Alex ran until his lungs burned. He turned down one street, then another, not caring where he was going. Behind him, he could hear Sophia yelling his name, but he didn't stop.
His father's terrified face kept flashing in his thoughts. The guys in dark suits. The message from the waitress named Melissa. None of it made sense.
Finally, he had to stop. Leaning against a brick wall, he gasped for air. Sophia caught up to him, her high heels clicking on the path.
"Alex! What's happening?" she asked, breathing hard. "Who were those men?"
"I don't know," Alex said. He pulled out the napkin Ethan had given him. "But look at this."
Sophia read the message, her eyes growing wide. "FBI? Your parents in danger? Alex, what have our families gotten into?"
Before Alex could answer, his phone buzzed. It was a text from Ethan: "Where are you? Are you safe? Call me."
Alex's finger paused over the call button. Part of him was still angry at Ethan for the way he'd acted at dinner. But another part knew that right now, Ethan was the only person he could trust.
"I need to call Ethan," he told Sophia.
She nodded. "Go ahead. I'll watch for those guys."
Alex dialed, and Ethan picked up on the first ring.
"Alex! Thank God. Where are you?"
"A few blocks from the restaurant," Alex said. "Sophia's with me. What's going on, Ethan? Who were those men?"
"I don't know," Ethan said. His voice was shaky. "After you two ran, they took your parents and Sophia's parents away in black cars. They didn't look like cops, Alex. More like—"
"Bad guys," Alex finished. He felt sick. "The waitress—Melissa—she said she's FBI. We're supposed to meet her tomorrow at noon."
"I don't think we can wait that long," Ethan said. "Listen, I'm coming to get you both. Stay where you are. Don't talk to anyone."
Alex gave Ethan their location and hung up. Sophia was watching him, her brown eyes filled with worry.
"Those men took our parents," Alex told her. "Ethan's coming to get us."
Sophia wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm scared, Alex."
Despite everything, Alex felt a wave of protectiveness. He might not love Sophia the way a fiancé should, but he cared about her. He put an arm around her shoulders.
"It's going to be okay," he said, hoping it wasn't a lie. "We'll figure this out."
Sophia looked up at him, her eyes searching his face. For a moment, they stood in silence, the sounds of the city dimming around them.
"Alex," she said softly, "can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Do you love someone else?"
The question hit him like a punch to the stomach. Alex dropped his arm from her shoulders and took a step back.
"What?" he asked, his voice breaking. "Why would you—"
"I've seen the way you look at Ethan," Sophia said. Her voice wasn't angry, just sad. "And I've seen the way he looks at you. When you're not watching."
Alex felt his heart beating. This was his chance to tell her the truth. To say that yes, he loved Ethan. Had always loved Ethan. But what good would that do now? Their parents were in danger. They were being pushed into a marriage neither of them wanted. Would the truth really help?
"I'm not blind, Alex," Sophia continued when he didn't answer. "Or stupid. There's something between you two. Something more than friendship."
Alex opened his mouth, then closed it again. He wanted to tell her. He needed to tell her. But the words stuck in his throat.
"I'm just nervous about the wedding," he said finally. The lie tasted bitter. "It's all happening so fast. And now with our parents in trouble..."
Sophia's face fell, just a little. She had wanted the truth, and he hadn't given it to her.
"Right," she said. "The wedding. Four weeks from now, we'll be married."
A car horn honked, making them both jump. Ethan pulled up to the curb in his old blue Honda, rolling down the window.
"Get in," he called. "Quickly!"
Alex opened the back door for Sophia, then slid into the front passenger seat. As soon as they were in, Ethan sped away.
"Are you both okay?" Ethan asked, his eyes moving to the rearview mirror every few seconds.
"We're fine," Alex said. "But we need answers. What's going on, Ethan? Why did those men take our parents?"
"I have a theory," Ethan said grimly. "But you're not going to like it."
"Tell us," Sophia said from the backseat.
"Remember how your dads said they were partners in some big real estate deal?" Ethan kept his eyes on the road as he talked. "I think it's not real estate at all. I think they're involved in something illegal."
"That's crazy," Alex said. "My dad's an accountant. Sophia's dad sells insurance. They're not crooks."
"Then why did armed men in suits drag them away?" Ethan asked. "Why did an FBI agent slip me a warning note? Think about it, Alex."
Alex did think about it. His father had been acting strange for months. Always on his phone. Always worried about money. And the way his mother had cried at dinner when they talked about the wedding—like she was ashamed of something.
"The marriage," Sophia said suddenly. "They said our families had to be 'formally joined' for the deal to be finished. What kind of business deal needs a marriage?"
"One that isn't about business at all," Ethan responded. "One that's about joining families. Like the old mob did."
"Mafia?" Alex felt like he might throw up. "You think our parents are in the mafia?"
"Not the mafia exactly," Ethan said. "But something like it. Some kind of crime group."
The car fell silent as they all thought about that terrible possibility. Alex stared out the window at the passing city lights, trying to make sense of it all.
"Where are we going?" Sophia asked after a while.
"My apartment," Ethan said. "It's the best place right now. We'll stay there tonight, and tomorrow we'll meet this FBI agent."
When they reached Ethan's building, they hurried inside, keeping watch for any strange cars or people. Ethan's apartment was small and messy, with books and clothes spread everywhere.
"Sorry about the mess," he said, quickly clearing some take-out containers from the coffee table. "I wasn't expecting company."
"It's fine," Sophia said. She sat on the couch, looking tired and lost.
"I'll make some tea," Ethan said, going into the kitchen.
Left alone with Sophia, Alex sat beside her on the couch, not too close but not too far.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"No," she admitted. "Are you?"
"No."
They sat in silence for a moment, both lost in their thoughts.
"Alex," Sophia said finally, "I want to cancel the wedding."
His head snapped up. "What?"
"Not because of Ethan," she said quickly. "Though that's part of it. But partly because I don't think we should go through with a marriage based on some shady deal our parents made. A deal that might be criminal."
Relief washed over Alex. "I agree. But what about our parents? If they really did bet everything on this deal—"
"Then they made a mistake," Sophia said strongly. "We can't fix it by ruining our lives."
Before Alex could reply, there was a loud bang from the kitchen. Alex jumped to his feet.
"Ethan?" he called. "Are you okay?"
No answer.
Alex moved toward the kitchen, Sophia right behind him. The door was ajar, and through the gap, Alex could see Ethan standing very still, his hands raised in the air.
There was someone else in the kitchen. Someone with a gun.
"Don't move," a woman's voice said. "Either of you."
The kitchen door swung open, showing a familiar face. It was the waitress from the restaurant—Melissa. But she wasn't wearing her waitress outfit anymore. Now she was dressed in black, with a tag hanging around her neck and a gun pointed at Ethan's head.
"FBI," she said quietly. "You three are in a lot of trouble."
She looked past them, and for the first time, Alex noticed the open window behind him. A cool breeze was blowing in.
"And we're not alone," Melissa added.
As if on cue, the flat door burst open. Men in dark suits rushed in—the same men from the restaurant.
"Run!" Ethan shouted, suddenly diving toward Melissa.
But it was too late. The men were everywhere, grabbing them, pushing them down.
The last thing Alex saw before a black bag was pulled over his head was Sophia's frightened face, her scream cut short as a hand clamped over her mouth.
And then everything went dark