Chapter 2

Alyssa woke up to the gentle rocking of the vehicle. She frowned slightly as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Hmm…"

She stared at the ceiling for a few seconds. The ceiling was not familiar to her. In short, it was not the ceiling of her apartment, and it definitely was not the ceiling of their office.

Crazy, she already resigned anyway.

The ceiling of the vehicle was a thick cream color, with tiny LED lights that looked like stars, and the air coming from the air conditioner was very cold.

She blinked. Then she finally remembered. The black card, the luxury van, the mysterious person who picked her up.

She suddenly sat up.

"Oh!"

She almost lost her balance because she was sleepy. She looked out the window and almost gasped. All she could see was blue.

On both sides of the vehicle, she could see the sea.

The water was so clear, it looked like a mirror reflecting the blue sky. The sunlight sparkled on every wave, while the gentle breeze moved the coconut trees lined up along the side of the road.

"Wow," she whispered softly.

She didn't realize she had fallen asleep. Probably because she was tired from being awake all night, plus the excitement she felt earlier. She didn't know how long they had been traveling. She also didn't know which way they took.

Did they take a ferry? Is there a bridge? Is there a private tunnel? Or maybe this resort really has its own private road?

She scratched her head. "I really can't remember anything."

She looked at the chauffeur in front. "Sir..."

He glanced at the rearview mirror. "Good morning, Miss."

"How long have I been asleep?"

He smiled slightly. "For quite some time."

"I'm sorry."

"There is nothing to apologize for, Miss."

She sighed. How embarrassing. It was her first time riding an expensive car and she ended up sleeping.

She rolled the window down slightly. She was immediately greeted by the salty but fresh sea breeze. She closed her eyes for a moment. The sea smelled really nice, it didn't smell like smoke or cars.

The only things she could hear were the chirping of birds, the soft crashing of waves, and the hum of the engine of the car slowly moving forward.

It made her feel like this place was a different world. It wasn't long before the van slowed down. A huge gate slowly appeared in front of them.

It was made of black iron with gold details. In the middle was an elegant symbol engraved, the same symbol she saw on the black card.

Above the arch, two words were written that she immediately read.

ISLA VERDE

Her eyes widened. "It really is real."

This was not a prank and it wasn't a dream either. This was a real place.

Behind the gate, she could see a very wide boulevard surrounded by tall palm trees. Not far away, she could see modern villas, white buildings that looked like five-star hotels, and the sparkling sea that seemed endless.

She almost couldn't believe it. So this is the world of billionaires.

It wasn't noisy, it was clean, and very beautiful. The van stopped in front of the security checkpoint. The chauffeur immediately got out to open the door for her.

"Welcome to Isla Verde, Miss."

She stepped down slowly. She almost closed her eyes when she was hit by the warm rays of the sun. She looked around.

There were some luxury cars entering. There were people wearing expensive clothes. There was a family stepping down from a private helicopter.

In the distance, there was a white yacht docked at a private pier.

She felt like she was the only one who didn't belong in the place. She looked down and glanced at herself.

She was just wearing a simple white blouse, light blue jeans, and white sneakers. And a tote bag full of farewell gifts.

She laughed at herself. "I think I look lost."

"Identification."

Her thoughts were cut off when she heard a cold voice. It was spoken deeply, firmly, and with almost no emotion.

She slowly turned around and that was when she saw him. A tall man was standing in the middle of the entrance. He was wearing a tailored black suit that looked like it was made exactly for him. His black hair was neatly combed. He had a pointed nose and a sharp jawline. And his pair of gray eyes looked like they could read the personality of anyone in front of him.

He wasn't smiling and he didn't look happy with her presence. He walked with confidence, like someone used to giving orders to everyone.

He stopped in front of her. He was taller than she expected. She was forced to slightly raise her head for their eyes to meet.

"Your invitation," he said coldly.

She hurriedly took out the black card from the sling pocket of her bag.

"Ah... here it is."

Before she could fully hand it over, the man already glanced at it. And for the first time, his expression changed slightly. It might not be obvious to others, but Alyssa noticed the almost unnoticeable raising of one of his eyebrows.

He took the card and stared at it for a long time. Then he looked at her again.

"Where did you get this?"

She blinked. "Huh?"

"The Black Card." His tone became more serious. "Who gave this to you?"

She scratched her head. Why was he asking? She didn't even know where this black card came from either.

"Honestly, I don't know either."

The man frowned.

"I found it inside my bag yesterday. So, I guess, someone invited me. I thought it was just a birthday gift."

He went quiet. He stared at her carefully from head to toe, as if he was looking for something. He lowered his gaze to her tote bag full of stuffed toys and chocolates. Then he looked at her again.

"Your name."

"Alyssa Reyes."

"Occupation?"

"Former call center agent."

A long silence passed between them. After a few seconds, he returned the black card.

"I'm sorry." His voice was calm but still cold. "There must be a mistake."

She blinked. "Pardon?"

"This island is exclusive." The man turned his back slightly. "It is only open to the wealthy, influential, and invited members."

Alyssa swallowed. "But, I am invited." She held up the black card. "If I wasn't invited, why would I have this?"

The man looked at the card again. Confusion could be read in his eyes. She wasn't lying and he knew the card she was holding was real. But he also knew she shouldn't have the card because, like she said, she was just an ordinary girl.

He slowly brought his gaze back to her. "My name is Damien Montenegro and I oversee admissions to Isla Verde." He took a deep breath. "And I can assure you, someone made a very serious mistake."

For the first time, Alyssa felt that the mysterious black card she thought was just a simple gift might open up a world she was never supposed to enter.