"What’s going on, Dason?""Look at this, Sir. Someone sent me a picture!"Dason shouted angrily, visibly emotional about what had been sent to him, prompting a police officer to approach."What’s the matter?" asked the officer conducting the investigation.The officer was puzzled seeing Dason hysterically staring at his phone. The screen displayed Ella in a messy room, bound hand and foot.‘[If she dies, all your business will be destroyed. And you’ll be a beggar on the street!]’ read the caption sent to Dason. Clearly, the person had kidnapped Ella with the intent of enraging Dason.“Who is this from?” asked Mr. Yusuf, confused.Dason shook his head, as he didn’t recognize the number. It also lacked a profile picture."I don’t know, Sir."The police then confirmed Ella’s status as kidnapped, evident from the threatening message Dason received. The message on Dason’s phone was captured and sent to the police as evidence of the kidnapping and detention.The police initially requested t
The police officer remained silent for a moment before shaking his head. "Sorry, Sir. We can't take you with us. The information is still unclear, and we haven't pinpointed anything concrete yet. If we do confirm it or proceed to rescue Ella and apprehend the perpetrators, we will inform you immediately." "Please stay calm for now." Dason ran his fingers roughly through his hair. He already knew the answer; he would not be allowed to join the mission to rescue Ella. But, in his heart, Dason also understood that the police were still unsure about the location. They were only speculating. The clues from Dason's phone were still vague, unclear about the actual situation. Mr. Yusuf gently patted Dason's shoulder. He felt pity for Dason, who never seemed to have a peaceful life, always beset by troubles. In fact, Mr. Yusuf feared that Dason's stress could affect Audrey, who was in her first trimester of pregnancy. "Let's just stay here, Dason. We'll wait for updates from the po
"I don't know how they found out. What I'm worried about now is Audrey's condition. She sounded very panicked earlier." "But Audrey didn't open the door, did she? Or go outside? The reporters are just outside, right?" Mr. Yusuf bombarded Dason with questions. Like Dason, Mr. Yusuf was concerned about Audrey's condition at home, even though he knew their house was well-guarded. "How many guards are at your house?" Mr. Yusuf asked again, seeing the genuine worry on Dason's face. But Dason couldn't do anything. If he went home to see Audrey, the reporters waiting outside the gate would easily spot him. They wanted to confirm Ella's disappearance and Aunt Lily's recent arrest by the police. Dason shook his head, baffled by the reporters who were intruding into his life. "There are two guards, and three security officers on duty," Dason replied to Mr. Yusuf. "But they've been instructed not to open the door and not to let the reporters in or interview me," Dason explained further
Dason stopped in his tracks and reached into his pocket, curious about what message the mysterious app would deliver."[Immediately save Ella, she's being held captive in the old wooden warehouse on Merpati street, number 302]."Dason furrowed his brow as he read the message, torn between believing and doubting the instructions provided. But, ultimately, Dason chose to trust it all.Now, Dason's mind was preoccupied with one question: How would he convey Ella's whereabouts to Mr. Yusuf and the police?Dason fell silent for a moment, then rubbed his forehead. He was contemplating what excuse to give to Mr. Yusuf and the police to avoid arousing suspicion."Honey, why haven't you come in yet?" Audrey asked Dason, who was still standing at the door.Dason stumbled upon hearing Audrey's question; he hadn't expected his wife to already be standing before him."Oh, it's nothing, dear. I just received a mysterious call from an unknown number," Dason replied to Audrey."A call? From whom? And
"Where are you going, Honey?" Audrey asked in panic when she saw Dason and Mr. Yusuf getting ready to leave again. They had just sat down on the sofa.Dason looked at his wife. He gently ruffled Audrey's hair and then kissed her slightly bulging stomach."Darling, we're going now. We're going to the police station to report the information I received earlier. According to Mr. Yusuf, we need to move quickly because the criminals' movements are usually faster," Dason said to Audrey.Actually, it was difficult for Dason to leave Audrey at home, but if he didn't go, he wouldn't know Ella's true condition. Because what Mr. Yusuf said was true, they needed to know Ella's condition lest many people take advantage of such situations. And also, in a situation like this, it was very difficult to trust others. Even close people could become traitors, let alone strangers.Audrey reluctantly allowed Dason to leave to help save Ella. However, Audrey advised Dason not to get out of the car and let t
Bang! Bang! Bang!The police fired three warning shots, aiming to make the activities inside the warehouse surrender. And indeed, after the police fired the three shots, gunfire could be heard from inside the warehouse. This made Dason even more worried about Ella's condition.It turned out that the criminals were unwilling to surrender. Instead, they retaliated by blindly shooting at the police. Dason even saw one of the police officers writhing in pain, likely hit by a bullet. Fortunately, they had prepared several ambulances and paramedics on standby during the raid, with one doctor ready to assist in case of any unwanted incidents until all victims were taken to the hospital.The ambulances became busy, and the nurses were busy attending to the gunshot victims.In Dason's heart, he continued to recite prayers that the gunfight between the police and the gang members wouldn't claim any lives, and he also hoped they could find Ella safe and sound. It turned out the information provi
"We don't know yet, sir," answered one of Mr. Yusuf's subordinates when asked about who was behind all this.They probably haven't had the chance to find out who did it, so they couldn't give a proper answer, or they simply haven't obtained the right information yet. Mr. Yusuf let out a heavy sigh upon hearing his subordinate's response. Their primary task now was to find out who had orchestrated all this and why they wanted to kidnap Ella, aiming for Dason's bankruptcy.Clearly, the person behind this knew that Ella was Dason's confidante, which is why they kidnapped her to affect Dason. The perplexing part was why that person wanted Dason to go bankrupt so badly. Who knows what they would do if Dason went bankrupt."Have the police managed to capture their leader yet?" Mr. Yusuf asked again.Mr. Yusuf still held out hope that the police would succeed in uncovering the mastermind of this crime, so they wouldn’t have to investigate repeatedly. Any form of crime must be uncovered.The
"No, doctor."The doctor scrutinized Dason, seemingly still believing he was Ella's husband, as Dason had shown genuine concern for her."Then who is Mrs. Ella's husband?" Dr. Wahyu asked Dason.Dason chuckled and explained to Dr. Wahyu that Ella wasn't married. He was her employer, and Mr. Yusuf was their lawyer. Dason felt he needed to clarify to avoid any misunderstandings that could cause problems, especially with Audrey.Dr. Wahyu nodded but then gave Dason another once-over."Are you the latest shareholder of Info News, one of the two shareholders?" Dr. Wahyu asked Dason, seemingly more interested in Dason's 50% stake in Info News.Dason nodded, feeling annoyed that the doctor was focusing on his shareholding rather than answering his questions about Ella. However, he didn't press Dr. Wahyu for answers, not wanting to create the impression that he had a special relationship with Ella due to his concern."I never expected to meet Mr. Dason, who's like a hero to the public, here.