“I ate a lot of food last night. Mom had just brought over some lasagna, and I couldn’t stop eating half of it. What about I get you some take-out? You should at least eat something.”
“You always tell me I should eat healthy dinners, but you eat nothing healthy at work.”
“Everyone knows what to eat is bad for their health, but we still like to eat junk food when we’re on night shifts,” Anna said right away, “Jasper called me today, by the way. He said that he searched the whole island and was certain that Isabella could only leave there by boat.”
“That’s simple. We can check the boats that leave the island.”
“Jasper has already done so. However, many boats depart from the island these days, including large cruise ships and small boats. Many local guides use boats to bring tourists to the island. It’s almost impossible for us to track her down.”
“Did Jasper say anything?”
“He said he could only try again. Isabella’s phone is currently turned off, and I guess perhaps she accidentally lost it.”
“Don’t worry. She’ll be fine.”
Anna frowned and replied, “I’m hoping so. I’ve had a bad feeling all day, and I’m guessing it’s because of her.”
Wayne said calmly, his brow furrowed. “Maybe. Oh, my meals are here. I’m going to hang up now.”
***
The wind was bitterly cold at night in Cliatin. The only convenience store near Cliatin University was still open. When Anthony entered the store, he heard the store manager yelling at someone.
“I told you to put the most recent items in the back! And why are you always pouring coffee?”
A girl stood across from the store manager. She kept her head down but didn’t seem to believe she had done anything wrong. Her long brown hair was silky smooth, and her eyes were as soft as moonlight. She pursed her lips tightly and didn’t say a word in her own defense.
“Good evening,” Anthony said as he walked in.
“Anthony! I was about to call you. Do you realize you brought me a terrible employee? She made me lose a lot of money on the first day she came here! And she’s been here for only one day!” The store manager expressed his displeasure.
Anthony stood between the girl and the manager and said, “It’s Chelsea’s first day here! She has never worked before, so she has no idea how anything works. She’ll realize what she’s supposed to do later.”
“I don’t have time for her! Please tell her not to come back ever again. I’ll hire a better employee tomorrow.”
” I will accompany Chelsea whenever she comes to work and train her. I’m sure she’ll be proficient by next week.”
The store manager hesitated for a while, then said, “But I can only pay you one salary.”
“No problem,” Anthony replied right away.
The store manager smiled as he walked away. Then Anthony exhaled a sigh of relief and turned to face the girl behind him, asking, “Are you okay?”
“Thank you,” the girl whispered.
Anthony shook his head and said, “That’s okay. If you work here for a while, you’ll notice he’s a nice guy. He’s just a little stingy.”
The girl walked silently to register and began sorting the disposable coffee cups. Anthony kept his gaze fixed on her. “You still can’t remember anything?” he asked after a brief pause.
The girl froze for a moment before shaking her head.
“It’s fine. You’ll remember who you are later. Do you want me to take you to the police station tomorrow?”
“No,” the girl said in a firm tone as she abruptly lifted her head, “I’m not going to the police station. You can ignore me if you think I am a liability.”
Anthony frowned. At this point, the girl became apathetic, like a stray cat trying to protect itself.
“That’s not what I meant. I don’t think you should be here by yourself.” Anthony explained.
The girl remained silent. As a result, Anthony could only shut up. After the staff on the night shift arrived, Anthony left with that girl.
Anthony had a small apartment close to his university. His parents bought him that place two years ago when he was a freshman. He later renovated it himself and lived there instead of his dormitory. As soon as Anthony opened his door, he was interrupted by a man who asked loudly, “You lied to me, Anthony! What is this? Are you living with a girl?”
Franz, Anthony’s college roommate, was standing in the living room with a pink towel in his hand.
“What are you doing here?” Anthony asked.
Franz replied, “I’m here to surprise you. I heard you saved a homeless girl from the beach and brought her home. Look what I discovered! A pink towel!”
Before Franz could finish his sentence, he found a girl standing behind Anthony. Raising his brows, he yelled, “What? Are you serious?”
Antony’s face flushed. He yanked the towel from Franz’s grasp and grumbled, “Don’t be ridiculous, Franz. Leave us alone now. I’ll explain this to you later.”
Refusing to leave, Franz fixed his gaze on the girl.
“I’ll give you two some privacy,” the girl said coldly.
“OK. I’m so sorry, Chelsea. Please ignore him,” said Anthony.
Only after Chelsea had closed the bedroom door behind her did Franz return to attention. He immediately grabbed Anthony’s shirt collar and asked, “Are you two dating? I can’t believe I didn’t know you moved in with your girlfriend! No wonder you haven’t returned to your dorm for a long time. “
“That’s not true! She’s not my girlfriend! “Anthony said, yanking Franz away.
“Really? Then who the hell is she?”
“I’m not sure who she is.” Anthony sighed as he sat on the couch.
When he went to the beach to watch the sunrise the day before, he “picked up” this girl. When he saw her, she was sitting beside a sunk boat. She was shivering all over and appeared to be about to die. She was drenched in mud and even had shells in her hair, so Anthony was taken aback at first sight of her.
His friends advised him to leave her alone or call the police. On the beach, however, there was no signal. That day was bitterly cold. Anthony believed that if he had left her on the beach alone, she would have died of cold when the police arrived. So, he brought her back to his apartment.
When she arrived at the flat, the first thing she did was take a shower. He almost didn’t recognize her when she came out of the bathroom. She became beautiful and clean. The girl did not tell him who she was or ask him who he was. Instead, she just asked, “Can you find me a place to stay other than a hotel?”
Her beautiful wet brown eyes locked on Anthony, making his heart race. As a result, he allowed her to stay in his apartment.
“You brought a stranger into your home? Anthony, have you gone insane?” Franz expressed his surprise, pulling Anthony’s mind back to the present.
“She didn’t have a place to stay, so I had no choice.”
“Jesus! You should watch the news more often! Have you ever considered the possibility that she is a fraud?”
“No way, she doesn’t look like a…”
Franz said, shaking his head, “What do you want to say? You should let her explain who she is. In fact, I think I should call the police right now. She appears to be in her twenties, so she can’t possibly forget her name! She even asked you to find her a job, right? That is insane!”
Anthony immediately stopped Franz and prevented him from walking to the bedroom. “Don’t go! You’ll startle her.”
The girl emerged from the bedroom while the two were arguing. She stood in the doorway, calmly looking at them. Her eyes were as limpid as the purest snow. She gave Franz a mocking look because she had just heard what he had just said. Then she approached the two men calmly and placed a necklace on the table, uttering, “I want to pay my rent with this.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.