Chapter 38 - Regrets For Later

[ Day 5 ]

"Don't disappoint me," Santiago said for the thousandth time and like a good girl Persephone nodded her head again. 

"Do you remember the rules?"Santiago asked again. 

Persephone nodded again with a cheeky smile. 

Santiago sighed. Honestly, he didn't know what to do with this girl. He had forbidden her to go out of the villa for the last two days since Nash was keeping a close eye on them and she agreed just like that. This girl was too obedient to be true. " I'm trusting you for the first time. Don't do anything that will make me regret my decision. Do you get it?"

"Of course," Persephone said to him like an obedient kid whose mother was going out and she was supposed to behave at home. She even listed out what she should do and what not. "Like you ordered I'll not go to any dangerous place where my life will be put in danger. Not that you care for me, but because I am very precious to you right now." 

Santiago opened his mouth to say something but she cut him off while patting his chest and said,"Don't worry. I love my life the most in this world. I will not do anything to hurt me. You can trust me this time. Since Raven is not on the island today and you have a very very important work so no one can accompany me. Don't worry I will follow the map and will return before dinner time safe and sound." 

"You better!" Santiago said while walking out of the door. He turned back to see her waving at him with a smile on her face.Something about this scene made him feel warm in his chest.

With another sigh, he turned and walked straight to his destination. He had a very weird intuition in his heart like something wasn't right or something bad was going to happen. He didn't wish to let her out of his sight again. But since he had very important client's to deal with, he had to leave her alone. Plus, he has already made her stay inside his house and he knew if he asked her to stay in for one more day, she would rebel. 

What was actually adding more to his misery was that Anna had to follow Nash as he would be going straight to New York and one trustable person was needed to bring the commodities back to the island leaving Persephone to fetch for herself. 

Santiago took out the phone from his pocket and called his subordinate,"Keep an eye on her. Make sure you follow her each and every movement. Report me as soon as you see something suspicious." 

____

"Yay! I'm a free bird today," Persephone exclaimed out loud. "What a kismet I have!" She grinned foolishly. "No Raven to report my every movement to that extremely gorgeous Villain." 

Persephone was carrying a backpack and had clutched a sketchbook to her abdomen. She wasn't particularly thinking of causing trouble today. It was just that when she had her lunch sitting by the side of a beautiful cascade, she came across Giselle and her troop again. 

"Wow! Isn't it our lovely Persephone?" Giselle exclaimed. Rushing towards her, she engulfed Persephone in a warm hug. "How are you girl? Haven't seen you exploring the island for the last two days!"

After returning the hug, Persephone said,"Don't ask! A certain someone had almost jinxed me but thank God he had to go back to where he came from." 

Yes, that certain someone was Nash. And it wouldn't be wrong to say, he hated her guts. 

Later, when both of the ladies who were behaving as if they were some long lost sisters were done catching up, Persephone asked the question which she wanted to ask for a long time but wasn't able to as two other persons were surrounding Giselle like creepy and clingy flies. 

"Giselle, do you still remember about the contract?" Persephone asked her in a low voice. She didn't want Jean or Nora to hear them. 

Giselle scratched her head and hesitated before saying,"That… " 

"It's okay, Giselle, if you don't want to take any risk," said Persephone. She understood way better than anyone to cause any kind of trouble for the first genuine woman she had befriended during her captivity. Still, she wasn't the one to keep what's troubling her inside her heart. She must lash out or she would explode. "I do not know why but I have this feeling in my heart that's telling me that there is something about this island that I don't know but I should know about it. Yet, something is telling me that whatever it is, it will be life altering for me. Tell me, Giselle, what should I do? Should I suppress these feelings erupting inside me and wait for fate to throw the truth at my face later?"

Giselle glanced at her with troubled expressions. Persephone couldn't say what was going on inside her head but she could say that something was holding back Giselle. But what? Villain? Or something else?

Looking up at the sky, Giselle said,"I wanted to show you what that contract was initially... because I wanted you to know what you're getting into. You are a young and beautiful woman. I can see why you are here. But you are an idealist, Percy. This place is not for you. Your ideas and beliefs will surely contradict with all of us once you see the reality of this beautiful island which you call ' paradise'. This Paradise will be hell for you. So, tell me Percy, are you ready to see this Paradise turning into hell before your eyes?" 

"Giselle, are you trying to scare me?" Persephone asked with an innocent chuckle. Even she knew that there was no way she would ever call this beautiful place a hell ever. Still, Giselle's words were scaring her. "Trust me, if you are, it's working." 

"No, I'm not trying to scare you," replied Giselle. "I'm just trying to make you understand that sometimes it's better to live a beautiful lie than coming across a ugly truth." 

"I would rather come across hundred ugly truths than living another beautiful lie," Persephone quickly retorted. "This place is a beautiful lie or an ugly truth. Let me be the judge of it, Giselle. Don't deprive me of the truth." 

"What if you regret knowing it later?" questioned Giselle. 

"I will be the one responsible for my regrets. I will never blame you.. Instead, I will be thankful to you for showing me the truth."