The Billionaires(#1)

73

“Hey, Anita! It is Jorge again. I was just checking if you had heard anything from MJ. Please call me as soon as you get this message…” Jorge said into the phone. His hair was wet and he looked like he just got out of the shower. He was wearing blue jeans and a blue shirt, which was tight around his body, and the sleeves were neatly rolled up, giving his big and fancy watch a better view.

"Hey, Jorge!" Anita and the Dos Santos women budged into the house with a handful of shopping bags. He sighed in relief and walked towards them. "Wow! You should never go shopping with these two; they made us go from door to door." She sighed tiredly as she placed her bags down, and then she plopped down on the couch and took off her heels.

“What the hell happened to your phone? I’ve been calling you all day long!” He shouted, frustrated.

Anita sat up straight, and the two women who were busy mingling stopped what they were doing and stepped forward.

“Jorge, son, what’s wrong?” Antonina asked.

“MJ is still not home!” He shouted and sat down. “I haven’t heard from her since this morning and I called Lola to check if she had seen MJ, but she said no!” He said quietly.

“Jorge, I’m sure she’s okay wherever she is.” Reina said and sat down next to him, pulling him closer to her.

“What if she’s not? What if something happened to her? I could never forgive myself if something bad happened to her!” He said the last part in a broken whisper.

“Jorge, hush now!” Antonina said and sat down next to him on the other side. He was now sandwiched between the two women; something he would have found funny under different circumstances. “Stop jumping to conclusions, I’m sure she just needed some space and went back to Sonya’s apartment.” She reassured him while rubbing circles on his back.

“I’ll make him some coffee.” Anita said and stood up.

“Please do.” Antonina said.

“And add a lot of sugar; it’s going to help him.” Reina added before Anita proceeded to the kitchen to make coffee.

She made coffee for everyone and came back holding a tray with four cups, milk, and sugar. She placed the tray on the coffee table, took her own coffee, and sat down.

"It is already 5 p.m." Jorge whispered.

“Drink this coffee.” Reina picked up one of the coffee mugs, to which Anita nodded, and then she gave it to Jorge. She picked another one and gave it to Antonina. Her phone rang in her bag and she excused herself. “Ricardo?” She said once she got to the kitchen. “Oh, okay! See you later, I love you.” She said before she ended the call.

She walked back into the sitting room and sat down, distancing herself from Jorge this time around as he drank his coffee quietly. “Everything okay?” Anita asked.

“Yes, that was Ricardo–”

“Ricardo?” Jorge interrupted her.

“Jameson.” Reina clarified.

“Oh, Gay Boy!” Jorge retorted, a small smile tugging on his lips. “What did he want?” He asked.

“He says he is running late.” Reina said.

Antonina said something in Portuguese, and Anita gave her a funny look while Reina just rolled her eyes.

“What is she saying?” Anita frowned, and Jorge laughed.

"She said: ‘That boy! I'm sure he is not gonna come, he's probably going to see one of his girlfriends. Can't he see that there's a storm coming? The weather is bad outside'…something like that." Jorge said and shook his head.

“Your name said Rafaela on the invitation card, even on your ID when you took it out in prison earlier. I thought you were Portuguese or Spanish.” Reina said.

“She even looks like she could be either one; look at her skin, her hair, her body.” Antonina added while looking at Anita.

Jorge burst out laughing at the look on Anita’s face. “I’m going to go and prepare some dinner.” She glared at Jorge and stood up. “And no, I am not Portuguese or Spanish, I am just another Rafaela.” She said sadly and smiled at the two women.

“Did I say something wrong?” Antonina asked.

“No, but maybe you triggered a memory from her past.” Reina said just as her phone rang up. “Ricardo?” She answered. “Okay, I’ll let him know.” She said quietly and looked at Jorge from the corner of her eye. “Love you too, bye.” She hung up and turned to face Jorge and Antonina.

“Reina, is everything okay?” Antonina asked worriedly. “You look pale.” She stated.

“Jorge…”

“What?” Jorge shifted around so he could face her. “What happened? Does it have anything to do with MJ?” He panicked.

“Ricardo says she is not at Sonya’s, and that the police found his car at the train station this morning.” She explained, and Jorge’s face went pale as he registered what Reina just said.

*****

It was still around ten in the evening, and there was still no sign of MJ. The Dos Santos women and Anita were still seated in Jorge’s sitting room, waiting up for MJ. Antonina and Reina were staying the night because of the storm, which was why Jameson had not come over.

Jorge kept tossing and turning, he could not sleep not knowing where his sister was. It turned out that MJ did not go to Logan, and Jameson’s car was found at the train station beside the railway after they reported the car missing.

“Think of all the homeless people out there in the storm.” Anita whispered and shook her head. They were currently sitting near the fireplace while sipping on expensive red wine.

“And my sister.” Jorge added sadly and plopped down on the couch.

“Jorge, I thought you were sleeping.” Reina said, and Jorge gave a bitter laugh.

“How do I sleep not knowing where my sister is?” He snapped and ran back upstairs.

Hours and hours went by, and Jorge called their IT experts to track her down, but they had no luck. There was nothing he could do. He could go and report MJ Billings missing, but that would only raise suspicions and media speculations, so that left him with one choice.

Back at Logan's, Logan was worried sick that Carmen was not home. There was a storm outside and no driving or walking was possible. He did not even know where to start searching because he did not know her family members or friends except for Demi, so that was his last option. He picked up his phone and dialled Demi's number, and she answered on the third ring.

“Hello?” She said.

“Hi, Demi, Parker here-”

"Mr Parker, if this is about Carmen-" She cut him off and Logan bit the inside of his mouth to stop himself from losing his cool.

“Is she with you?” He asked impatiently.

“Excuse me, Sir?” Demi asked, confused.

“Is Carmen with you?” He gritted.

“Uhm….no, she’s not here. I haven’t seen her since Saturday evening.” She said after a while.

“You had better not be lying to me.” He warned her.

“I swear on my sister’s grave, I am not lying to you, Sir.” She said sincerely.

“Good.” He said and hung up. He was about to place his phone down when it rang, and he answered without checking the caller’s ID. “Carmen-” He started but was cut off by Jorge’s panicked voice. “Jorge, what’s the matter?” He asked.

There was silence on the other end. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of the thunderstorm in the background and Jorge's laboured breaths before he spoke, “May has been kidnapped.”