I am a popular yet poor celebrity

I looked at Alexander and he chuckled while mocking me

"And how, pray tell, did a struggling musician come by such.... intimate knowledge of my cousin's financial affairs?" His gaze piercing and assessing.

"Let's just say" I reply, meeting his gaze without flinching "I have my.... sources"

Alexander stares at me, his expression unreadable. The silence stretches, punctuated only by the faint ticking of a clock in the corner of the shop. He takes a slow drag from the cigarette that he had forgotten to extinguish.

The smell of stale smoke, cheap cologne and desperation fills the air. He exhales a plume of smoke, the silence lingering even as the smoke dissipates. He finally speaks, his voice low and cautious.

"So" he says the word carefully "you are suggesting a trade. Information for.....the stolen van".

I nod slowly. "Let's just say I'm offering a solution to a much larger problem than just a stolen van. A problem that could have far-reaching consequences for your cousin if it were ever brought to the attention of the... wrong people.

I leave the sentence hanging, the implication open with unspoken threats. The ball is in Alexander's court now. The fate of Alexia's van and the precarious state of my own finances, hangs in the balance.

Alexander didn't say anything. I was worried. Then I decided to say another information about his cousin that only his cousin knows about. I know once I said the information he would agree to look for the missing van.

"I know where he is" i state, the words cutting through the thick silence like a knife. Alexander's eyes narrow, the flicker of fear i saw before was now changed to a cold calculation. He took a long drag from the cigarette and then exhale slowly, the smoke curling around his head like a shroud. He doesn't want immediately respond, instead letting the weight of my statement hang heavy in the air.

Daniel and Alexia exchange a worried glance, the tension in the room is palpable. The silence wwas like a thick, suffocating blanket. Finally, Alexander speaks, his voice low

"Where is he?" He asks, the question laced with a dangerous edge. "You are claiming to know his whereabout of my cousin Leon? And you think this information is worth more than money and a stolen van".

He leans back in his chair, the gesture deceptively casual burying the shrewd calculation in his eyes.

"Let's be clear, sweetheart" he says, his voice taking a sharper edge "Leon doesn't appreciate being tracked. He doesn't appreciate being... inconvenienced. He is a volatile man. And people who often cross him always regret it. You are playing a very dangerous game Daniella".