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Chapter 7

  • Isabella’s POV
  • I was lucky enough to get a cab as soon as I got out of the building. When I arrived in our apartment, I met my neighbor Mr Peter standing at our door with a worried expression on his face.
  • My heart immediately cut as my thoughts immediately went to my mother.
  • Dear lord, I just hope that nothing bad has happened to her.
  • “Good morning Mr Peter is everything alright?.” I asked him.
  • “Morning Isabella I have been calling you since early in the morning but you haven’t been picking up the phone.” Mr Peter said in reply.
  • “I didn’t receive any call from ….” I started to say but then I kept quiet. I opened my bag and couldn’t find my phone.
  • Shit! I must have forgotten it in Lucas' penthouse. I remember that after my phone call with Alessia last night I didn’t put the phone in my bag.
  • “I am sorry Mr Peter. I must have misplaced my phone somewhere. What is wrong? Did something happen to my mother?.” I asked.
  • “Some men came early this morning with the Cops and picked your mother up.” Mr Peter muttered, making my heart cut.
  • “What? Did you say who they are?.” I asked. I better hope it is not those loan sharks.
  • “I don’t know but they said something about your mother owning them a huge amount of money.” Mr Peter explained.
  • Damn those loan sharks! That wasn't our agreement. They agreed to give us forty eight hours and it’s not time yet.
  • “Did you know which police station they took her to?.” I asked him.
  • “Yes I have it written here!” . Mr Peter said and passed a small note to me.
  • “Thank you Mr Peter. I will just change and go there now.” I thanked him and hurried into our apartment.
  • I didn’t even take my bath. I just washed my face and ran out of the house. I stopped a cab and gave him the address of the police station.
  • Once I reached the police station I was lucky to find the loan sharks still there.
  • I brought out the fifteen thousand dollars Lucas had given to me and gave it to them.
  • “Your mother is lucky to have a daughter like you. We will be expecting our remaining balance very soon. And please take note, next time we won’t be involved.” The leader of the sharks said as he and his boys walked out of the police station.
  • After that, my mother was granted bail. When she asked me how I got the money, I lied to her that I was able to get a loan from Alessia.
  • After taking my mom back home and making sure that she is settled, I freshened up and changed my outfit and decided to head for work. Sad part of working as a cleaner is that we work even on holidays.
  • I just hope that I don’t meet Mr James because he will surely punish me for coming later twice in the same week.
  • Luck seems to be on my side because I didn't meet, instead it was Alessia I met waiting for me.
  • “Hmm this one that you came in late, you must have had a wonderful night then.” Alessia teased me.
  • “Seriously Alessia I don’t have strength for this now. I am tired.” I said exhaustedly.
  • “Why did something happen?.” Alessia asked when she saw how stressed I am.
  • “Let me sit down first!.” I said and went to the changing room and Alessia followed me.
  • “I am just coming from the police station!.” I uttered as soon as I sat down on one of the benches.
  • “The police station? Why what happened?”. She asked me.
  • “Those rascals had my mom arrested.”
  • “Who? The loan sharks? I thought you said that they agreed to give forty hours?”. Alessia asked.
  • “I know. I came back home and found out that my mom was taken to the police station. I had to bail her out.” I explained.
  • “That’s so unfortunate. By the way how was last night? What happened after you called me?.” Alessia asked. I knew this is the main reason why she has been waiting for me. Such a gossip lover.
  • “Nothing happened!.” I muttered with a nonchalant expression.
  • “What, nothing happened?.” Alessia asked with an annoyed look on her face.
  • “Well nothing happened. After I got up from the phone with you, I went back into the lounge room and found it empty and so I decided to wait for him. But in the process of waiting for him, I fell asleep and when I woke up, it was already morning.” I summarized the night incident to Alessia.
  • With her wide open and shocked look; “You are really something else Isabella. I don’t even know what to say to you.!” Alessia declared.
  • “Then don’t say anything simple.” I uttered trying to avoid further criticism that will come out from her mouth.
  • “You know, you are the true definition of this proverbs, ‘you can take a Carmel to the River but you can’t force it to drink water!’” Alessia stated.
  • I stared at her with a hard glare. Did she just compare me with a Carmel?
  • “Yes I did! Because you actually behaved like one. So tell me since nothing happened between the two of you, where did you get the money to bail your mom out?”. Alessia asked me.
  • “The man gave me some money!”. I answered.
  • “Ah generous man. How much does he give you?”. Alessia asked again.
  • “Fifteen thousand dollars.” I replied to her.
  • “Fifteen thousand dollars? And you didn’t even sleep with him? That is a lot!”. Alessia shouted, astonished.
  • “I know and please lower your voice, we don’t want to attract the attention of Mr Alphonso. I was surprised too when he gave me the money.” I stated.
  • “You are quite lucky. Imagine if you would have slept with him, then who knows maybe you would have earned up to fifty thousand dollars then.” Alessia pointed out.
  • Yeah! I had thought of that too.
  • “Anyway, that is in the past. Please I need a favour, I need to talk with Matteo, I left my phone at Lucas' penthouse.” I informed her.
  • “Hmm how sure am I that you didn’t leave it there intentionally?”. Alessia gave me a reading smile.
  • I gave her a deadly glare and she composed her. She picked up her phone and called Matteo.
  • “Matteo, I am not happy with you. Why won’t you set me up with generous men like the type you set Isabella up with yesterday? You better do something about that. By the way Isabella wants to talk to you.” Alessia spoke into the phone before she passed the phone to me.
  • “Hello Merry Christmas Matteo.” I said into the phone once I collected it from Alessia.
  • “Merry Christmas to you too Isabella. To whom did I owe this early morning call?”. Matteo asked me.
  • “I am sorry to disturb you, I left my phone at Lucas’s penthouse. I was thinking if you could help me pick it from there?.” I asked him.
  • “About your phone. Lucas had already called me about it. He said you should come and pick it up by yourself.” Matteo declared.
  • “Really? Okay then. Which time would I find him at home then?.” I asked.
  • “Same time as yesterday. I have got to go.” Matteo said and cut off the call.
  • “What did he say?.” Alessia asked as I passed her phone to her.
  • “That Lucas wants me to come and collect the phone by myself.” I uttered. After last night, I don’t wish to meet the man again but then luck doesn't seem to be on my side.
  • “O my this is definitely a second chance. You are a very lucky girl!.” Alessia happily declared as she clapped her hands.
  • “I don’t understand the second chance for what?.” I was confused.
  • “Well since Lucas requested for you to come for the phone yourself right? How about you use this medium and kill two birds with one stone.
  • Go and get your phone, and also have the night you miss and that way you can still earn the money. It’s a win-win for you.” Alessia advised me.
  • I am actually seeing the point in what she is saying. If I actually spend the night with, I could actually get the money to balance the rest of our debts.
  • “You are a genius, Alessia! What could I do without you?.” I went closer to her and hugged her.
  • “Absolutely nothing. Just remember my own share in the money!.” Alessia muttered as she hugged me back.