C436 Write a Public Statement

Alicia finally broke the silence. “Dad, we left the boat offshore, but we cleaned everything before we abandoned it.” Mark slowly shook his head. “So you did not burn it.” Alicia lowered her eyes. “We removed everything that could identify us.” “That is not what I asked,” Mark replied. “You left the boat somewhere. That means someone can still find it. If the police discover who hired it, they will eventually find their way back to me.” Nobody said anything. Mark walked a few steps across the room, running his hands through his hair. He had spent years dealing with criminals, politicians, and dangerous situations, but this was different. This time, it was his own daughter. Before he could say anything else, his phone rang. He looked at the screen. The Mayor.

Mark stared at the name for a moment before answering. “Hello?” “Mr. Mooney,” the Mayor said immediately. His voice was serious. “You and I need to have a serious conversation.” Mark closed his eyes briefly. He already knew what the Mayor wanted to discuss. The news had spread quickly, and someone as influential as the Mayor would not need much time to get them. Mark slowly nodded, even though the Mayor could not see him. “Yes, Mayor. I understand. I will be there just now.” He ended the call and looked at us. For a moment, he said nothing. Then he shook his head helplessly. “I honestly do not know what to do with you people anymore.” He walked toward the door. “Dad,” Alicia called. Mark stopped but did not turn around. “I am going to the Mayor's office. We will talk when I return.” Then he left. The room remained quiet for a few seconds. Peter smiled faintly. “Well, your father is really angry.” Alicia nodded. “It is my fault. I will speak to him when he comes back.”

She looked toward Georgia and Mary, who were still seated nearby. “Grandma, Mother, please write a public statement saying that Mike and I have returned, just as I suggested yesterday. Tell everyone that you paid a ransom and the kidnappers released us. The other families should do the same.” Mary exchanged a glance with Georgia before nodding. “We will do it,” Mary said. Georgia nodded as well. “Yes, my child. The most important thing is that everyone believes the same story. If people start asking too many questions, it will become difficult for all of us.” Alicia sighed with relief. “We just want to return to our normal lives. No more hiding, no more pretending, and no more worrying about who might be watching us.” She then turned toward me. “Mike, why don't we go and visit Lucia Goods?” I agreed immediately. “It has been a while. Let's go.” Alicia smiled. “We will take Faith with us.” The tension in the room eased slightly. We gathered our things and prepared to leave.

At the Wood Family Residence, earlier Tracy realized something was wrong. She walked through the house, looking for Sarah and Samantha. Neither of them was there. “Where are those two?” Tracy asked. She checked the bedrooms, the kitchen, and even the living room. Nothing. Tracy immediately called Valeria. “Valeria, have you seen Sarah or Samantha this morning?” Valeria answered after a few rings. “No, I haven't seen them. Why?” Tracy frowned. “They are not here.” Before Valeria could respond, Tracy heard another voice in the background. Chris. Tracy immediately asked, “Is Chris with you?” Valeria paused. “Actually, no. He He left Tristan with me and then went out it was around 5 in the morning.” Tracy's eyes widened. “Chris left Tristan with you?” “Yes. He said he had something important to do.” Tracy slowly lowered the phone. Now everything made sense. Sarah, Samantha, and Chris had all disappeared from the house. She did not need to ask where they had gone.

When the three of them finally returned, the entire family was gathered in the living room. The relief on everyone's faces was obvious. Kelvin stood up immediately. “Where were you?” Sarah looked at him. “Morning Dad” Ben folded his arms. “Do you really need to ask them where they were?” Everyone looked at him. Ben pointed toward the television. “You already saw the news. Obviously, it was them.” Tracy slowly stood up. Her expression changed from relief to disbelief. “You all really went to kill Willy?” Nobody answered. Tracy looked from Sarah to Samantha, then to Chris. “You were really not joking yesterday?” Sarah sighed. “Mom, we are back for good now.” “That is not the point!” Tracy replied. Samantha placed her hands on her hips. “We knew what we were doing.” Tracy shook her head. “That is exactly what scares me.” Sarah stepped closer to her mother. “Mom, please post something saying that Samantha and I have returned. Tell everyone that our families paid ransom and that we were released. The same statement will come from the other families.”

She then turned toward Valeria, who was carrying Tristan. “You too, Mother-in-law.” Valeria nodded. “I understand.” David, who had been quietly watching them, suddenly noticed something else. He looked down at the large bags Sarah, Samantha, and Chris were carrying. “What is with those big bags?” Samantha smiled. “Our weapons.” The room went silent. David blinked. “Your weapons?” Samantha nodded proudly. “We completed our mission.” Sarah looked at him. “Willy will not be a threat to any of us anymore.” Kelvin stared at them. He had known his children were capable of defending themselves. He had trained them, watched them grow, and understood that their lives were not ordinary. But hearing them speak so calmly about killing someone still disturbed him. He asked "You don't feel anything about taking someone's life?" Sarah's expression became more serious. “I do but at least I will be free from what scared me the most. Everyone looked at her. "Sometimes I still get flashbacks of my kidnapping. I remember everything clearly. Jack told me it was Willy's order.”

She looked down for a moment. “He was responsible for what happened to me. O almost lost my unborn son that day. I kept wondering whether he would ever pay for it. Now that he is gone, maybe I can finally have some peace.” Kelvin looked at her sadly. “How is killing someone supposed to give you peace?” Sarah did not answer immediately. Samantha stepped forward. “Dad, this time I was not involved. They played us, they sent me and Chris as a distraction so Ask her.” She shrugged. “My sister shot one of them while I was busy catching a cold.” Sarah immediately turned toward her. “Sam!” Samantha raised both hands. “Fine, fine. I will be quiet.” Chris laughed quietly. But Ben was not amused. He shook his head. “So now we are living with murderers who can confess to their crimes as easily as drinking water.” Samantha turned toward him with a grin. “Yes. That is exactly what is happening.” Ben stared at her. Samantha's smile widened. “And if you ever try your old tricks again, just remember that we will not hesitate to kill you, husband.”

Ben immediately began coughing. The room erupted in laughter. Sarah laughed the hardest. Dangerous secrets remained between them, but they were together. That was what mattered. Sarah eventually turned toward Ben. “Brother, tell us how business is going. Is the club making any profit?” Then she looked at Kelvin. "Dad how is Wood IT Company doing?" Ben's expression changed slightly. “We have had some setbacks, but everything is under control now.” Samantha stopped smiling. “Setbacks?” Ben nodded. “Yes. Some of Jack's men came to cause trouble. They were the same people I was arrested with before. They thought they could intimidate me and take advantage of the situation.” “What happened?” Sarah asked. “I managed to chase them away.” Samantha laughed softly. “Tell them that if they want to die, they should continue.” Ben coughed again. “Why do you keep saying things like that?” “Because people need to understand when they have crossed a line.” Kelvin answered as well. “Sarah, everything at Wood IT Company has been going well.” Sarah turned toward him. “Really?”

Kelvin smiled. “Yes. We redesigned the banking application.” Chris leaned forward. "So fast?" Kelvin looked pleased. “The application now supports multiple languages. It is much more accessible to international customers, and the Spanish National Bank has officially approved it.” Sarah's eyes widened. “Seriously?” Kelvin nodded. “The contracts have already been signed.” Sarah immediately smiled. “Thank you, Father.” Kelvin looked at her proudly. “You do not need to thank me. You and the others worked hard for this. Are you forgetting that it was you who decided on it” For a moment, the entire family forgot about the news, the weapons, and the danger surrounding them. They simply enjoyed being together. At the Gomez Family Residence Laura expected the Gomez household to be empty when she returned. She assumed everyone would already be at work.

Instead, the moment she opened the door, she found the entire family waiting for her. Bright was the first to see her. He rushed toward her. “Wife, are you okay?” Laura smiled. “Job is done.” Bright immediately stopped. “What do you mean?” Laura looked around the room. “Willy is dead. I killed the other man, the one who wore glasses.” The room fell silent. Everyone had already watched the news. They knew something had happened to Willy Harris and his men. But hearing Laura casually confirm that she had personally killed someone shocked them.

Godness slowly placed a hand over her mouth. “Laura...” Laura looked at her. “Mother-in-law, I have returned. You must announce that I am back. Tell everyone that you paid ransom and that I was released.” Godness nodded slowly. “Yes, my child.” Prince, however, was still staring at Laura. “My child, killing someone is not easy. Did you truly feel nothing?” Laura's smile faded. She walked toward the sofa and sat down. “I felt bad.” Everyone listened carefully. “But they were doing terrible things. They were hurting people, selling drugs, and destroying families.” She looked at Prince. “They even killed Natalie's entire family.” The room became quiet again. Laura lowered her eyes. “Father, someone had to stop them. We did what we believed was necessary. I have no regrets.” Prince shook her head slowly. “I understand that evil people must sometimes be stopped, but be careful, my child. Do not lose yourself in the process.” Laura looked at her father. “I won't.” Prince nodded, though concern remained in her eyes.

Bright sat beside Laura. "You are really not careful, are you?” Laura turned toward him with a small smile. “Husband, I was injured in my back. Can you come and help me look at it?” Bright immediately became concerned. “Your back?” Laura nodded seriously. “Yes.” He stood up. “Of course. Let me see.” Godness watched them go. Laura smiled innocently. Bright followed her toward their bedroom. The moment the door closed, Laura turned around and laughed. Bright narrowed his eyes. “What is going on?” Laura smiled. “I missed you, husband.” Bright stared at her for a moment. Then he realized what she had done. “You lied to me.” Laura stepped closer. “Maybe.” She kissed him before he could complain. Bright could not help smiling. “You are impossible.” Laura wrapped her arms around him. “But you love me.” Bright sighed. “Yes, I do.”

They remained together for a while, finally allowing themselves to relax after everything they had endured. Bright did not even go to work that day. For once, he decided that spending time with his wife was more important than anything waiting for him at the office. Outside their bedroom, the family continued discussing the news and preparing the public statements. The world was asking questions on who exactly killed willy Harris. The truth, however, remained hidden between a small group of people who had decided to protect their families at any cost. The Lions who were finally free to return home. To their old lives.