CHAPTER 23. ROBBERY

James confidently continued, "My daughter, we cannot continue to live in fear. We must face the risks and find the right solutions. I am sure, with the steps we take, we can protect ourselves and our loved ones."

Sandra lifted her face, her eyes still reflecting deep anxiety. "But Dad, they might know more about us than we think. What if those steps just make things worse?"

James placed the glass of water on the table and sat near his daughter. "We need to be wise in dealing with this situation. First, we strengthen the security around the house. Second, we must find out more about this threat. I believe there is a way to solve this problem without living in constant fear."

Sandra pondered for a moment, absorbing her father's words. "But, Dad, I'm scared. I'm afraid of losing the people I care about."

James looked lovingly into his daughter's eyes. "Sandra, fear is a part of life. But we must not let fear rule us. We must choose to stand and fight. I am here for you, and we will get through this together."

Slowly, a small smile began to appear on Sandra's face. Although there was still fear in her heart, her father's presence provided some warmth and reassurance. They faced this challenge together, ready to move forward in finding a solution to protect their family from the threatening danger.

Amidst the chaos, the atmosphere in James' living room became increasingly tense. The guard, with a serious face, continued his story. "Sir, it seems that the burglars have very detailed information about this house. They managed to evade the security we've increased. Not only did they damage the study, they also accessed important data that they shouldn't have known about."

James looked at the guard with a mixture of anger and concern. "This isn't just a theft problem, it's a threat to our overall security. We need to identify who is behind this and stop them before more damage is done."

Sandra, while calming her increasingly disturbed father, said with determination, "We need to work together to find a solution, Dad. We can enlist the help of security experts or even involve the authorities. The important thing is that we solve this problem without compromising your health."

The guard added, "I will immediately call in a security expert and report this incident to the authorities, sir. We can't let them control this situation."

James nodded in agreement while contemplating the steps that needed to be taken. "Take care of this matter thoroughly. I want the thief caught as soon as possible."

A few minutes later, police cars and detectives were parked in James' yard. They checked all the CCTV cameras installed in the mansion, only to find that they had been intentionally tampered with.

Of course, police suspicion leads to the closest person, considering that the perpetrator is very familiar with the location of every surveillance camera in the house.

All residents of the house were interrogated by officers and detectives, no one escaped the authorities' questions, except Sarah and Alex. Sandra patted her forehead when she realized that Sarah and Alex had disappeared since Jarwo made a scene. "Where is Sarah and Alex, Dad?"

"That's right, they just disappeared when Jarwo went on a rampage," James explained angrily considering Sarah didn't care about him.

Detective Reynolds, an authoritative man in a long coat, led the investigation team. "We need to find out what they know and if they were involved in this incident," he said seriously.

The living room door opened and an officer entered carrying a metal detector bag. "We need to check their personal belongings to see if there are any clues or evidence that could help the case," the officer said as he set up the detector.

Sandra tried to contain her anxiety, but her face reflected deep concern. "They might know more about this situation, Dad. We need to find them soon."

Detective Reynolds nodded, "We'll immediately form a search team to trace them. But, we also need to understand what happened here. Why was this house targeted? What were the perpetrators looking for?"

Meanwhile, other officers managed to recover some undamaged CCTV footage in a hidden part of the house. They gathered in the living room to view the footage. "Brothers and sisters, we must unite and find answers to all these questions. We must not give the perpetrators a chance to continue roaming," Detective Reynolds said firmly.

James, Sandra, and the team of investigators began to piece together pieces of information to make sense of what had happened. Amidst the tension and confusion, one thing is for sure, they must work together to unravel the entire mystery that threatens the safety of James' family.

Time continued to pass, and everything got a bright spot after one of the CCTV captured images of Sarah and Alex leaving the house with several safes belonging to James. This fact broke James' heart, his daughter had become a thief, as well as Sandra who was shocked by her sister's bad actions, blaming Alex for having a bad influence on Sarah.

Sandra, with a look full of regret, pointed to Alex as the culprit in this incident. "Dad, I know for sure it was Alex who influenced Sarah to do this. He's not part of our family, he's a disaster!"

James, although devastated, tried to make sense of the whole situation. "We should gather more evidence before accusing anyone."

Just then, the housekeeper arrived with a sense of urgency. "Mr. James, there's a letter addressed to you. It's something you should read." James took the letter, trembling hands opened it, and the contents shocked him even more. "This is like blackmail," he said as he read the contents of the letter in a trembling voice. "They know everything about us. If we don't hand over some money, they'll leak the secrets of our family company and Sarah will be in danger."

Sandra's face turned pale. "Dad, we have to act fast! Sarah could be in danger if she stays with that bastard too long. Alex can do anything for money!" Sandra's heart full of hatred for Sarah began to melt with the fact that her younger sister was also a victim of Alex's greed. Moreover, Sarah's attitude before meeting Alex was very sweet and gentle, very different from now.

As tensions mount, the James family and Detective Reynolds prepare to face a new layer of crime involving threats, suspicions, and shocking realities.