I am a popular yet poor celebrity

Alexander looks at me with fear in his eyes and I was happy because I knew that he was going to agree.

"Ok" he said. "I'm going to find the stolen van and I'm also going to..... take care of your... friends safety. But....um I don't know what you mean about your own.... interests".

I looked at him and laughed. Alexia and Daniel looked at me and oh my goodness, I know that I looked like the devil right now.

"You want to know about my....interests" I said. "Ok, then I will tell you. I.... know.... about.... the..... diamonds". I continued, the words probably sounding like a death sound to Alexander.

Alexander's face became pale. He wasn't just scared, he was also filled with terror. I know when I leave his pawn shop, Alexander would need to take medicine that would stop him from having a heart attack.

Alexia and Daniel exchange another look, their faces also pale from the words they heard me say. After a while, Alexander speaks, his voice barely audible.

"How..... How did you....?" he stammers, his words laced with a mixture of disbelief and desperation. He looks from me to Alexia and then to Daniel, his eyes pleading, seeking an answer, a solution, anything to alleviate the overwhelming terror that now consumes him.

I meet his gaze, my expression unreadable. I don't answer his question directly. It doesn't matter how I know. What matters is that I know about the diamonds. The knowledge of the diamonds has changed the balance of power. Alexander looks scared. He looks like he has seen the devil. Alexia and Daniel looks shocked. I know that they couldn't believe how I know about something a poor celebrity shouldn't.

Alexander finally says something but it is a shaky plea. "Please.... I... I can get you the van. And...and the money for the equipment. I.... I can also take good care of your friends safety. I..... I can do... everything. Everything. Just...just let me go". He looks like a cornered animal. The fear in his eyes is genuine.

I chuckled and asked him something that made his eyes widen. "Where are the diamonds?" The question made Alexander flinch. His face pales further, there are sweats beading on his forehead. He opens his mouth to speak but only a chocked gasp escapes. Alexia shifts uneasily. Daniel remains steady looking at Alexander. I was shocked, I thought he would also be scared.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, Alexander speaks, his voice was a whisper barely audible. "I.....I can't tell you" he stammers, his eyes pleading. "It's... It's not my place".

I remain silent, my expression unchanged. I don't need to speak, his reluctance only confirms my suspicion. I know that he knows where the diamonds are. The game has shifted again and the stakes are raised higher than before. The question wasn't about getting the van back anymore nor was it about Leon's debts. This is about something far bigger and dangerous. This is about the diamonds, about the power they represent and about the lengths people would go to protect them.

Alexander knows about the diamonds but he is either unwilling or unable to reveal where they kept the diamonds .