True Love My Ass

18. Meeting his parents

The messenger has no name, but the message was sent from John's phone, which means we can track him and get him home safely. Without having to give billions to criminals.

"Did we all get the same text?" Mr. Hall asks and abruptdly stands up to check our phones.

As if on cue two cops walk in, a man and a woman, both of them in uniforms, but unarmed.

And that's how everything that was just said is being said against to them, they note everything and she puts the sketch Mrs. Hall drew in her pocket.

They tell us how we'll approach the situation and that they're even considering contacting the FBI since we're talking about a CEO with millions of dollars.

Also they've seen the face of the man before, which means they'll run it through their database to check if their own theories are correct.

My theories were apparently an option, yet they either couldn't put words to why the man would look suspicious without actually doing anything about his disappearance.

"Your son is worth 25B, they must have doubled the price of his release," the woman says.

John is worth something?

I mean, worth, as in money?

He's a human being, not an object!

He should be priceless!

He is priceless!

Ben wraps an arm around my shoulders and hugs me lightly to his side, probably noticing my discomfort.

"We'll find him," he says and strokes my arm friendly.

Mr. and Mrs. Hall continue their conversation with the cops while Ben and I have ours on the other side of the room.

"Wanna know the other reason you're here?" Ben suddenly says and re-reads the message we all got.

"What?"

"Cause he's been talking about you none-stop, he was so happy that he finally had the balls to ask you out," Ben chuckles, still staring at the message.

What about Hayley?

"Shouldn't Hayley be here? I mean... She's his girlfriend isn't she?"

Ben frowns in confusion at me, puts his phone in his pocket and then turns his body towards me.

He looks genuinely confused.

Why?

"He didn't tell you?"

I shake my head.

"Hayley's dad owns hotels in vacation spots like Bali, Honolulu and such. John's been thinking about building hotels there as well, but he figured it would be cheaper to just buy them and take over. Therefore he's "dating" Hayley to get on her dad's good side and for her to put in some good words for him. You know, to make sure John will take care of the chain and keep the hotels going. She knows it's just business too, yet I think she's caught feelings for him."