I am a popular yet poor celebrity

I looked at Alexander and I knew that he still doesn't want to help us find the stolen van. Then I remembered that I would get kicked out from my apartment the next day and I needed a lot of money. So I decided to tell him something so shocking that he would have no other choice than to help us find the stolen van and I would also get some cash.

"I know more than I let on" I say, the words hanging in the air like a silent threat. Alexander's eyes, previously narrowed in a mixture of fear and calculation, widens slightly. He leans back, his chair creaking a protest against his sudden movement. The cigarette he had just extinguished lies discarded in a ashtray. He runs a hand through his thinning hair, a gesture that speaks volumes about his current state of unease.

Alexia and Daniel exchange a look. Alexia, still visibly shaken from the event surrounding her stolen van looked at me for comfort while Daniel looked at me with a mixture of concern and quiet admiration. The silence stretches, heavy and expectant. Finally, Alexander speaks, his voice rougher than before.

"More?" he says, the single word a question, a plea all rolled into one. "You.... you have something else? Something that changes..... everything?"

I nod slowly, a small deliberate movement. The subtle shift in my demeanor – a hardening of my gaze, a tightness of my lips – is enough to send a fresh wave of apprehension through Alexander.

Alexander looks from me to Alexia then to Daniel. His eyes darting nervously as if searching for an escape route. The casual confidence he had initially displayed has completely vanished, replaced by a raw, palpable fear.

"Let's just say" I begin, my voice low and calm."Leon's gambling debts are just a tip of the iceberg. There are other..... complications..... that could make his current problems seem insignificant" I pause letting the implication hang heavy in the air, savouring the growing unease radiating from Alexander.

He opens his mouth to speak, but I raised a hand silencing him. "I'm not interested in harming Leon" i continue "But I'm interested in ensuring my friends.... safety and also my...interest". I glance at Alexia and Daniel, a reassuring smile playing on my lips. "And I know a very specific way of what that safety and interest looks like" I leave it at that. I knew that Alexander was going to accept everything that I said and he is going to find the stolen van, take care of my friends safety and also give me what I need.