A Hopeless Pursuit (Forbidden Love Series Book 10)

The moment Lisa left with Leo, Sofia called Troy.

"Hello, Troy, I'm Lisa Lennard's friend Sofia calling. Listen very carefully. There's an emergency and Lisa's dad wants to harm Lauren. Her life's at risk. Don't ask questions. Please go to Lauren's playschool immediately and rescue her. Once she's safe, I'll explain everything, " said Sofia.

"Okay, thanks, I'll do that and then come over for explanations," said Troy, disconnecting the call. Sofia sighed with relief. Then it hit her that she was alone at home with Lisa's dad and the goons waiting outside. They would come in any minute and hurt her. She dashed out the backdoor and jumped to her neighbor's backyard and hid in their garage, her heart beating like thunder out of fear. After sometime she heard a loud shatter coming from her house. Maybe Lisa's dad and his goons had entered their house breaking open the front door to look for Lisa. She stayed hidden for nearly an hour or so with her phone on silent mode. Her parents were lawyers and they were away at work. Victoria was spending the day with her best friend. Sofia was too scared to go and see what was happening at her house. When she didn't hear anything for an hour, she came out of her hiding place and jumped into her own backyard and slipped into the house cautiously through the backdoor. The front door had been opened  by sabotaging the main lock on the door. A glass table lay shattered nearby. The whole house had been thoroughly searched. Sofia clicked pictures of the state of the house and sent it to her parents with details. Her mom immediately returned home to check if anything was missing. After hearing about Lisa she was concerned.

"I think you should inform Laurence or Troy the truth. Why did Lisa not go to her brother? Why did she go with Leo?" Asked Sofia's mom. She got busy with cleaning her home when Troy called Sofia. He informed her that he had safely picked up Lauren from her playschool.

"What emergency were you talking about?" Asked Troy.

"Lisa has left with her boyfriend. Her dad was forcing her to do things which she didn't want to do so she left home. Her dad threatened to harm Lauren if she didn't listen to him so Lisa asked me to call you before her dad found out that she was missing," said Sofia.

"I'm going to Laurence's office to inform him. We might come later to your house for explanations, " Troy told her. He disconnected the call and went to Laurence's office with Lauren. He told Laurence everything that Sofia told him. 

"I didn't know that she had a boyfriend, " said Laurence.

"Neither did I. It looks fishy Laurence. I'll take Lauren home. I think you should go to Sofia's house to find out the truth," said Troy.

"I'll come home with you. You look after the children and Arianna,  I'll go to Sofia's house with Sandra. I really don't have the strength to face this alone," said a devastated Laurence.

They went home and Sandra took him to Lisa's friend's house and it was there that they found out the exact details. Harry Lennard had involved goons to follow her around giving him updates of her whereabouts. He tried to force her to meet Liam, seduce him and get pregnant with his child so that their dad could extort money out of the Parkers. Lisa was headstrong and stubborn, she hated being forced into anything. Even if she liked Liam, she wouldn't want to be forced to have a relationship with him.

"Why did she have to flee? She could have come to me," said Laurence wild with worry.

"She didn't want to bother you or endanger you and your two children. Your wife had just given birth and you were so busy. Laurens life was in danger too with goons following her around. Anyways your dad never listened to you," said her best friend Sofia.

"Still, I would have done something, " said Laurence disappointed at himself for not being able to protect his sister.

"Do you know who her boyfriend is?" Asked Laurence.

"My cousin Leo," said Sofia. Laurence sighed.

"Since when did she start dating?" Asked Laurence.

"Just last week," said Sofia not meeting his eye. He was suspicious. Something was wrong but he couldn't guess exactly what.

He couldn't contact the police since his dad was the culprit and he didn't have any proof. He contacted his PI and asked him to find out about Lisa and her boyfriend Leo. Laurence returned home after giving Sofia his number instructing her to update him if she heard anything from Lisa or Leo.

"She could have come to me," said an upset Sandra. She had always stood by Lisa like a mother but now when she really needed help, she fled without a forwarding address.

"She was close to me too. Why didn't she come to me," said Arianna with tears in her eyes.

"I'm really disappointed with dad," said Laurence. He rushed out to blast his dad. Troy followed him scared that he would take matters in his own hands.
However they came back in twenty minutes. His dad had disappeared somewhere, maybe he was hiding to avoid Laurence's wrath.

In the evening Laurence's PI called informing them that Harry Lennard approached Liam Parker to search for Lisa and her boyfriend. Laurence, Troy, Arianna, Sandra sat with their mouths hanging open. What the hell! Why would Liam Parker hunt Lisa down? Was this another of their dad's shrewd ploys? They had no idea. Laurence swore that this time he would teach his dad the lesson of his life once he came out of his hiding place. He couldn't hide forever. However first he needed to talk to Liam Parker.

Laurence immediately called up Eric Parker and took Liam's number from him. Then he called Liam eagerly waiting for him to pick up his call. At last Liam picked up his call.

"Yes Laurence, I just heard the news," said Liam in a broken voice. It seemed as if he was heartbroken.

"Did dad tell you?" Asked Laurence.

"Yes, uncle Harry had called me last night asking me to meet him today at 4 o'clock at his new apartment, " said Liam. "I went and waited outside for a long time as the door was locked from outside. After an hour uncle Harry came from somewhere looking worried and devastated. He told me that Lisa eloped with her boyfriend, Leo, " said Liam emotionlessly. He was devastated by the news. He couldn't understand whether Lisa really was having  relationship with Leo or not. She had turned eighteen yet she hadn't once called him. She had completely forgotten his very existence.  She had moved on.

"I can't believe that she has a boyfriend. Something's not right. Lisa would have surely told us if she had a boyfriend," said Laurence. Liam was quiet. He wanted to believe Laurence. "Did dad ask you to look for Lisa?" Asked Laurence.

"Yes, he pleaded with folded hands. I think we should involve the police bro. I don't trust this Leo guy. I have met him and seem him with Lisa. He isn't very trustworthy, " said Liam.

Laurence's face paled. "What if she's in trouble?" He asked with horror.

"You reach LVMPD, bro. I'll meet you there in ten minutes," said Liam.

"Okay, " said Laurence disconnecting the call. LVMPD was the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Liam and his dad knew sheriff William Powells who had been heading the department for the last three years.

After ten minutes Liam waited for Laurence in front of the police station with his dad. Laurence arrived in a minute and they all went inside. They met the sheriff and updated him, leaving out Harry Lennard's hand in Lisa's eloping. They would have to accumulate proof to frame his dad. They needed to find Lisa first. They furnished Lisa and Leo's photographs and their phone numbers. Laurence had called Sofia asking for Leo's details.  After filing a report Laurence returned home but he was restless and uneasy. Somehow he had the uncanny feeling that his sister was in trouble. Without any lead, he just couldn't go searching for her. He had tried her number nearly hundred times since he received the news. Initially there was a network problem but after sometime, her phone had completely switched off.

The whole night Liam tossed and turned in bed as images of Leo and Lisa came to his mind. What were they doing together? He had noticed that Leo was a little obsessed about her. Why did she have to escape with him? She could have come to him. He would have given her shelter and protected her with his life. Liam was very hurt that Lisa didn't reciprocate the feelings he had for her. In fact she didn't even trust him enough. She trusted that Leo more than him! Tomorrow he would go to meet Sofia to find out the exact details.