fiddling with her cell phone in an uncertain direction. Her face did not look happy. Could it be that she had different goals with her boyfriend and their gang? Maybe I could try again to persuade her to help me, but how? Oh God, please give me a way out.To the docks, all I saw was eerie darkness. As we got closer to the pier, the only sound I heard was the terrifying roar of the waves. I hoped they were taking us somewher
At exactly one o’clock in the morning, I woke up. My throat felt dry. I noticed there was no mineral water bottle in the bedroom. I got up and put on the slippers that they had prepared when we first entered the room. Before leaving the room, I smoothed the blanket Jean was wearing and made sure Nick was asleep.I opened the door slowly while looking outside the room. It was quiet. I guess everyone had gone to bed. Then I closed the door tightly and walked through room after room to the stairs.As I passed a room, I heard a moan accompanied by a woman’s voice asking for help. The sound was strange. At first, I thought the people in the room were having sex, but why was the woman asking for help?My bad habit had returned. I was curious because I thought she might be in danger, even though I was in danger myself. My patriotic spirit returned at the wrong time.I saw that the door to the room was not closed tightly, and I could even see a small part of the situation inside the room, alt
Samuel’s POV“Where’s my cell phone?” I muttered as I reached into my pants pocket until I finally found my cell phone in my right pants pocket. Just like my habit of always putting my phone in the right pocket.Wait! Something was wrong. I hurriedly reached into the back pocket of my pants and my wallet was still intact in the pocket. All debit cards, credit cards, identity cards, driver’s licenses, and all cash were still safe. That means the person or persons who knocked me out didn’t want the money or all these cards. Meaning?Jenny and my kids. Yes, they must have targeted my family. Someone or some group of people. I had to rush to find the whereabouts of Jenny and my two children.Dizzy and aching all over, I tried my best to stand up while leaning against the wall. I observed the surroundings of the back terrace, thinking I knew this place.That morning, it was quiet on the back porch of the building I still didn’t know the name of. There was no one there. However, my memory k
Samuel's POV “No, they’re not with me. I thought you had returned home to the mansion, but when we arrived at the mansion, you weren’t there. We were anxious, so we went back to the carnival right away while mobilizing my men to look for your whereabouts because I saw your car still parked in the carnival parking lot. What exactly happened?” Jack asked. “I don’t know what exactly happened to us. But if they’re not with you, then where are they? Help me find them, Jack,” Sam replied. “Yes, I’m mobilizing more people to look for them. I’m on my way to the carnival now. Tell me your position?” Jack asked. “I’m in front of the food court entrance.” “Ok, stay there. I’ll be right there,” Jack said as he turned off his cell phone. Sam put his cell phone back into his pants pocket. Simon, who was beside him, then asked, “What happened to your family?” “I don’t know. If something bad happens to them, then I don’t want to live anymore.” “Don’t say that, sir. They might be somewhere safe
Samuel’s POVI got into Mr. Taylor’s car and led the chase for Stacey. She was reckless. She took Deasy with her. That’s the same as jeopardizing her child’s life. What was her actual intention?The chase scene continued. We traveled a road that was getting more and more difficult to navigate. The left side of the road was a ravine, while the right side of the road was a high hill.The car Stacey was driving got faster, and Mr. Taylor stepped on the gas pedal. This was crazy. I was afraid something bad would happen until what I thought happened. The car Stacey was driving lost its balance and went off course.At one point, to avoid a collision, Mr. Taylor ordered his men to avoid and stay away from Stacey’s car for a while but still be prepared to catch the woman without hurting either of them.However, unfortunately, the car driven by Stacey was moving more and more erratically and crashed into Mr. Taylor’s car. And at that moment all I remember was my head hitting the dashboard of t
Samuel’s POV“Ok, I’m ready to listen,” I replied. My heart was beating quite fast. I couldn’t wait to hear the good news that Chief Taylor was about to deliver.“Mr. Harris, you must have heard about the black van that was used by a group of criminals to kidnap your wife and two children. We’ve identified the van’s police number and we have the owner’s name. Last night we went to their base, but unfortunately, the head of the gang escaped. So, we could only arrest his girlfriend and men. They are now at the police station and will be investigated soon. If you are not busy, I hope you can come here to see the investigation process. Is what I said clear enough?” Chief Taylor asked.“Yes, it is clear enough. Thank you for your help. I’m not busy today, so after breakfast and everything is done at the mansion, I’ll rush over there,” I replied.“Ok, let me know if you’re on your way here. I’ll get ready right away. Is there anything else you want to ask?” he asked.“No. Thank you, Mr. Tay
Jennifer’s POVWhen the door opened, it was the middle-aged woman who lived next door. She handed me a package and from the smell; it looked like food. To be honest, it smelled so good that it made my stomach churn.“Thank you. Please come in,” I said.“No need. I just wanna give it to you. Bye and good night,” she answered as she walked away. Before closing the door, I noticed that the surrounding houses had all turned on their lights and it seemed like they were all eating dinner. Only a few men were walking past the house, some of them smiling and nodding their heads. I guess this fishing village wasn’t bad. It’s just that we need Sam.After dinner, we lay down on the bed. The sheets smell nice and the place was spotless. Maybe the middle-aged woman probably cleaned this house often.Long story short, a week had passed. We spent a lot of time inside the house because I was too scared to go out and socialize with the villagers. However, after the middle-aged woman who lived next to
Jennifer’s POVThe car driven by Joe entered a rural area. To enter this village, every passing vehicle must pass through a gate guarded by a fat man wearing a police-style outfit. He looked strange and unfriendly.Then the car stopped right in front of a house that looked dark and empty. Joe and Lisa got out of the car, then four of his men who were sitting with me at the back of the car got out as well, unloading several suitcases and bags of food.“Hey, come on down.” Lisa’s voice woke me from my reverie. I got down first, then one of Joe’s men helped Jean down.Joe knocked on the door of the house next to the empty and dark house. He knocked repeatedly until finally a middle-aged woman opened the door and the two of them had a conversation. I couldn’t hear their conversation. Their voices were too small and the middle-aged woman kept staring at me. Her eyes frightened me.“Mommy, are we going to stay here? I want to go home. I want to be with daddy,” Jean said.“I don’t know. We’l
Jennifer’s POVThe ship we were on was in the middle of a deep blue ocean with high and fierce waves. Jean, who had never been on a ship, was terrified. Luckily, she didn’t get sick, but she hugged me tightly and her body trembled with fear.The ship was moving here and there because of the waves. As far as the eye could see, there was only an infinite ocean and no islands or other ships passing near us. To be honest, I was terrified and imagined a shipwreck in the middle of the deep sea, with no help at all.The man driving the boat gave us life jackets and forced us to wear them, but I could not calm this fear. I was really in two danger. If this ship sank, then no one could find us. Let’s hope that what I was afraid of didn’t happen.When boarding the ship, Leo asked me to go inside the wheelhouse and wait there. The six of them sat outside. The man driving the boat was friendly. He smiled and told us many stories, perhaps to ease our fear of the ocean. However, we were still scare
Samuel’s POVJack hurried off to carry out my request. Simon and I waited for Leo and Alex to arrive.“Sir, please sit on the wooden chair while you wait for your other men to arrive,” Simon said.“No need. I think my body feels better already. Did you find anything?” I asked.“We’re not even looking yet. I’ll look over there.”“Oh yeah, you’re right. Alright, let’s split up to look for clues. Hopefully, there’s something left here that can reveal their identity,” I replied as I walked to the opposite side of Simon.Half an hour passed, and Simon and I had spread out quite far. Simon searched the restroom area inside the food court. While I just searched around the entrance of the food court to the front of the game stands and the reserve exit. I didn’t find any clues.Sweat had drenched my body, my breathing sounded heavy, my heart was beating quite fast and my energy seemed to be lost somewhere. I looked back, hoping to see Simon running towards me with good news. However, I didn’t
Samuel's POV “No, they’re not with me. I thought you had returned home to the mansion, but when we arrived at the mansion, you weren’t there. We were anxious, so we went back to the carnival right away while mobilizing my men to look for your whereabouts because I saw your car still parked in the carnival parking lot. What exactly happened?” Jack asked. “I don’t know what exactly happened to us. But if they’re not with you, then where are they? Help me find them, Jack,” Sam replied. “Yes, I’m mobilizing more people to look for them. I’m on my way to the carnival now. Tell me your position?” Jack asked. “I’m in front of the food court entrance.” “Ok, stay there. I’ll be right there,” Jack said as he turned off his cell phone. Sam put his cell phone back into his pants pocket. Simon, who was beside him, then asked, “What happened to your family?” “I don’t know. If something bad happens to them, then I don’t want to live anymore.” “Don’t say that, sir. They might be somewhere safe
Samuel’s POV“Where’s my cell phone?” I muttered as I reached into my pants pocket until I finally found my cell phone in my right pants pocket. Just like my habit of always putting my phone in the right pocket.Wait! Something was wrong. I hurriedly reached into the back pocket of my pants and my wallet was still intact in the pocket. All debit cards, credit cards, identity cards, driver’s licenses, and all cash were still safe. That means the person or persons who knocked me out didn’t want the money or all these cards. Meaning?Jenny and my kids. Yes, they must have targeted my family. Someone or some group of people. I had to rush to find the whereabouts of Jenny and my two children.Dizzy and aching all over, I tried my best to stand up while leaning against the wall. I observed the surroundings of the back terrace, thinking I knew this place.That morning, it was quiet on the back porch of the building I still didn’t know the name of. There was no one there. However, my memory k
At exactly one o’clock in the morning, I woke up. My throat felt dry. I noticed there was no mineral water bottle in the bedroom. I got up and put on the slippers that they had prepared when we first entered the room. Before leaving the room, I smoothed the blanket Jean was wearing and made sure Nick was asleep.I opened the door slowly while looking outside the room. It was quiet. I guess everyone had gone to bed. Then I closed the door tightly and walked through room after room to the stairs.As I passed a room, I heard a moan accompanied by a woman’s voice asking for help. The sound was strange. At first, I thought the people in the room were having sex, but why was the woman asking for help?My bad habit had returned. I was curious because I thought she might be in danger, even though I was in danger myself. My patriotic spirit returned at the wrong time.I saw that the door to the room was not closed tightly, and I could even see a small part of the situation inside the room, alt