6

The couple had been waiting for their child all night. They sent text messages and tried calling, but there was no answer.

The mother was starting to panic as she repeatedly dialed their child's number, but still, no one picked up. She sat on the sofa, with the television on, hoping for a sudden interview announcement or a product advertisement featuring their child.

"Have some water," the father said as he placed a warm glass of water in front of his wife. "That's enough, darling. Our child will come home eventually. Maybe there's an emergency meeting or a sudden trip abroad, like before, which is why she can't come back."

The wife shook her head and dialed again. "No, our child always informs me even when they're incredibly busy at work. She answers my calls, so she'll send a text to reassure me."

Her husband sat beside her and embraced her. "Just try to understand our child for now. Think of the possibilities as to why there's been no contact."

"I'm worried. I have a bad feeling," she said.

"Stay calm, okay? She'll come tomorrow. She'll come home. Go to sleep. I'll wait for our child so you won't have to worry," he reassured her.

Her wife didn't reply anymore. So, he gently guided her to their bedroom, let her lie down, and helped arrange the blankets. He kissed her on the forehead before finally leaving the room and carefully closing the door.

As he stepped out, he returned to the living room and turned off the television. He grabbed a warm glass of water that his wife hadn't touched. He was the only one who drank it. His hands were trembling. He, too, felt a strange sense of unease. He didn't show it to his wife, fearing it would only make her more anxious. He was worried too because their child wasn't like this, contrary to what his wife had said. He simply wanted to alleviate the worries that burdened his beloved wife.

He headed to the kitchen to return the used glass. Unintentionally, his elbow bumped into the picture frame of their child. The photo contained an image of Felicia when she had just graduated from college, wearing a graduation gown and beaming with a wide smile. He glanced back at the hallway leading to their bedroom, growing even more anxious, afraid that his wife might have heard it.

He immediately picked up the shattered pieces and the photo of their child. If his wife saw them, she would become even more anxious because she believed in superstitions. She might think something bad happened to their child because the picture frame broke. Afterward, he fetched a broom and dustpan to clean up the small fragments.

The next morning, the woman woke up from her deep slumber. Her husband was tightly embracing her. She gently removed his arm resting on her waist, but she was momentarily startled when she noticed a small cut on his finger. The father also woke up, causing him to notice his wife holding onto his hand and arm, gazing at his tiny wound.

"Why do you have a small wound? What happened?" she asked.

He withdrew his hand and sat on the bed. His wife imitated him. "It's nothing. I accidentally bumped into the corner of the table last night. How did you sleep?" he quickly changed the topic. The wound was actually from when he picked up the broken shards from the picture frame of their child.

"I managed to sleep alright, at least. Has Felicia arrived? Did she send a text?" she immediately inquired, starting to panic again. Her husband held her hand to calm her.

"Not yet," he replied.

Her shoulders slumped upon hearing that. A mother's worry was truly different. She finally got up from the bed and left her husband still lying there.

"Felice, wait. Where are you going?" he called out. He followed her as she entered their walk-in closet. Once inside, he saw her changing her clothes. She put on pants and a shirt, accompanied by a white coat. "Felice, what are you doing? Where are you going?"

She faced him. "If our child hasn't arrived yet, then I'll personally go to her company to find out everything."

She walked out of the walk-in closet, passing by him. He followed her again until they reached the exit of their bedroom. "Felice, we can just call the office—"

"Did you do it?" Her question caught him off guard. "Arthur, did you do it?"

"F-Felice—" he stammered, noticing something he had stepped on. He furrowed his brow and picked it up. It was a white envelope he had accidentally stepped on. It was lying on their white floor. "Felice..."

"Why? Can't you just stop hindering me?" she said to her husband, while searching for the car keys in the cabinet next to the TV. They only used that car occasionally.

"Felice, come here," he pleaded.

With a slamming motion, he closed the cabinet door and turned to his wife with annoyance. "Can you please, Arthur—" he paused when he saw tears streaming down his wife's face, holding a piece of paper, while the torn envelope lay on the floor. "Arthur? What's this?"

He hurriedly approached his wife and looked at the contents of the paper. It felt like ice-cold water was poured over him as he read its contents. It was a letter from those who had kidnapped their child. It was a handwritten note stating that they had Felicia in their possession and would end her life.

Without hesitation, the couple rushed out of the house. Before leaving in the car, they made sure to lock their home securely. They quickly headed to the police station.

Inside the police office, the couple underwent an interview. They handed over the letter to the authorities, turning it into a major emergency case.

Felice continued to cry as her husband gently stroked her back. "W-We were waiting for her to come home because I was worried that she hadn't even sent a text or called me. It's not like her to do that. So, since last night, I had a different intuition. I had a different feeling."

The police officer nodded as they continued to question the couple. "I apologize for bombarding you with questions at such a difficult time. I have one more question."

"It's alright, we'll answer it because it's for the sake of our child," Arthur replied.

"Did she mention anything before she was kidnapped? Did she say she had somewhere to go the next day?"

"She just mentioned that she might go to the construction site for the new building. After that, she went to work. And then, throughout the day until evening, we didn't hear from her anymore," he explained.

After the interview, the couple immediately returned home. News of their child's disappearance began to spread as someone at the precinct had posted on social media that they were at the police station and heard the report.

Cedrick couldn't believe that his close friend had been kidnapped and was now in danger. He didn't know what to do and kept contacting the police for any updates or progress on the kidnapping case.

Cedrick massaged his temples. He was currently inside the security room of their building. Standing beside him were two guards, while he remained seated, continuously playing the CCTV footage of their parking lot. They saw Felicia entering the elevator, but the clip was cut off after she left the parking lot.

"You're here in this room, why didn't you see or notice anything?" Cedrick asked the two guards while he kept his eyes fixed on the large screen in front of him. "You were too careless, and even your boss fell victim to criminals."

One of the guards, a bearded man with a large belly, lowered his head. "I was the only one on duty during that time. But I briefly went to the restroom and immediately returned after ten minutes."

Ten minutes. Cedrick couldn't help but think that within that short time, they managed to take Felicia.

"I apologize, Sir Cedrick. I was negligent," the guard added.

Cedrick let out a sigh and stood up, grabbing his gray coat and putting it on. "Be vigilant. Keep a close watch and report to me immediately if anything or anyone suspicious gets through," he instructed the guards.

After saying that, he exited the room. For the past four weeks, this had become Cedrick's routine—work and taking care of Felicia. He hardly had time to go home and rest properly with his wife and child. Fortunately, his wife and child understood, as Felicia was also close to them.

Cedrick stepped out of the building. It was raining, so he had his coat on. The turmoil in the sky seemed to mirror his current state of mind. Felicia had become like a sibling to him. Even though they weren't related by blood, he felt what it was like to have a sibling. No words could explain how important Felicia was to him.

Cedrick headed to the police station. He parked his car and hurried inside, without bothering about the curious gazes and disheveled appearance. His hair was in disarray from using his coat as makeshift protection from the rain. His pants and white shoes had a slight dampness.

He quickly entered an office where he had permission to be, as he was one of those who funded the hiring of skilled investigators. Upon entering, he was greeted by a gathering of people for the meeting.

"I apologize," Cedrick quickly apologized.

The person in front began to speak. "Since Sir Cedrick is here, I'd like to inform everyone that we still have no updates or leads on the progress of our case. We've reviewed all the CCTV footage, but there is no trace or hint of any vehicle, car, or van that could have been used to enter or leave the parking lot. It's puzzling how clean this operation was, and behind it, there must be someone with extensive knowledge of the ins and outs of the entire building, aware of possible hiding routes."

Kalixo sat on his long sofa inside his office. Sitting across from him on the other sofa was a man who appeared to be ten years younger than him. Between them was a transparent table, where two glasses of alcohol with three ice cubes each were placed. The man sitting in front of Kalixo had yet to take a sip from his glass.

"I've done what you asked me to do. Everything went smoothly without any issues. So, what is there to fear and worry about? It seems like you're losing trust in me," Kalixo said, causing the man in front to swallow hard.

"I just have this fear that the day will come when I'll be discovered and identified by everyone," 

Kalixo grinned. He took his glass and took a sip of the alcohol. "Seems like you're having doubts about the abilities of the Montenegro family. When have we ever failed? Have you heard any news about that? Is there any?"

The man averted his gaze. "N-No."

"Exactly. I'm easy to talk to, especially if we handle things through the barrel of a gun," Kalixo said, his tone carrying a hint of threat. "I don't appreciate anyone questioning my capabilities, especially when they themselves come to me willingly for a service," he looked the man in the eyes.

The man was taken aback and remained silent. He adjusted his position and grabbed his glass of alcohol, downing it quickly. Kalixo marveled at how the man's hands trembled. The Montenegro family truly held power.

Soon after, the man bid his farewell. He thanked Kalixo for granting him the opportunity to speak, even if it was only for a brief moment.

Kalixo didn't linger in his office either. He stepped out of his building and got into his car. The rain poured even harder. He took out his phone and dialed an unnamed number. It was promptly answered. "It's raining heavily here. Is it also raining there? We might not be able to proceed."

"Not too much rain here. The sea is calm. Another guard just arrived on the island," the voice on the other end replied.

Kalixo nodded. "Alright, I'm on my way there."

"Alright. Take care," the voice responded.

Kalixo started his car and drove towards his destination, braving the pouring rain.