Unforseen Circumstances
"I just got a text that the officiating Pastor James has been abducted," Romeo revealed with trembling lips.
He had lost total control of himself.
He wasn't conscious of what was happening around him anymore.
He never felt the same again.
It was as though a part of his body had been taken away from him.
"Pastor James has been abducted? How's that even possible?" Antonio became furious and confused.
He didn't even know how to approach the situation.
"See this, Dad," Romeo said as he handed the phone to Antonio. His lips were too heavy to be moved.
He figured it would make so much sense if his Father could read the text himself.
"We have the Pastor. If you want to see him again, you have to cough out fifty thousand dollars or cancel the wedding," Antonio read the texts to everyone present.
"This is nonsense.
We need to involve the police immediately," Alejandro fumed.
That was the first time he ever spoke since Hilton received the disturbing texts.
The only people who didn't participate in the discourse were Mary and Romeo.
They were elated to see and hear the news. They never wanted the wedding to go through for different reasons. Mary hated Hilton and would never agree to be his wife.
Unlike Mary, Romeo feels his brother wasn't ready for marriage yet.
They also didn't want to say something that may worsen the situation or get on Antonio's last nerves.
"What are we still doing here? Let's go inform the police immediately," Alejandro reminded everyone again.
He knew his life would be on the line if the wedding refused to be held.
He still couldn't fathom why drastic action had not yet been taken.
Mary had a mixed reaction when she heard her Father's suggestion. Her Father is the last person Mary expects to say a word.
If Alejandro wasn't standing next to them, Mary would have sworn that what she heard was the work of artificial intelligence. She thought her Father would have realized his mistakes, that the wedding wasn't meant to be.
"I know that look, Mary.
You are surprised to hear me say that, right?" Alejandro smirked as he directed his gaze at Mary.
Without being told, he could see the handwriting that was boldly written on the wall.
"You know this wedding means a lot to us. And don't you stand there acting like you don't know what I'm talking about," Alejandro set the record straight.
Traces of smiles were found on Antonio's face after Alejandro was done talking.
He loved the new Alejandro and wished the newly adopted character would never depart from him.
Leaning forward, Antonio tapped Alejandro on the shoulder and said, "Thank you for the support, but we are not calling the cops. What if they do something to hurt my pastor?"
"With all due respect, sir.
You can't speak like this," Romeo stepped in to defend Alejandro.
"Inviting the cops seemed to be the only option right now. Besides, the kidnappers won't even know about it," he opined.
It sounded like a fantastic idea to everyone except Alejandro.
He still has his worries.
He was scared that the cops might mess things up. Although, he didn't have the asking fee of fifty thousand dollars or calling off the wedding.
At the same time, he wants to tread with caution to avoid any regret in the future.
"I have a suggestion,"
A voice spoke. Everyone traced the voice, and it led them to Mary.
"Mary, you?"
Antonio's voice skipped as he pointed at her.
No one expected her to speak up in such a situation. Especially when they knew she was never supporting the marriage. They all believed that her wish may have come to pass.
"Before we think of inviting the cops over, we need to get our facts together," She proposed.
Her opinion got everyone biting their lips. They still can't figure out where she was driving.
"Now I'm confused.
Can you be more specific?" Antonio exhaled after rolling his eyes for the thousandth time.
He thought Alejandro was being delusional when he suggested calling the cops. He never knew Mary was coming to beat the record.
"It's simple.
We need to speak with the alleged kidnappers over the phone.
For now, we can't be assured of anything.
Besides, no kidnapper will demand fifty thousand dollars or the cancellation of a wedding as a ransom," Mary buttressed.
She spoke endlessly and they listened attentively.
This time, it was easier to assimilate than the first time.
"Perhaps, it's an inside job.
The person might be an enemy. She's right," Romeo opined.
He didn't make it seem like he had some sort of fling with Mary. That would, of course, become an eyesore.
Hilton frowned.
He considered Mary's suggestion quite offensive. It's as though he got hit by a stray bullet.
"I'm sorry if you find it offensive. It was just a harmless suggestion," Mary quickly vindicated herself after seeing how agitated Hilton had become.
He's the last person she wants to mess with.
"You seem to have a point,"
Antonio endorsed Mary's idea to the surprise of everyone.
"Although we aren't entirely sure.
This is a delicate situation, and we need to be careful with our approach." He added.
"So what do you think, Alejandro?
It's your freedom we are talking about here. You know what happens if the wedding is cancelled.
I want to believe that you're in the best position to make the final verdict," Antonio tasked Alejandro. Despite not hitting the nail on the head, everyone already understood what he meant.
Alejandro exhaled!
The options on his table are too perfect that he didn't even know which to choose from.
"I'm in with Romeo,"
He finally made his decision.
Although, his response was quick.
Still, it wasn't an easy one.
"Since Romeo thinks this might be an inside Job, then we need to crack this case," Alejandro justified his reasons.
"Thank you," Romeo acknowledged Alejandro for granting him the opportunity to prove himself.
"Now I need you to call the number from the text you received. Then you put it on a loudspeaker.
Don't say a word. I repeat, don't say anything.
Just let me handle this my way.
Are we good?" Romeo authorized Hilton. He spoke as though they were in an interrogation room.
With a nod of approval, Alejandro agreed. As the phone rang, his heartbeat kept rising faster in a panic mode.
Questions like, "Who would want to harm my pastor or stop the wedding from happening?" Flooded his mind.