Enrico followed Esmeralda as she left the bar, his eyes locked onto her as she boarded a bus. He quickly got into his car and quietly tailed the bus, determined not to lose sight of her.
When Esmeralda alighted from the bus, she was unaware that she was being followed. She hurried down the street leading to Mr. Gabriel's dorm.
However, Enrico lost sight of her as she entered the street. By the time he found a place to park his car, it was already too late; she was nowhere to be seen. Luckily for him, he had taken a picture of her before she boarded the bus, and he used that photo in his search. He approached several people, asking if they recognized her, but unfortunately, no one could identify her. This was largely because Esmeralda didn't interact with many people; she was too focused on her work.
Minutes ticked by, and Enrico's search yielded no results. Frustrated, he decided to enter a nearby superstore. While he was occupied inside, Esmeralda passed by with Jessica, heading straight for the bus stop.
As Jessica walked back, Enrico was being directed by the store owner to the girls' dorm. It took him a while to locate it since he wasn't familiar with the area, but he was determined to find her.
Arriving at the girls' dorm, Enrico walked in with a confident stride. He moved through the hallway, paying little mind to the stares he received from the girls. Some looked at him with lustful eyes, others were indifferent, and a few wore expressions of fright. They whispered among themselves, their hushed tones loud enough for him to hear.
"Wow! He is so good-looking."
"Is he one of Mr. Gabriel's goons?"
"His shoulders are so broad, and look at how straight his posture is."
"His face is so strong and manly. Mr. Gabriel's goons aren't this handsome."
"Oh gosh! Look at those strong, muscular arms. I bet he's acting all tough to scare us away."
"I'm guessing he is heading toward their room."
"What kind of trouble did Esmeralda get into with Mr. Gabriel?"
The comments kept coming, and Enrico felt an urge to leave. Was this a dorm or a brothel? It was disgusting!
Just a few steps away, two girls caught his attention. They seemed like friends, and one of them spoke up. "Eva, stop lusting. He is definitely a bad guy."
"Yeah, totally my type, so shut up," Eva replied authoritatively, her eyes narrowing. She was once Esmeralda's roommate and had treated her poorly.
Enrico stopped right in front of them, his expression serious. "Where can I find her?" He held up his phone, displaying the picture of Esmeralda.
Eva rolled her eyes. "Esmeralda," she spat the name bitterly. Enrico watched as all her earlier interest in him evaporated. Not that he minded. "She left."
"What do you mean she left?" He wanted to confirm that he heard her correctly.
"Ugh! I'm not interested in talking about her. Let's go get something to eat, Noelle." Eva dragged her friend away, clearly unwilling to answer any more questions about Esmeralda. Why did everything have to be about her? Even when she wasn't around, she was still the center of attention. Eva loathed her.
Enrico noticed Eva's reluctance to discuss Esmeralda and surmised that she didn't like her. But he knew how to change that little dynamic.
"Wait!" He stepped in front of them, blocking their path. "How about a little something for you and your friend?" He reached into his pocket, pulling out wads of cash. "Just tell me everything you know about her," he said, handing the money to Eva.
Eva's demeanor shifted as a smile spread across her face. If talking about Esmeralda paid so well, then she was more than ready to share all she knew. Noelle's eyes widened in disbelief; she hadn't expected Eva to accept the money, knowing how much she hated Esmeralda.
"I'm sure she must have left for her home in Mexico since she got in trouble with Mr. Gabriel," Eva said and he raised a brow in a questionable manner. "He is our boss," she went her ahead to explain. "His goons kept coming here since this evening, but they stopped when they learned she left."
"How sure are you that she left?" Enrico pressed, wanting to be thorough.
"She has no one here aside from her friend Jessica, who is her roommate. So I'm sure she must have left. You know, nobody liked her because of how proud and pompous she acted. Although she doesn't seem to have much, she still carried herself like she was high and mighty. Now look how she turned out."
Enrico coughed, trying to bring her back on course. He didn't believe her words about Esmeralda; he could see the jealousy and envy written all over Eva's face.
"I'm sorry, that's all I know. Just head to room six; her friend Jessica would know more." With that, Eva walked away with Noelle, leaving Enrico to continue his search.
He made his way to room six and knocked on the door. "I told you guys already that she left, so why do you keep coming back?" someone yelled from inside, clearly frustrated.
The door opened a few seconds later to reveal a redhead wearing a tight singlet top and bum shorts. Her makeup was half done, and she held a box of eyeshadow in her hands. Jessica looked startled when she saw the handsome man at her door.
"Are you Jessica, Esmeralda's friend?" Enrico asked.
She nodded, a bit confused. "Is there anything wrong?" She wasn't quite sure about this stranger standing before her.
"Well, I heard she left tonight for Mexico," Enrico pried further.
Jessica studied him from head to toe. He was undeniably handsome, but she wasn't sure about giving any information about Esmeralda to him. "Yeah, she did, but who are—" She didn't finish her sentence as she suddenly paused, her tension palpable.
"Maybe some other time," she said quickly, slamming the door in his face.
"Hey! Jessica, don't you dare close that door!" a guy shouted from the hallway, nearly causing Enrico to bump into him as he turned to leave.
The guy ignored Enrico completely and pounded on the door. "Jessica, open up now!" he commanded, his fist banging against the wood.
Enrico heard her voice from within as he moved away. "I don't want to see you, Van! Get the hell away from my door!" Jessica shouted.
Shaking his head, Enrico muttered to himself, grateful to be done with this messed-up place. At least he had learned that the girl he was searching for was also Mexican.
He opened his car door and settled into the driver's seat, dialing a number.
"Speak," came the voice on the other end.
"Her name is Esmeralda, and she is Mexican. She got in trouble with her boss and was sent out from the girls' dorm he owns, so now she has gone back to Mexico," Enrico explained succinctly.
"Good enough. We are flying down to Mexico tonight."
"Okay, boss." With that, the call disconnected. Enrico started the car, the engine roaring to life as he stepped on the gas pedal and sped off.