Tasha beamed with joy, grasped her phone, and quickly posted online, "Guess who is getting married to a billionaire soon?"
Her inbox flooded with several messages from her friends hyping her and believing that she was the one getting married to the billionaire. After all, she was the Paulson family's most favored daughter.
------
Meanwhile, Mabel stepped out of Tasha's room, her stride sharp and steady as she marched up to Cindy's room door. Before she could swing the door open, the harsh sound of the police siren gliding through her front yard sliced through the air.
"What's going on?" Mabel panicked, thinking against going to Cindy's room, then she darted out of the house to find out why the police had arrived at her mansion.
When Mabel and her husband stepped out, they saw one of the men who had helped them to capture Cindy and bring her back was handcuffed by the police officer, who held him firmly and dragged him out of the car.
"Ma'am, do you know who this is?" asked the policeman in black.
From the other side of the car, Rachel got out, her face filled with worry because the police had tracked down the kidnappers who had abducted Cindy, but they claimed Cindy wasn't with them and she was taken home to her family.
The police had doubts and arrested one of the kidnappers who had led them back to Cindy's father's house to find out if the report was true.
"Ma'am, do you know who this man is?" asked the second police officer, his gaze sharp and coldly fixated on Mabel's face.
Trembling, Mabel gathered her courage and spluttered, "Yes, officer. He only helped me to bring my stepdaughter home after she ran away. Is anything the matter?"
Mabel's heart raced with anxiety. She didn't want the rumor to spread that she had forced her second daughter to marry her old man. What if the news got to the Sullivan family's ears? She was eager to make amends swiftly and for the police officers to leave her abode quickly.
The man who worked for Mabel and had abducted Cindy felt betrayed. He had thought Mabel didn't want to pay him, and that's why she had contacted the police to arrest him, claiming her daughter was kidnapped. He glared at her, swearing in his heart to deal with her.
Clearly upset, the police officer said, "We saw the security footage at the front of Royal Hart Restaurant. Cindy White was kidnapped there by one of these men, who claimed she was brought back to your residence. Where is she?"
"Oh, officer. Is this why you're here? Cindy is my stepdaughter, and she is inside the house. She's perfectly fine. She doesn't want to get married, and that's why I hired these men to bring her back. She's inside her room," Mabel said, her tone laced with sweetness.
The policeman's eyes narrowed at Mabel. He was in charge of the case, and they had been trying to fight against kidnapping in Brooklyn City.
"Ma'am, if you claim your stepdaughter is Cindy White and she's inside. Bring her out; let's see that she's fine," the policeman demanded, his voice sharp and very commanding.
Mabel trembled under the weight of the policeman's cold voice. "Of course, Officer. I will send for her now."
Mr. Paulson tried to ease the tension as he said, "Officer, my daughter wasn't harmed. She's fine and no longer getting married. You don't have to come here to take it out on us. We are only doing things for her best interest."
The second policeman's eyes narrowed as he glared at Mr. Paulson. Before he could respond, the entrance door of the mansion swung open, and Cindy stepped out of the house.
A wave of relief crashed over Rachel's features as she strode forward to embrace Cindy.
"Oh my goodness! Cindy, you're fine," Rachel sobbed, amidst the warm hug.
Cindy stiffened, her eyes filled with tears, as she hadn't expected Rachel to stand up for her.
Rachel hugged Cindy warmly, pressing herself to Cindy's chest like she feared Cindy would disappear anytime soon.
The atmosphere lightened as Mabel offered a polite smile at the police officer. Her smile didn't reach her heart as she declared, "Officers, do you see that my stepdaughter is home? We just tried to bring her back home. But everything is settled, and she won't be marrying again."
"Mmm..." The police officer in charge of the anti-kidnapping squad glared at Mabel.
"I will still like to interview your stepdaughter," he snapped, his cold voice silencing them all.
"Are you Cindy White?" The police officer in charge of the case stepped forward and fixed his stern gaze on Cindy.
Cindy looked at his face, and he felt his breathing hitch at how pretty she looked, but seeing the red handprint on her left cheek, his gaze darkened.
"Yes, officer. I am," Cindy replied calmly.
"Did your stepmother hit you?" The policeman asked directly, his voice demanding Cindy tell him the truth.
"No, officer. My stepmother didn't hit me. My manager at work did, after I did something wrong," Cindy replied, lowering her head as she dared not tell the police officer the full story that it was because she kissed a top-tier client.
"Are you certain?" The police officer's voice boomed, commanding her and yielding her to tell him the truth.
"Of course," Cindy offered a polite smile, making the tension drop.
"Alright. We will keep in touch with you to be sure that you're not under any pressure," said the police officer in black, who offered Cindy a polite nod.
"Thank you, officer," Cindy said, her voice calm and appreciative.
"You're welcome," the police officer in charge of the case glanced at the kidnapper who was hired to abduct Cindy.
"We have our men's eyes on you; one more report of kidnapping, and you will be thrown in jail," he warned, sternly.
The kidnapper offered a calm smile, his voice appreciating as the police officer released him, "I told you she wasn't with us. We didn't do anything to harm her other than deliver her to her family."
"Hmm," the policeman ignored the kidnapper, got into their black police car, and drove off.
The bodyguard whom Mabel had hired glared at her and asked, "How about my payment?"
"I will send it to your account."
"Hmm," he pressed his lips, his eyes narrowed after seeing that Mabel wasn't the one who ordered for his arrest. He turned and left the house.
Mabel looked irritably at Cindy and Rachel, who stood in a corner looking at her.
"Cindy, let me warn you, don't go about spreading rumors about my daughter and her husband. You should keep your distance unless you want your mother to suffer the consequences."
Cindy lowered her head, her lips shut, as she dared not exchange words with her stepmother. Her father looked at her sternly and marched back into the house with his wife and Tasha, who came out to find out what was happening.
"Are you alright, Cindy? What is going on?" Rachel asked, her voice filled with concern for Cindy after all the family had gone into the house.
Taking a deep breath, Cindy looked at Rachel's pretty fair face and smiled. "I am fine. But I lost my job."