Chapter 1 - You Never Know!
“Are you going to an Island or walking a fashion show I’ve not yet been invited to?”
Valerie didn’t even need to lift her eyes from the colouring book to know that her sister had finally gone through her suitcase, no doubt to shove in jackets and other necessities because you just ‘never know when you’ll need it!’.
“Cami, if you try one more time to make me take that dratted parka, I will tackle you to the ground. And we both know I’m gonna win.”
There was a moment of silence and then—
“I wasn’t going to!”
The sound of hasty rustling told her otherwise, but Valerie let it go. On her lap, the light of her life was happily colouring away, singing along to Baby Shark that was forever on repeat on the TV. Valerie squinted down at her niece’s colouring, where it was less of colouring and more of wild scribblings going anywhere but in the lines, and then gasped dramatically, causing Adalene to look up with wide eyes, little specks of green dancing within those adorable hazel orbs. Her eyes were the only thing she inherited from her shitty father, and thankfully little Ada looked more like her mother, Camille.
“Wow, look at you go! Great artistic skills! Bravo, my little sunshine, I wish I were half as good as you!” Valerie clasped her mouth to add more drama. “You must get your artistic skills from me because your mama can’t even hold a colour pencil right.”
“Really?” Adalene giggled as Valerie peppered kisses upon that cute little face, tickling the toddler until squeals of laughter filled the air. Ah, music to Valerie’s ears.
“Hah! If she gets her artistic skills from you, I’m afraid she’ll end up a starving artist,” Camille snickered, taking a seat opposite them at where they sat on the floor by the coffee table. She let out a long sigh, picking up Ada’s abandoned toys and casting forlorn glances in Valerie’s direction.
“Oh, for crying out loud, Camille,” Valerie complained, exasperated. “Leave some sighs for other people in the world. Any more from you and there’ll be none left.” She pointed Adalene’s chubby hand in her direction. “This is not the first trip I’ve taken, and certainly not the first spontaneous one either. Might I remind you of all those trips I had taken without warning on the very same day? 14 days is a great timeframe, if we’re being honest. Atleast I can pack.”
Camille frowned as she fiddled with a little bear plushie, clearly unhappy. “I know that… but I can’t help worrying.”
Adalene dropped her pencil—or rather, threw it away as if it had greatly offended her—and wiggled out of Valerie’s arms to pitter-patter over to her mama, little blond curls bouncing with every step.
“Can I play too?” she asked, pointing to the bear. Camille handed it over, tucking Ada’s hair behind her ear. Ada started fiddling with the bear’s clothes, pulling the dress off and rummaging into her play box to bring out a small bag of a different set of outfit.
“What is Berry going to wear now?” Valerie asked, closing the colouring book.
“She’s going on a trip, like Auntie Val.” She settled into her mom’s lap, focusing on the task at hand—an outfit change. “So she’s gonna wear pants.”
“Ohh, that sounds like fun.” Valerie picked up the pencil and put it back into its case, pursing her lips as she collected the other stray pencils lying on the coffee table. Camille sighed for the hundredth time, causing Valerie to roll her eyes. “You’re such a worrywart. This could be fun, an adventure!”
“On some random island? With the bikinis you packed?” Camille snorted. “An adventure of tan lines maybe.”
“Or men,” Valerie added, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
“I’ve been begging you to date,” her sister sighed, turning her eyes heavenward. “Sadly, you’re married to your work and that sh-stuff can’t keep you warm at night.”
“That’s such an old-fashioned thing for you of all people to say!” Valerie chortled, clapping her hands together in mirth. “And hey, it’s not some ‘random’ island, it’s Vega Island, and the Ruben Reed invited me. Me! Can you believe it?” She did a happy little dance, pointing at Ada when she laughed in delight, bouncing along. “Even my sunshine is happy for me.”
“Val, I have a weird feeling about this.”
“Exactly!” Valerie leaned forward, eyes glinting as excitement bubbled through her. She slammed her hand down on the coffee table, blowing a kiss to Adalene when she jumped in surprise. “What kind of journalist would I be if I didn’t go to investigate weird things?”
“A safe one?” her sister retorted, dryly, untangling her daughter’s messy hair.
“No way! You don’t uncover great things by being safe. Not even heroes do safe things.”
“There you go again.” Camille picked up the invitation letter that lay amongst Adalene’s toys and frowned down at it. “But this… you said it yourself, you’re an investigative journalist, not a tabloid writer. Why would you even want to go to this?”
Valerie plucked the letter from her sister’s hand with a grin. “Please, just because I’m not into writing tabloids doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy learning a thing or two about what’s happening in the world. And you never know, I might just get a real juicy story out of the whole thing.”
“Mhm.”
“Come on, lighten up, sis. I’ll bring back souvenirs for you two. And maybe for Blake, too.”
She got up and all but skipped over to her suitcase, rummaging through it one more time to make sure she got everything she needed. Groaning, she pulled out a thick jacket, giving her sister a pointed look over her shoulder.
“Really?”
“But,” Camille protested. “You never know!”
✽
Big names, big names, indeed.
Valerie had been the first to arrive at the private airport in Boston and after enquiring, was told that the host would be meeting them on the island where preparations were taking place for their arrival. Odd, but not the oddest thing to happen so she simply accepted a light drink and got comfortable in the VIP lounge, browsing through some news articles while waiting for the others to arrive.
And boy, did they arrive, their presence far louder than their voices. She observed as they entered one by one, taking slow sips of her drink, interested in all those that showed up.
There was Louise Gauther, the media mogul, and owner of several well-known news agencies —one of which Valerie currently worked for. The woman was was force within herself, and despite being a globe trotter, she was surprisingly present and quite involved with the agencies she owned. There had been talks of how relaxed she was around the offices when she visited, allowing the management to run themselves… this earned her loads of brownie points with her employees; there weren’t many company owners who weren’t obsessed with micro-management. Valerie made a mental note to go and introduce herself to her —it wouldn’t hurt to form a connection to the owner of her company, now would it?
And then came Sion Morris, the bad-boy football player, tall and gorgeous with a bad rep in her books. Though he did a great deal of breaking records left and right, he also did a great deal of breaking the law and dabbling in things he would do much better without. He disappeared from the public eye for a bit after driving under the influence, which caused a tragic car accident that cost his fiance’s life, but he’d since returned back to the spotlight—along with his foolish habits.
There was Thiago Alves, too, an actor that got his big break after years of struggling to find the right roles. Like Sion, he was well-loved, had a strong fan base, great acting skills and unlike Sion, a very wholesome image. Well, to the general public. News and allegations circled in her community, reports of violence that simply did not match up to his so-called “wholesome” image. Whatever reports there were against him, they never got to see the light of day in the outer public.
When Sutton Lee stepped onto the scene, Valerie’s interest was peaked. Although, it really shouldn’t have come as a surprise to her, considering that Ruben and Sutton had worked on various projects together thoughout the years. Still, it was interesting that the youngest Nobel prize winner and author was here to join them on their trip to Vega Island. It made Valerie wonder what exactly was running through Ruben’s mind, gathering a bunch of big-star names together. And her.
Although Valerie wouldn’t exactly consider herself a big shot, she supposed she did have enough oomph to get her amongst some of the big names, still, she wondered if her oomph was actually big enough to get her here.
A buzz in her pocket pulled her attention down to her phone. She smiled and put down her glass, connecting her earphones as she answered the call.
“Hi, Val, not boarded yet?” Camille asked, Adalene laughing loudly in the background.
“No, not yet but about to. Did you guys reach home safely?”
“Yeah, Blake’s here and he’s taking us out for lunch.”
“Safe flight, Valerie,” he hollered from somewhere in the background. “Ada, no! Don’t eat that! What is that?”
“Candy!” Ada’s replied enthusiastically.
“We don’t have candy—Oh god, is she trying to eat Valerie’s candy lingerie again?”
“Hey, I threw that away already,” Valerie muttered, with a snicker. “Didn’t taste very good.”
“What kind of sicko gifts candy lingerie?!” her sister said, exasperated. “No, Blake, don’t throw it!”
“But it’s gross!” came the distant reply.
Valerie laughed, lowering her voice when looks came her way. She turned away from the lounge, focusing on the call. “Tell him I didn’t wear it!”
“She didn’t wear it —Adalene Vivienne Monreau! Spit that out right now, young lady! Val, babes, sorry I gotta go and deal with my child trying to eat candy lingerie.”
“Okay, okay go and save her from the underwear she’s trying to eat,” Valerie giggled.
“I think it’s part of the bra Blake threw away.”
“Whatever it is, save her from it.”
“Alright,” Camille laughed. “Safe flight, babes, I love you.”
“Love you too! Give my sunshine a big kiss from me.”
“Will do— Ada! Stop it, already—”
Click.
Valerie put her phone away, still chuckling to herself. She just managed to finish off her drink before the announcement to board came on. Grabbing her things, she neatly tucked away her trusty notebook before heading in to board the plane that would take her towards a new, exciting adventure. Or so she hoped.
Chapter 2 - Off to Vega Island, Pt. 1
Now that Valerie was seated on the luxurious plane, the excitement that had been quietly brewing within her started to bubble up, threatening to spew all over like a school kid going on a field trip for the very first time. This was not the first exciting thing she’d ever done, but it was perhaps the most lavish.
She’d travelled before, and even flown first class, but this was an entirely new experience for her. Here she was, little old her, sitting on a private jet, invited personally by Mr. Ruben Reed, for reasons unknown, but still! She wasn’t exactly sure what event he wanted her to record—because why else would he invite a journalist?— but she hoped that whatever inspired him to… continued to inspire him even after they met.
Hmm, perhaps it would do her some good to review the little research notes she gathered before coming to the airport. Sparing a glance around as people took their seats, she pulled out her phone, deciding against being too reporter-ish with her notebook while on a flight with big-shots. It wouldn’t bode well for her to get them all skittish around her.
Pulling up the research document she’d worked on all week, she scrolled through, reading back on Ruben Reed and those around him— the ones most likely waiting for them on the island.
Ruben Reed, according to the public, was an elusive billionaire with a brilliant mind and a kind heart. Now that wasn’t something you saw everyday. He wasn’t much for giving interviews, especially in the recent years and his only appearances had to do with science or tech-related events across the globe. Valerie wasn’t very surprised that the man had mellowed out both in personality and out of the public eye — not after the way the media tore into him when he got exposed for seeing one of his students back when he was a professor at a university. It was a sad story, Valerie recalled. He and the PhD student in question were just getting serious when tragedy struck—an awful accident while hiking on Mt. Everest. Ruben survived, but the woman… didn’t.
Valerie felt sympathy for him, unlike for Sion who was the cause behind the car accident, because she’d heard many a tragic story of terrible, terrible accidents while hiking up the Mt. Everest. She shuddered at the thought of that mountain and its famous “death-zone”.
Aside from his sad past, Ruben Reed also had a rather interesting one - a record of how he broke out of a government-paid contract by paying a hefty price on the exit. It made him rather disliked by the government which explained all his operations being based abroad. He was an interesting man, one that Valerie found herself really looking forward to meeting.
And like the interesting man he was, he also seemed to surround himself by other interesting people.
People like Harlow Gray, who once had a reputation of getting fired from most of the kitchens she ran, yet was a renowned chef, the youngest to ever earn a Michelin star. No one had wanted her, especially not while she was burning bridges while running wild on a life full of vices, but Ruben gave her a chance. Perhaps somewhere along the lines of her life after that, she’d decided to change. Now, she participated in industry events and apparently exuded a different type of energy, much to everyone’s delight.
Valerie scrolled down the document, to where she’d attached gossip-site tabloids—on how Harlow was an addict and had gone through rehab. Though it was a shame that such a dark past hung over Harlow’s reputation, Valerie only hoped that the woman was doing better for herself now, and that she’d continue doing well. She knew how difficult it was for a person to go through that, and Harlow’s story hit a little close to home.
Camille’s smiling, laughing face flashed for a moment in her mind’s eye, and Valerie let out a slow, meditated sigh, reminding herself that everything was okay now. Adalene existed, and Camille was happier and healthier than ever before.
Someone took a place at the seat next to hers and she looked to see who—
Valerie blinked up at the bored, unimpressed expression on Jordan Quinn’s face as he took a seat, barely sparing her a glance.
“Hi.” She managed, her heart thumping in excitement and delight. This was an interesting addition to the fancy-schmancy guestlist.
He grunted in response and then leaned back, closing his eyes. Valerie peeked around him to subtly check out who was seated in their aisle, and if anyone new joined them. She hadn’t seen Jordan walk in back at the lobby nor when she boarded, but then again, she was the first to get on anyway.
As the plane finally prepared to take off, Valerie put away her phone and leaned back to enjoy the view, barely holding herself back from smiling like a crazy person. She had a feeling interesting things were going to happen, perhaps much sooner than she expected.
✽
“Is that any good?”
Jordan lowered his glass, giving her a sideway glance. “What?”
“Drink,” she said, waving towards it. “Is it any good?”
He took another sip, barely hiding a scoff. “It is to me.”
Well, wasn’t he a fun fellow. Then again, he did have a rather snarky, rock-star reputation and with a cult following to boot. Jordan Quinn was a famous, eccentric fashion designer, known far and wide for the prestigious clothes he made—perfectly tailored suits in particular. She’d read all about him during her first steps into the journalism world, and had been keeping up with him as the years went by. In a way, he was someone she enjoyed quietly rooting for, a man who made his name in the ruthless fashion world. She’d also heard quite a bit about his personality, so she sort of knew what was to expect.
“Moscow Mule, not a bad choice,” she lifted her own glass in cheers. “Though, I heard a Bloody Mary comes highly recommended.”
“Not one for taking recommendation from people— most of them have shit taste.”
“Have you tried it?”
“I don’t need to.”
“But have you?”
He gave her a disdainful glance. “And if I said I did?”
Wow, attitude to boot.
She narrowed her eyes slightly, cocking her head to the side. “Then I guess we can change topics.”
“Then let’s do that.” He took a sip of his drink and after a moment, gave her a pointed look. “I have. Sweeter in the air maybe, but not to my taste.”
“And there we go,” she lifted her glass in another cheer, taking a sip of her Bloody Mary. “It’s my first time trying this in the air, I think it’s nice.”
“Shit taste,” he muttered, taking a sip of his own drink. She snickered, making him pause. “What?”
“Atleast I don’t need ginger to ease my stomach.” She gave him an innocent look. “First time flying?”
His eyebrow twitched. “No,” he managed after a moment. Giving her a head-to-toe once-over, he cocked an arrogant brow. “First time flying private?”
She bit back a laugh, controlling her expression. “Yes. Do my clothes give off ‘Economy’?”
“No, your shitty taste does.”
Her façade broke as she laughed. “I tried so hard to hide it.”
“Try harder,” he encouraged, leaning back in his seat, taking a triumphant swig.
“Are you always this nice?”
He coughed, a half smile drawing on his face. “I do try.”
“It’s not very good,” she informed, offering him a kind smile. “But it’s never too late to shoot for the stars.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he replied dryly. She sipped her drink in thought as a comfortable silence settled between them. Now that they’d had a bit of a conversation starter, it opened a door to some questions she’d had about their host. She wondered first and foremost about Jordan’s connection to Ruben Reed. There must have been something she missed somewhere along the lines of her research, after all, there was just no way she could possibly search up everyone Mr. Reed had ties to.
“So,” she started conversationally, smiling up at the air hostess who came to collect their empty glasses. Once the hostess moved off, Valerie glanced over at Jordan. “How do you know Mr. Ruben? Personally, or through other exciting ways?”
“Exciting how, exactly?” came Jordan’s bored response as he flicked a lazy glance at her.
She let out a light laugh, amused by how this man just about seemed done with everything. Or maybe, he was just done with her, not that it mattered too much. “Exciting enough to get you on this plane, perhaps? Let’s start there, hmm?”
He let out a sigh like he was forced into doing a chore, unimpressed as he was by her question. “Majority of the things I find uneventful someone else may find exciting. Can’t tell you if this story is one you’d be excited by, and I’m not inclined to share.”
“Do you believe in honesty being the best policy?”
“Do you believe in not being annoying?”
“No, I enjoy irritating people, pushing their buttons and all that,” she deadpanned. “Apologies for being your opposite, but I can’t help having a positive outlook on life. You should try it sometime.”
“I am positive—”
“There you go!”
“—ly annoyed by you,” he finished. Suddenly leaning forward in interest, he lowered his voice. “Have you tried this new thing?”
“What new thing?” she asked, taken in by the bait.
“Silence. It may be the perfect finishing touch on your look.”
“A compliment from the Jordan Quinn?” she gasped, feigning being touched. “How sweet.”
He gave her a fake smile, flipping her the bird. “Go to hell…” He paused, cocking his head to the side, as if only remembering introductions hadn’t been made.
“Valerie. Valerie Monreau.”
“Ms. Monreau?”
“You’re fun, so you may call me Valerie. Or Val.” She grinned, shaking his middle finger.
He smiled, his first genuine one. “Go to hell, Valerie.”
“No thanks, I’d rather not see you there.”
✽
On the way back from the bathroom an hour later, Valerie’s eyes landed on her next target; Sutton Lee. And lucky for her, it seemed that Sutton’s seatmate had gone off somewhere, perhaps to socialise elsewhere on the plane.
“Excuse me, Ms. Lee,” she started, waving her hand towards the empty seat. “Mind if join you for a few minutes?”
Sutton looked up and then at the empty seat, smiling as she got up and reached out a hand. “Yes, of course.”
Valerie grasped the extended hand as both ladies sat down. “Thank you. Valerie Monreau, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure’s all mine. Sutton Lee… oh, but you already knew that,” Sutton chuckled. “How are you? Enjoying the flight?”
“Oh, yes, very much. It’s a fun experience so far.”
“Fun?” the woman asked, quizzically. “I… suppose so.”
“Yes, well. My seatmate is… well, anyway. I just wanted to come over and say hello. I saw you earlier in the lobby but didn’t get the chance to introduce myself. Nerves, maybe?”
Sutton nodded in agreement, eyes widening slightly. “I can understand it must be overwhelming. All those celebrities!”
“Haha, yes, and you’re one of them!”
Sutton blushed, turning her gaze away. “Oh no, don’t say that.”
“Truth must be spoken,” Valerie stated with a nod. “I must say, though, you stick out quite a bit to me.”
A friendly smile broke out on Sutton’s face, lighting up her features. “Hopefully, in a good way.”
“But of course! Who wouldn’t be interested in the beautiful and the youngest Nobel prize winner?” Valerie let out a light laugh, gesturing towards the pretty woman. “I’ve followed many of your projects, never had the chance to write for you, though. I’d have loved an opportunity to.”
“I’m flattered, thank you.” Sutton grinned, waving her off. “You’re a… journalist, I take it?”
“Nothing special, now that I’m flying with the Louise Gauthier, you know, heh.”
“But enough to get you invited by Ruben, now that’s something.”
Valerie’s ears perked up in interest. “By that, I suppose he doesn’t just invite anyone, huh?”
“Who, Ruben?” Sutton shook her head with a smile. “Ruben is intentional if anything. The fact that you’re on this plane already speaks highly of you.” She leaned forward and playfully wagged a finger in Valerie’s direction. “You better not forget that!”
“Oh, I —”
Someone cleared their throat behind her, and Valerie immediately jumped to her feet. She turned to find Thiago standing there, waiting.
“Sorry, I was just—”
“No, it’s fine, don’t worry about it.” He offered her a polite smile and moved to take his seat.
“It was wonderful meeting you, Ms. Lee,” Valerie said with a smile as she got out of the way.
“Call me Sutton,” the woman grinned back. “Enjoy the rest of the flight.”
“You, too!”
Chapter 2 - Off to Vega Island, Pt. 2
Valerie was sure she’d get kicked off the plane for bothering all these high-class passengers with her nosy little self, but she just couldn’t stop herself from stopping by Louise Gauthier’s seat. She hoped the flight attendants weren’t keeping track of her bouncing from person to person.
“Mrs. Gauthier?” she asked, hoping she wasn’t interrupting the woman from an exciting book or something. Louise had a magazine open on her lap and a champagne glass in hand, looking up quizzically.
“Yes?”
“Hi—Hello, I’m Valarie Monreau, may I… take a seat?”
Louise offered her a smile, waving towards the seat. “Sure, I’d love some company. A quiet flight can get quite dull at times.”
Valerie nearly giggled in excitement but held herself back, sliding into the empty seat. “A quiet flight? Oh, you didn’t have a seatmate?”
Louise shook her head as she put her glass down. “No, I much rather prefer having my own space.”
“Ah, I see…”
“Valerie Monreau, you said?” Lousie gazed at her thoughtfully, as though trying to place her from a memory. “I believe I’ve heard about you. Your report on criminal activities conducted by some notorious business men made headlines, no?”
Louise had read her article! Valerie fidgeted slightly in her seat, unable to keep still. “It made a bit of a splash, yes…”
“Nonsense. It made more than a splash, I’d say it caused some pretty big waves in the business world. No one had expected it. I remember reading your article, it was very well written. Well done, Valerie.”
She beamed back, warmth flooding through her body at the compliment. “Thank you, Mrs. Gauthier.”
“Fascinating stuff.”
“Speaking of fascinating…” Valerie tried her best to contain her eagerness, but her words spilled out despite her best efforts. “I’ve heard so many fascinating things about you, our great media mogul Louise Lou Gauthier.”
A smile as Louise leaned back in her seat. “Our?”
“Oh yes, I work at one of the news agencies you own. I’ve seen you visit a few times, though, only from a distance. It’s a wonderful privilege to meet you in person!”
“And I, you. How exciting, to meet one of my employees on trip to Vega Island.”
“Then, like me, is it also your first time visiting Vega Island?”
Louise let out a rich laugh, patting Valerie’s hand. “Oh, dear, oh no, it’s not. I’ve been friends with Ruben for years now, so many I can’t even keep count!” She clasped Valerie’s hand, leaning forward with a twinkle in her eyes. “Your first time, you said?”
“Yes.”
“Well, then, you’re in for a treat! Ruben takes pride in taking great care of his visitors. Let me offer you some unsolicited advice—”
“Unsolicited—no, please! I’m all ears, Mrs. Gauthier,” Valerie said, nodding excitedly. Louise laughed.
“What’s this ‘Mrs’ business? Please, just call me Lou.”
“Oh, I couldn’t, Mrs—”
Louise squeezed Valerie’s hand gently. “Hey, now, you’re making me feel old. Lou, hm?”
Warmth hit Valerie’s cheeks as she ducked her head in a shy nod. “Lou, then.”
“Perfect. Now, where was I… oh, yes, advice!” Lou patted Valerie’s hand as she leaned back, using her free hand to signal to a flight attendant who promptly brought over two new glasses of bubbly, replacing the one on Lou’s tray and handing one to Valerie.
“Advice for Vega Island?” Valerie asked quizzically.
“Yes, take this trip as more of a… networking event that just so happens to be a vacation.” Louise clinked glasses with Valerie. “You’re in with the big boys now. Take advantage and enjoy yourself, I know I will.”
Valerie giggled as she took a sip of her drink too, liking the woman already.
“Is there anything else you’d like to know? You seem to be bursting with questions!”
“Occupational hazard, I suppose. Oh, but I do have a fun one for you!”
“Oh?” Louise raised an eyebrow. “I’m intrigued, go on.”
Valerie grinned, leaning forward. “I’ve heard so much about you, through news or through the company grapevine, and I know you travel a lot! Have you got any fun stories from one of your travels?”
Louise gave her an approving nod as she swirled the drink in her glass. “That is a fun one. Alright, hmm… let me think… well, it all becomes the same over time…. Oh! I just thought of a good one. You might want to get comfortable, shall we get snacks?”
“No, I’m okay—”
Another signal to the flight attendant and some light snacks were brought over. Valerie got comfortable, leaning back in her seat, facing Louise as she took a swig of her drink.
“So, I won’t ever forget about the time I walked around and proudly claimed that I would be just fine, perfectly fine, without an assistant.”
“Oh, no.”
“Oh, yes. I then proceeded to book a flight one week ahead, and miss out on another on the same day… but I somehow ended up accidentally witnessing an incredible historic event because of it. You can guess that I immediately myself an assistant right after!”
Valerie laughed, shaking her head. “I would hope so! What did you end up witnessing?”
Louise let out a dramatic sigh and leaned forward with a chortle. “Are you sure you want to hear it? It might be long.”
“We have time!”
“Atta-girl! Alright, where do I begin…”
✽
Valerie jolted awake when she felt her stomach drop and the world around her shake. She blinked rapidly, trying to blink her sleepiness away. Before she gained full consciousness, the turbulence ended and everything was once again smooth-sailing.
“That was rough,” she muttered, stretching her neck.
“First time?” came the snarky remark from beside her. Valerie just continued to massage the kinks out of her neck.
“Oh, har, har. Does Vega Island have stormy clouds or something?”
“No, but the captain did say a storm was brewing, although, nothing to worry about.”
“Ah, I see, I see.” Valerie dropped her hand, peering out the window where she saw nothing but dark clouds. “Oh darn, is it going to be stormy on Vega Island?”
Jordan flipped through the pages of the fashion magazine he was reading. “Should be sunny there. Usually is around this time of the year.”
“You make it seem like you’ve been there before,” Valerie observed, pulling out a hand mirror and checking out her appearance. She’d made sure to wear smudge-proof makeup but you just never know. Camille’s voice echoed in her head and she chuckled under her breath.
“That’s because I have.”
Valerie blinked at his answer, turning towards him. “You’ve been to Vega Island before? How come?”
“Yes, and none of your business. I liked you better when you were asleep,” he muttered, closing the magazine and dropping it on the tray.
“Hmm, okay but can I ask you a question?”
“That’s all you do,” he pointed out. “How are you not tired? Is it a journalist thing?”
“It is—” she stopped, narrowing her eyes at him. “I never told you I was a journalist.”
He pulled out a newspaper article from behind the magazine, handing it over to her. It was the headline that Louise had referred to earlier. Valerie’s lips twitched as she folded the newspaper and shoved it back in its place.
“I didn’t know you could read,” she said, pretending to be surprised. He rolled his eyes, unimpressed.
“What’s your question, Valerie?”
“Well, now you know I’m a journalist—not that I was hiding it to begin with, but you’ve been a figure I’ve been following for quite a while.”
“That’s called stalking,” he said with a gasp, crossing his arms over his chest, mockingly hiding his modesty. “Creep.”
She gave him a disdainful look as she put away her mirror. “Anyway. So, I’ve read a lot about you when I first started out. Not just anyone can have the determination and drive to do and accomplish what you’ve done. I’ve always thought so, so it’s pretty great to have a chance to meet you in person… and I’ve always wanted to ask, what was it like, to first break into the fashion circles? I know those can be pretty brutal.”
“What’s this, an interview?”
“Come on, Jordan, be serious! I’m curious.”
For a moment, his lips twitched in amusement before his face look on a more serious, contemplative expression. “Well, it’s about as brutal as any job, I believe. I didn’t really look at it that way before and I don’t look at it like that even now.”
“How do you look at it, then?”
“My philosophy is more along the lines of ‘work for the life you know you deserve’. All else is confetti.”
Valerie stared at him in awe, nodding slowly as she absorbed the new information. “That’s a great philosophy, in my humble opinion.”
“Thanks, don’t really care for your opinion, humble or otherwise.”
Her eyes caught sight of the half-finished drink on his tray and she brightened. “Oh, you took a Bloody Mary? And? You were wrong, right?”
He scoffed, giving the drink a disgusted look. “I took it to prove myself right.”
“What, so you mean it’s a —”
“—shit drink.”
Chapter 3 - Hellooo, Vega Island!
Despite the dark clouds they had passed through on their way here, Vega Island was indeed sunny. So thankfully, Valerie’s bikinis had not been a waste of space, not that they took up much anyway. She glanced around at her fellow passengers, noting how they all seemed to know each other in one way or another. The fact that she hadn’t met any of them until today spiked up her curiosity even more.
A security officer was there to welcome them to the island, ushering all of them into a golf-course-like vehicle where they were then promptly driven to the Vega Island Residence, the main house on the island. The drive down didn’t take long but it was packed with great views on all sides, lush greenery on one side and the ocean on the other, a cool, refreshing breeze in the air, putting Valerie in a very good mood. There was little she loved more than spending time in the great outdoors.
“Ugh, it’s so hot,” Jordan muttered from across her, looking as unimpressed as ever. He didn’t even spare a glance around, his eyes glued to his phone, an almost clear indication that he really had been here before. She gave him a disdainful glance which totally went over his head. Actually, now that she was seated across from him, Valerie took a moment to appreciate his looks; he had a beautiful face, chiseled features with high cheekbones and a hawk-like nose. His full brows were currently furrowed together over deep-set eyes, eyes that were lined with what she assumed was kohl, adding an almost exotic depth to his overall appearance. Just then, his gaze flicked up to meet hers, and an eyebrow lifted in question.
“Take a picture, why don’t you.”
“I would but I’m afraid your ego will end up killing you.” She tilted her head to the side, giving him an appreciative nod just to annoy him. “Not bad.”
“What is?”
She gestured to her face and then pointed at him. “Your face.”
His lips lifted in derision as he gave her the bird, to which she just grinned widely and then went back to admiring the scenery.
By the time they reached the main house, Valerie was itching to explore her surroundings, eagerly looking around herself.
“You’ll break your neck looking around like that,” Lou laughed as they walked up the path that lead to the veranda of the absolutely gorgeous, luxurious lodge, looking almost too wonderful for Valerie to even begin describing it. She couldn’t even believe it was real.
“Huh?”
“Don’t worry, you’ll get plenty of time to wander around, and just to confirm,” Loud winked, “it really is as great as it looks.”
Before Valerie could respond, she noticed people stepping out onto the veranda, no doubt to welcome them. She quietly slowed down to allow the other, more important people to go first, using the time to observe the host’s people. As expected, Ruben’s right-hand woman, Polina Olenska, was there, dressed in casual attire bu doubt all luxurious brands from head to toe. She was a legend, being the longest-lasting relationship in Ruben’s life, and had been featured in every single magazine focused on women —from business to fashion. Yet, like Ruben, she rarely gave interviews. She was also one of the rare people around to make decisions and veto things, having been the second person in Ruben’s company. Many had mistaken her for an assistant, Valerie had learned that Polina was actually far more than that, and according to official information on her profile, she spoke seven languages, had two degrees and even a PhD. An impressive woman from start to finish.
Valerie watched has most of her fellow travellers seemed to bypass Polina, barely even giving her a glance. Only Sutton received a hello from her, making Valerie wonder if there was bad blood amongst them or they simply did not consider Polina as anyone special. Sion said something to Polina which earned him an eyeroll, but Valerie was too far to catch what had been said.
Harlow Gray, the chef, was there as well, a polite smile fixed in place as she greeted the guests alongside a tall, handsome man, Neev Liraz, Ruben’s Head of Security.
“Hello, Ms. Monreau,” Polina greeted as Valerie stepped up after the others moved off the side, talking amongst themselves. “Welcome to Vega Island.”
“Thank you. It’s an honour to be here,” she said with a smile. Polina gave a curt nod, allowing her to move past to say hello to Harlow and Neev. “Hi, Valerie Monreau.”
“Yes, we know,” Harlow said with the same polite smile. “Welcome. Harlow Gray.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” Valerie murmured, distracted as she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She turned to offer Neev her hand, looking down for a moment. A warm, strong hand held her steady as she pulled out her phone with her free hand, hitting the mute button.
She looked up, tucking her phone away. “Sorry, hi, Valerie Mon…reau...”
The first thing she noticed was that he had dark, intelligent eyes, and that they were rather soulful. She hadn’t seen many with eyes like that.
The man smiled, his eyes crinkling a little in the corner, causing her brain to short-circuit for a moment, surprising her. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance. Neev Liraz.”
“Ah, yes, the pleasure’s mine.”
The man was far more attractive in person than he appeared in the pictures she’d seen of him. Neev was one of the person of interest she found around Ruben, in being that there wasn’t much she could actually dig up about him. She knew that he’d been on Ruben’s team for over five years and has been the head of security for three. In the reports she’d read about him, she learned that he had been trained in the Israeli forces, been a cop for quite and while, had previously worked with the US Marines and even participated in strategic missions in the Middle East. Those are all things she’d learned through public information and the ones she got from asking her colleagues and other various connections was that this was his first security position, and he’d apparently been discharged from the Army. According to the data she got, it was assumingly because he was a step or two away from becoming a whistleblower. Aside from that, out of all the digging she did on him, his age was the only thing she found out. The man was shrouded in mystery. Either he kept it so, or he simply had a lack of digital footprint in the world.
Just then, the veranda doors opened and the man himself, Ruben Reed, stepped out with a warm smile in place, and in the company of a serious-looking man in military uniform. Valerie’s eyes widened slightly as she recognised him; Leon Blake, an admiral already at the age of 45. According to what she’d heard about him, he was a private man, callous and unapologetic with very little diplomacy running through his veins. As his gazed flickered over the group, his stoic expression told Valerie that he was not in a very good mood.
“Welcome, welcome. I trust you all had a wonderful flight?” Ruben moved around the group, all smiles and shaking hands with everyone. His eyebrows lifted as he reached Valerie, shaking her hand warmly. He moved off to the next person, and Valerie only then noticed that his smile wasn’t reaching his eyes and if anything, it seemed that both he and the admiral were trying to maintain a poker face. Key word: trying.
“Leon Blake,” the admired muttered as he shook her hand, eyes tight.
“Oh, uh, Valerie Monreau.”
He dropped her hand before she finished her introduction, already moving on to someone else, looking more and more tensed as the greetings went on. She stepped back to allow the group to make small talk, content on just looking on from the sidelines. Ruben Reed seemed to recognise her when he greeted, but aside from that, she couldn’t tell what was going through his mind.
✽
“This is the Opal suite,” Neev said, gesturing to the beautiful cabin standing before them, greenery shrouding it on either sides, but looking more in place with the nature than against it.
“Wow, are those solar panels?” she asked, stepping back so she could take a better look at the panels mounted on the oakwood coloured roof. Neev nodded .
“Yes, the cabins are all built to be sustainable and meant to fit into the flora of the island.”
Valerie gazed around, mesmerised. “How wonderful.”
“I’m glad you like it. Here is your electronic key combined with your fingerprint. You should have no problems getting in.”
“Fingerpri—” she stopped herself as Neev glanced over in question. “No, nothing. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Feel free to freshen up and we’ll—”
“Uh…”
“Yes?”
“The others… um, do they all know where to go?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, Jo—Mr. Quinn and a few others took off before the rest of us, so I was just wondering…” Valerie said quietly, suddenly embarrassed for sounding like the total newbie that she was. “What if they get lost… or something.”
Neev looked at her for a few moments and then burst into laughter. “Lost? No, I assure you they know where they’re going. Don’t worry, they’re simply heading to their regular rooms.”
Valerie’s cheeks warmed as she cleared her throat. “Oh, I see. Well, then. I’ll just go in and ah, freshen up.”
“Alright,” he said, eyes twinkling with amusement. “Well, have a good rest.”
Valerie scampered off to her suite, hastily beeping in her card so she didn’t ask more dumb questions about the very obvious regulars of the island.
✽
“So dinner was nice, huh?”
“Yeah, chef Harlow really lives up to Michelin star reputation! The food was incredible. And everything was catered for people’s dietary needs. How cool is that?”
“Very cool… and very bougie. Did you interact with everyone there?” her sister’s voicecame out from the phone on the floor as Valerie worked through unpacking her clothes. She didn’t bring all that much, so it wasn’t too much of a hassle. She hung up most of her clothes in the spacious closet, admiring the sight of her attires in such a fancy wardrobe. Valerie herself wasn’t struggling and lived a comfortable life, but this was such a…. rich experience was really the only way she could describe it.
“I talked with some people, and oh I had a really nice conversation with Mrs. Gauthie—”
In the background of Camille’s call, she heard Ada kicking up a fuss, and she immediately dived down to grab her phone.
“What’s wrong with Ada? Why she crying?”
Camille sighed as the crying got closer. “It seems that she’s catching a cold. She was sniffly all day at lunch, so now she’s throwing tantrums about all sorts of things.”
“Where’s Auntie Val?” Ada’s voice cried out. “I want to play with Auntie Val. She said she was gonna take me to the aquariuuuuum!”
“Ada, honey, Auntie Val will take you when she comes back, okay?”
“Noooo! I want to go now!”
“Camille, switch to video,” Valerie said, propping her phone up on the dresser. There was some rustling on Camille’s end and then her sister’s face showed up, along with Ada’s angry face. “Hellur, my little sunshine. I’ll take you to see the fishies when I come, I promise.”
Ada came towards the screen, sniffling. “Can’t you come back now?”
“No, sadly, it’s nighttime and Auntie Val is really sleepy. Besides, the aquarium will be closed now.”
“But you saaaid….”
“I know, I know… but hey, your mom told me you’re sick. It won’t be fun going to the aquarium while you’re sick, right?”
“It will!”
“I’m telling you, it won’t. Okay but enough of that, tell me, did you practice that dance I showed you the other day?”
Ada sniffled, taking on a guilty expression. “Um… no.”
Camille feigned a shocked gasp. “What? But you were looking forward to performing it at daycare next week.”
“Tsk tsk tsk, that won’t do. Come on, let’s practice together!” Valerie did a little jiggle.
“Now?” Ada asked.
“Now. Come on, let’s get mommy to put on the music. Come on mamas, let’s go!”
“Okay!” Ada said excitedly. “Mommy can we—”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m putting it on now,” Camille said from somewhere in the background. Within a few moments, the familiar music filled the air, and Valerie hummed along, stepping back so that she had enough room to dance along.
“What about your neighbours?” Camille asked when she returned.
“Don’t worry, I’ve put you guys on a low volume so it’s not loud at all. Besides, the cabins are far from each other, I doubt they’d hear anything. Ada, you ready?”
“Ready, Auntie Val!”
“Alright, let’s get ready to boogie!”
