## **Chapter 3: Troublesome Events**

  Every Thursday and Friday, my children have extracurricular activities. My daughter **Valerie** attends tennis class, while my son **Vincent** practices karate. It’s been their routine for six years — nothing unusual ever happens.

  But this Friday was different.

  That evening, a police officer named **Agatha** came to my house. Her expression was tense.

  “Mr. Tanaka,” she said, “I’m afraid your daughter has been reported missing. We believe she’s been kidnapped.”

  I blinked at her, confused.

  “That’s impossible,” I said calmly. “My daughter’s upstairs, taking a bath.”

  Agatha frowned. “Sir, please… just call for her.”

  So I did. “**Valerie! Come downstairs, sweetheart!**”

  There was silence for a moment — then came her voice:

  “Coming, Dad!”

  A minute later, Valerie appeared, wrapped in a towel, her hair still wet.

  “Seriously, Dad?” she sighed. “You could’ve called me five minutes later — I wasn’t done with my bath.”

  I chuckled and looked at her. “Valerie, do you remember what week it is?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Chinese week, Dad. Why?”

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  “Then why aren’t you speaking Chinese?” I teased.

  From there, we switched to Chinese, our little family tradition. The officer watched, completely confused — American names, Asian language, and a calm man with his supposedly ‘missing’ daughter right in front of her.

  Agatha didn’t know what to make of it. She fumbled through an apology, embarrassed and flustered. I accepted it with a polite smile, just to put her at ease.

  When she returned to her station later that night, her mind refused to settle. Something about our family didn’t add up — and that curiosity would soon turn into suspicion.

  ---

  A few days later, on a peaceful Sunday afternoon, Vincent and I went out to watch a cricket match. On our way back, we were mugged.

  It wasn’t anything major — we lost a bit of money and a few belongings — but it was strange. We’d been using that same route for fourteen years without a single problem. Something about that encounter didn’t feel random.

  It felt… deliberate.

  To make things more unusual, Officer Agatha started keeping tabs on us afterward. She even put a surveillance team outside our home. Of course, I noticed.

  So, one afternoon, I walked out to the officers’ car, smiled, and offered them tea, coffee, and cookies.

  That gesture only made Agatha furious.

  Politely, I said, “Please stay away from my family. Otherwise, I’ll have to inform your superiors.”

  That made her back off — for a while.

  ---

  The following Friday evening, I received a call from my wife. Her voice was slurred. She was drunk.

  That surprised me. Aleina hadn’t touched alcohol in nearly **eighteen years** — not since she made a promise to quit.

  So I went to pick her up from her office party. She looked beautiful, radiant even, but clearly tipsy.

  The next morning, I was still angry. I left for work early, without saying a word.

  A few hours later, she walked into my office — uninvited, confident as ever.

  Before I could even turn my chair around, she spun it toward her and sat on my lap with a playful smile.

  “So,” she said softly, “you’re still angry with me?”

  Her eyes met mine — teasing, loving, apologetic.

  I sighed. “Aleina, not here—”

  But she leaned closer. “Then where?” she whispered.

  The tension between us broke. The anger faded, replaced by something deeper — something that had always been there between us.

  We shared a quiet, passionate moment — away from the chaos of the world, hidden behind the office walls.

  When it was over, she left with a smile that said everything words couldn’t.

  A few minutes later, **Martin** walked in.

  “Hey, Darv. Where have you been—” He looked toward the exit, then at me. “Wait. Was that your—?”

  “Yep.”

  “You two…?”

  “Yes, Martin.”

  “In the copy room?”

  I smirked. “Yes, Martin. All of the above.”

  He blinked, speechless.

  “Relax,” I said with a grin. “Sometimes doing something unexpected adds a little spark back into life. Don’t overthink it, my f

  riend.”

  And with that, I went back to my desk, as if nothing unusual had happened at all.

  ---

  “Thank you for reading! Chapter 4 will drop soon — stay tuned.”