Capítulo 7: This Island Isn't Paradise
"It reached my office that you lost your purse, which has your important documents."
"That's right! I'm very sorry to trouble you. It was my recklessness that caused me to lose my belongings. But I hope your staff can find them," replied Monique softly. This was her last straw of hope, and the man in front of her could be the key to her freedom.
"I see." Zion nodded, exhibiting that he was pondering over something. After a while, he said to her, "Well, my staff is doing their best to look for your purse."
"Thank you. I need to find it as soon as possible. I need to leave the country the day after tomorrow. Otherwise, I'll go to jail. I don't know how to pay you in return. I don't have extra money with me. But please, help me!"
She doesn't care anymore if she begs a stranger. She can't think of another way to leave the island. If only she could contact her boyfriend.
"What if we don't find it?"
This question completely astounded her. Just the idea of it. Her heart was shattering into pieces. It felt like her world had almost collapsed.
"I don't want to go to jail," she enunciated in a low voice. "Please..."
Monique lowered her head and pressed her eyelids, chewing her bottom lip.
Zion and Lemuel took the opportunity to communicate through their eyes, and the former threw daggers at his assistant for using such a trick on this poor lady.
"I don't want to go to jail. So please excuse me. I need to find my purse." Pondering her next step, she will continue looking for her purse rather than wasting time sitting here and doing nothing.
At that moment, Zion felt an inexplicable feeling watching the girl cry her heart out from fear of what fate awaited her.
Zion frowned upon the realization that there was pity lingering in his heart.
'Why would I feel this way? I only needed her to annoy my father. But I am not a heartless person. So, I will compensate her in the future.'
Unknowingly, Zion made a promise in his heart.
"Stop right there, lady!"
Serious about her decision, Monique is leaving, and Zion is stopping her.
As this scene played in his presence, Lemuel had already assumed that his boss had reached a decision and agreed to his suggestion.
In his heart, Lemuel was overjoyed. Finally, their problems were met with a solution. Soon, their worries will be over.
'One step at a time!' he thought inwardly.
He kept his mouth shut and watched on the sidelines. His heart is full of anticipation of how his boss will proceed. The man loves his mother dearly but despises the rest of the women and thinks of everyone as a gold digger. As for him, they are lowly human beings.
Because of a vixen, his father divorced her mother, who fell ill.
"I don't want to waste any more seconds. I need to look for my purse."
Monique was still persistent. Something tugged at Zion's heart, seeing how determined she was.
"Sit down. Let my men look for it." Zion gestured his hand at his reliable assistant to leave the office.
Lemuel, on the other hand, understood it right away. Without uttering a goodbye, he dashed outside, making no sound of a door opening and closing.
Monique glanced over her shoulder. It worried her about being alone with this strange man.
Somehow, she felt a chill on her spine as she stared intensely. She slowly swiveled her head and made eye contact with him.
She gnawed at her bottom lip once more.
"Thank you," she said shyly.
Zion raised a brow. 'This woman is so innocent. She has no idea she has been tricked.'
After half an hour, Lemuel returned. Monique has been sitting on pins and needles, waiting for the good news. However…
"Sir, please look at this."
Sitting uncomfortably in front of the wooden desk, Monique looked at the two men dazedly.
Soon, she could no longer wait for them to tell her the progress of the search. She rose from the chair, walked around the office table, and stood behind Zion.
Lemuel was shocked at first. How bold is she to get close to his boss without permission?
But watching his boss sit in his swivel chair with a beautiful woman standing behind him is not a terrible picture. It was like a beautiful frame of a couple instead.
It was amazing how the two looked perfect for each other.
"No!" Monique felt her heart cut into pieces, seeing her bag taken by the garbage truck and shredded into strips. "My document!"
Monique could not take the blow. Her legs finally give in, and her body slumps to the floor, crying her heart out.
"I'm going to jail." As punishment, she will become enslaved on this island for years.
That's right. Everyone calls it community service. But the truth is, this country took advantage of its prisoners. With them around, employers do not need to pay more workers. Instead of granting their employees extra benefits, they won't waste more money. Therefore, they would happily detain a foreigner rather than deport them.
"Please, help me!"
She tried calming herself down but could not recover her composure. She recalled the group of people cleaning the sidewalk. They didn't have handcuffs on their arms or chains on their ankles, but they had collars around their necks.
Even so, no one attempted to flee because if you leave the island, the collar is like a ticking time bomb. You are going to lose your head when you plan to escape. Then, what's there to live for?
While alive, you walk the road with shame as contempt gazes shoot at you, judging you even if you only do a minor offense. But here, losing your bag and documents is a crime.
This island isn't paradise, as everyone perceives it.
This island is an actual hell, and that's the truth.
"I will do anything," Monique added after she made up her mind. Tears brimming her swollen eyes, she looked straight at Zion's, filled with determination. "I can work in your palace. I can clean or serve when there are events. You don't need to train me. I finished three years of courses in hospitality management. I also have a certificate as a dessert chef, and I can work behind the bar counter."
Zion's eyebrow was raised.
"Are you saying you know how to make cocktail drinks?"
"Yes. Also, latte. We..." Monique paused for a moment when sadness flashed in her eyes. "We had a coffee shop when I was little. But I had to sell it after my father became depressed when my mom died, and he couldn't accept the blow of her departure. My father fell ill and followed Mom, leaving me with great debts, so I had to give it up."
"Signora Monique..." Lemuel's sympathy becomes visible on his face. He peeks at his boss meaningfully, urging him to feel pity for the woman. After all, the future missus knows about running a hotel or a restaurant. She may be of help in the future.
"I have enough staff. I don't need another worker."
Lemuel almost passed out when his boss made such a harsh statement. If only he could smack his boss and remind him of the fight he must win.
Nonetheless, he is such a reliable assistant. He made sure to come prepared.
He placed his TAB on the wooden desk and showed his boss the recent information he had gathered.
Zion lowered his gaze and read, paragraph by paragraph, the text of information about the degree his future wife had finished.
"Sir, I can work in the office if you don't need housekeeping or server staff. I graduated with a degree in accounting. I work at a bank. I have my employee ID, but it was included in my documents that I lost."
Monique's voice gets weaker and hoarser because of constant crying and the thought of the misfortune that befalls her.
"And if you do not need another hand in the Finance Department, I can do any house or office work."
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