A Hopeless Pursuit (Forbidden Love Series Book 10)

Laurence sighed knowing that his dad surely had a hand in Lisa's disappearance. The time had arrived to teach his dad a lesson now. The police had to take their statements so they all went to Laurence's house.

"Tell us Mr. Lennard,  do you have any clue what could have happened to your sister?" Asked officer Ridley of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. 

"I'm not sure officer," said Laurence. He had to find his dad's whereabouts and be sure whether he was responsible for Lisa's disappearance.  A phone call made officer Ridley get up and excuse himself to take the call. Everyone sat in silence staring at their hands. The officer returned and sat down with them.

"That was a call from the mall. They have the CCTV footage that I had requested for. They're sending it here as soon as possible. In the meantime, I need to record your statements Ms. Sofia Blakesley and then yours Ms. Victoria Blakesley," said the officer.  After recording the statements they prepared Laurence's laptop to watch the CCTV footage. A man came twenty minutes later with the footage and helped them play it. Everyone watched with deadly silence. They saw Lisa walking out of the washroom and going downstairs. The rest of the footage showed nothing. They loaded another footage of the washroom downstairs.  They saw Lisa emerging from the washroom only to be confronted by a security guard.

"What's he saying to Lisa?" Asked Liam with concern.

"He looks fishy," said Arianna.

"He isn't employed with us. He's a fake," informed the man who was playing the footage. 

"Zoom in upon him," asked officer Ridley.

The man did as instructed. "I know him. He's Bob Darvin. He's into pickpocketing, small time robbery and other petty crimes. He's been arrested several times too," informed officer Ridley. He picked up his phone and called someone immediately.

"James, arrest Bob Darvin right now. Yes, raid his house, his work place, the pub he visits, everywhere. Just get him. I'm on my way to the headquarters for interrogations, " said officer Ridley.

"Do you have any more footage of Ms. Lennard?" Asked officer Ridley.

"Yes sir, there's one of the parking lot but she goes out of focus behind a Ford pickup truck," said the man loading another footage. There wasn't much to see except that Lisa went searching behind some cars.

"Why did she go to the parking area when we were having pizzas at the food court?" Asked Sofia. 

"Well, we will find the answer to that question from Bob Darvin. I shall take your leave Mr. Lennard. We will update you once we find more details about the case," said the officer, leaving towards his car. Once he was gone, Liam turned towards Laurence.

"Tell me now what's going on bro? Do you know who kidnapped Lisa?" Asked Liam, fixing Laurence with a look of determination on his face. He was tired of these things happening to Lisa and he wanted to save her once and for all.

"Yes, I know who's behind this," said Laurence, unable to look into Liam's eyes. He felt ashamed of his dad.

"Who bro?" Asked Liam with dread.

"Dad," said Laurence, finally looking up at Liam.

"Uncle Lennard?" Asked Liam with disbelief. "But why would he?" Asked Liam although he remembered that his dad did  mention when Serenity returned home that Harry Lennard had been after him for shares of their Staywell group of companies. His dad had also told them how Harry Lennard had Illegally confiscated Brad Willis, Arianna’s dad's business. What he couldn't figure out was what Harry Lennard wanted from his own daughter?

Laurence sighed and started their distress story which he hated to disclose. "Mom and dad never had a normal relationship and we never had a normal family life. Coming from very dismal surroundings and acute poverty, mom and dad befriended businessmen and confiscated their business or appropriated huge sums of money from them. Dad had a small costume jewelry setup in New York which paid for our education and helped us survive. I took over the company at a very young age while at school and then completed my education on scholarships alone. It was by sheer hard work that I successfully converted our costume jewelry company into a billion dollar diamond jewelry brand, Sparklez. We were doing fine when dad found out about your dad, Eric Parker and about the success of the Parker Suites," said Laurence as he sipped some water while Liam's eyes went wide and he held his breath for what was to come.

"I tried to convince them but they just shifted here to Vegas along with Lisa and I was compelled to shift the business headquarters too. Our lives became a living hell with mom and dad drilling into our heads that we were to marry into your family. They wanted me to marry Serenity while they drilled into Lisa's head that she would have to marry you. I fell in love with Arianna and married her secretly," said Laurence. He then went ahead and told Liam everything that he and Arianna had to go through. Liam sat as he listened with a horror stricken face at what Laurence and Arianna went through.

"Lisa hated her life at home. Whenever mom and dad compelled her to do things that she didn't want to, she ran away to her best friends house. I tried my best to talk to our parents but they never listened. I was busy with the business and hunting for Arianna to know what was going on," said Laurence with a sigh.

"I know she was compelled to do things against her wish  but what things? What did your parents compel her to do?" Asked Liam with interest.

"They wanted her to meet you, seduce you to have physical proximity with her so that they could frame you and your dad in a false case of raping a minor and then sue you for money," said Laurence. Liam sat frozen with shock hearing their evil plot.

"Lisa revolted against their plans. She loved you and she stopped all relationships with you so that you would be safe from our parents plans. I found out that dad had been paying huge sums of money to two hitmen of Las Vegas so I froze his bank accounts. I only paid him the bare minimum to run his personal expenses. I found Arianna and mom left home along with her money and jewelry to live with her boyfriend. Later we heard that he murdered her and escaped with all her valuables. All this however didn't discourage dad as he waited for Lisa to turn eighteen," said Laurence pausing to look at a dejectedly and horrified Liam. Sofia and Victoria sat with silent tears falling from their eyes at Lisa's misfortune. Arianna went to tend to Aries.

"Why did Lisa run away with Leo?" Asked Liam quietly. He had wanted to ask for a long time but given Lisa's vulnerable condition, he didn't want to force her to tell him.

Laurence and Sofia told him exactly what happened that day and a silent tear fell from Liam's eyes. "How could someone do this to his own blood? To his own children?" Asked Liam heart broken at what Lisa had to go through all her life. No wonder she rarely smiled.

"We are not Harry Lennard or Penny Lennard's biological children," informed Laurence hesitantly. Everyone gaped at him.

"I don't get it bro. What are you saying?" Asked Sofia with her mouth hanging open. Lisa never mentioned this. She knew everything about Lisa but this.

Laurence massaged his temples and explained what he going out at his dad's study room at their previous house. Everyone sat quietly not knowing what to do when they received a phone call from officer Ridley.

"They've arrested Bob Darvin and interrogated him. He was paid money by two men to inform Lisa that her friends were in the parking area of the mall waiting for her. He's helping the police prepare a sketch of the men. Once the sketches are ready, he will forward them to me, " said Laurence.

Sofia and Victoria went home but Liam couldn't go anywhere.  He called his parents and informed them about Lisa's disappearance. His dad had connections at the police department, so he called up for an update. After an hour, officer Ridley sent the two pictures of the men who had paid Bob Darvin to misguided Lisa.

"These two are the men who follow Lisa around," informed Liam,  instantly recognizing them. It was confirmed now that Harry Lennard was responsible for Lisa's disappearance. Laurence tried his dad's phone number but it was dead and unreachable. It was like a dead end. They had no clue where to start looking for Lisa. They would now have to tell the police about Harry Lennard. Laurence went to his room to collect proof against his dad as well as his change of identity.

"Let's go to the police station," he said to Liam once he had every possible document that he needed.