Chapter 3 Servaxia

• Not much did Eve know about the country of Servaxia.
• She took the time to search about the country on the internet and saw how beautiful the buildings and landscapes were, making her impatient to fly there immediately and momentarily forget all her problems.
• On the day of her departure, Gloria escorted her to the airport. “Let me know when you’ve arrived,” Gloria said, embracing her tightly. “Have fun and don’t think about anything here.” After releasing her embrace, she winked at her and added, “And who knows, maybe you’ll find someone interesting there. A rebound guy, perhaps.”
• Eve laughed lightly, shaking her head. “No, Gloria. I don’t want to meet anyone. I don’t need a man in my life for at least another ten years. So, no, I’ll just enjoy my solitude and the beauty of Servaxia.”
• “Maybe you could move there if you like it, Eve,” Gloria suggested. Then her expression turned compassionate. “Leave everything behind here.” She rubbed Eve’s arms and looked at her with sincere eyes.
• Once again, Eve rejected the idea. “You know I can’t just leave that house. It’s my parents’ home. It’s mine.” And not because Eve was materialistic or wanted to own luxurious property, but because the house held memories of her parents that she couldn’t find anywhere else.
• “I know... It’s just... sometimes it’s better to let go of the past and move forward.”
• Gloria’s brown eyes, harmonious with her skin, grew melancholic. Even her curved lips depicted sadness. “You don’t deserve to suffer like this. You deserve to be happy.”
• “Oh, come on, Glo. I hate melancholic conversations like this the most. Stop it.” Eve stretched her arms and hugged her tightly. “I’ll be fine.”
• They chatted for a few more minutes before Eve bid goodbye and entered the airport to board the plane that would take her to Servaxia.
• The plane journey took approximately six hours, and when Eve arrived in the country, she couldn’t stop gaping in amazement. The country was even more beautiful than what she had seen in the photos.
• Eve looked up and gazed at the blue sky shining above Servaxia as if the sky in this country was different from the skies in other countries. She took a deep breath and felt how clean and fresh the air in Servaxia was.
• This country is perfect, she thought. And she had only just arrived at its airport.
• “Miss Summers?”
• Eve diverted her gaze from the Servaxian sky to see who was calling her. An elderly man in a full suit and white gloves, along with a hat. He seemed to be the driver sent from the Lucas Atwood company to pick up the selected journalists for the interview.
• “Yes,” Eve answered.
• The man smiled and lowered the name board he was holding. “My name is Alfred. I’ll be your driver during your time in Servaxia.” He bowed to show respect.
• Personal driver? That sounded nice. “Thank you,” Eve replied.
• “Before I take you around, I’ll first take you to the hotel.”
• Alfred asked for permission to take the suitcase Eve was carrying, and then she followed him to a shiny white sedan. After placing her suitcase in the trunk, Alfred opened the door for her, and Eve got into the luxurious car.
• They chatted throughout the journey to the hotel, and from Alfred, Eve learned about some interesting places in Servaxia, one of which was an artificial tourist island built a year ago on top of waste from construction debris.
• “Is that tourist island also one of Lucas Atwood’s ventures?” Eve asked.
• Alfred glanced at her through the rearview mirror. “Yes, Miss. Most of the tourism industry in Servaxia is owned by Mr. Atwood.”
• “Most of it? What about the rest?”
• “There’s one other family,” Alfred said. But he seemed reluctant to continue his story and instead diverted the conversation. “If only you could stay longer here, you could visit the tourist island. It’s a very beautiful place, and there are many exciting entertainments there.”
• Eve felt there was something odd about Alfred’s behavior in quickly changing the subject, but she didn’t want to delve further into it at the moment. “Sounds lovely,” Eve responded to Alfred’s mention of the tourist island. “I’ll definitely come back to this country for a vacation someday.”
• “You can contact me if you want to spend your holiday here, Miss Eve. I’ll be happy to take you around to interesting tourist spots.”
• “Thank you, Alfred.”
• They arrived at the hotel where Eve was staying, and once again, she was awestruck by the luxury of the hotel before her. A staff member opened the door for her, and the high-ceilinged lobby with golden accents and black granite floors welcomed her.
• Eve didn’t need to ask anyone to know that this hotel was one of Lucas Atwood’s properties. She became even more curious to meet the man. Especially since until now, she hadn’t found Lucas’s photo on any website. His team really did well to hide his face.
• A hotel employee escorted her to the fifth floor, where her room was located. It was a luxurious suite with a living room and a balcony overlooking the sea.
• After the hotel employee left, Eve’s phone rang, and she retrieved it from her bag. It was Brandon.
• “Hi. I just arrived. This country is incredibly beautiful,” Eve said as she sank into the sofa in the living room, facing the balcony.
• “Yes, Servaxia is indeed famous as one of the most beautiful countries in the world,” Brandon agreed. “I’m glad you like it because I have news for you.”
• “Is it bad or good news?”
• “If you like Servaxia, then it’s good news,” Brandon said. “Lucas Atwood’s team just contacted me and informed me that they are postponing the interview schedule until the day after tomorrow because apparently, Mr. Lucas has some urgent matters that cannot be postponed.”
• Eve sighed. She was accustomed to dealing with wealthy and powerful people who often behaved as they pleased like this.
• As she was about to tell Brandon that she didn’t mind, her peripheral vision caught a brochure that seemed deliberately left by the hotel as a reference for guest activities.
• Eve picked up the brochure and looked at the cover. It displayed the tourist island that Alfred had mentioned earlier, with a note that tomorrow the place would host a barbecue party and fireworks display, along with some interesting performances.
• “Sorry that you have to idle for a day, Eve,” Brandon said. “Eve?”
• “It’s absolutely fine, Brandon.” Eve smiled faintly. “Because there are a lot of things I can do while I’m here. In fact, I’m glad that Mr. Atwood postponed his interview.”
• After her conversation with Brandon ended, Eve dialed the number listed on the brochure to inquire if there were still available rooms for her on the tourist island.
• “You called at the right time, miss,” the staff member spoke to her cheerfully over the phone. “Someone just canceled their visit. We have one empty room for you!”
• “Great!”
• Eve then booked the room for herself and paid for it with her credit card.
• Done with the room reservation, she immediately contacted Alfred. He had given her his phone number.
• “Hi, Alfred, it’s me, Genieve Summers. The guest you picked up at the airport and drove to the Elite hotel.”
• “Ah, yes! Of course, I remember you, Miss Summers. How can I help you?”
• “Could you pick me up and take me to the port? I’m going to the tourist island.”
• Alfred sounded excited as he replied, “Absolutely, Miss Summers!”