The Mafia Prince's Redemption

Clarisse smiled at the customer after giving her the change for her purchased item.

"Thank you for coming by at Everyday Convenience Store, please come back again!" she said goodbye to the customer, with a smile.

When the lady customer finally left the store, Clarisse went to one of the shelves which is full of packed pastries. She checked the expiration date one by one and she started to put some breads on her plastic bag when she sees that it will expire three days from now. Clarisse suddenly stood up when she heard the door opens, which means that another customer walked in at their convenience store. She stood up, walk towards the cashier counter, and greeted the customer with a big smile.

"Welcome to Everyday Convenience St----!" Clarissa wasn't able to finish what she was about to say when the man suddenly collapses infront of her.

She was too shocked to move at first, but she was able to recover from her shock after a few seconds. She quickly went towards the man who was half-conscious.

"Sir, are you alright?" she asks the man.

The man just groaned in return, while his eyes are tightly closed.

Clarissa stared at the stranger. His face was white as a sheet. He is also sweating a lot, and he is shaking uncontrollably. Her eyes roamed around his body, as she tries her best to search for any clues about this man. She then saw a gold colored ID bracelet. She softly gasped when she found our that it was a medical ID bracelet, which has some important information, such as his medical condition. She found out that the man has a condition called hypoglycemia. She also read certain names of medicine, his allergies, and his emergency contact as well. As she is a fan of medical television dramas, she somehow knew about the first aid for hypoglycemia. She quickly went to the nearest candy shelf, got one big piece of candy, unwraps it, and places it inside the stranger's mouth. Afterwards, she started calling the ambulance.

"Hello, I would like to request an ambulance. There is a customer at our convenience store who suddenly collapsed, and based on his bracelet, he is suffering from hypoglycemia. Let me tell you our address..."

After Clarisse finished talking with the emergency operator, she quickly called the emergency contact that was engraved on the man's bracelet. She was able to talk to a man with a deep and scary voice, and she gave him the address of the convenience store. After making all the necessary calls, she puts back her attention again to the stranger. She heaved a sigh of relief when the she noticed that there's color on his face again, he's not that sweating as before, and his shaking movements finally stopped. It means that the candy somehow helped the man. The only thing that they need to do is to wait for the ambulance to come and to wait for his emergency contact to arrive as well.

Clarisse saw the stranger open his eyes, and he was saying something that she wasn't able to understand. She moved closer to the man as she tries to understand what he was saying.

"T-Thank you..." the man said in a whisper.

"You don't need to worry, Sir. The ambulance is coming soon. I've already called your emergency contact as well." Clarisse tries to reassure the stranger.

The man was about to say something more, but he wasn't able to do so because the paramedics already arrived, and everything just went so fast. The man was put in a stretcher, and at the same time, another man, who's about the same age just the the patient, suddenly followed behind the stretcher. Clarisse heaved a sigh of relief as she watches the ambulance car drive away. She pretty sure that the stranger is going to be alright. She then decided to go back to work and assist the customers who are now entering the convenience store...

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Few days have passed since the incident. Clarisse is doing her job at the convenience store without encountering any problems. And just like what she usually do, she is now busy collecting all the food that are going to be expired three days from now. She plans to collect them all, as she is planning to being it to Sunshine Homes. It's an orphanage where she grew up. She's going to give all the food to the children there... She suddenly stops moving when he heard a serious, baritone voice behind her.

"Excuse me, Miss. Are you Clarisse Marshall?"

Clarisse wheeled around to see who was talking to her. She saw a certain man who's wearing sunglasses, and he is frowning at her. She can also see a medium-sized dragon tattoo on his neck, and he is wearing a dark suit at the middle of summer. She thought that this man looks weird, but he is still a customer.

"Yes, sir. How can I help you?" Clarisse politely asks the man.

Man: "My Boss is inviting you to have dinner with him this evening. He'll be extremely pleased if you say "yes."

Clarisse's eyes met in a frown after she heard this stranger who's standing infront of her. She doesn't have any idea what he's talking about. Who is this man's Boss? And why does he wants to have dinner with her?

"I'm sorry, there must be a misunderstanding here. I don't know who you are, and I don't know who's your Boss is." Clarisse stated.

"I'm sorry for the late introductions. I'm Johnny Croone, and my Boss' name is Michele Montserrat. You saved my Boss' life few days ago when he was suffering from a severe hypoglycemia." the man gallantly introduces himself.

Clarisse finally remembers the man that she helped few days ago. She can still clearly remember how bad his condition was, but good thing the ambulance just came on time. He can also remember the man standing before him, because she was the emergency person of the patient.

"Oh, right! I can still remember him! How is he now? Is he alright?" she finally remembers.

Mr. Johnny Croone smiled at Clarisse.

"My Boss is still alive and kicking, and it's all thanks to you. If you didn't help him, who knows what will happen to him." he relayed.

"I am glad and relieved that I was able to help him." Clarisse smilingly responded.

"My Boss wants to show his appreciation to you, so that's why he wants to invite you for a simple dinner. Please, accept his invitation dinner..." John Croone finally said his intentions.

"There's no need for him to prepare a dinner for me. A simple thank you is enough." Clarisse politely rejects the invitation.

"I'm sorry to say this, but my Boss doesn't take "no" as an answer. My Boss is known to be very persistent, and he'll just let me come back until you say yes..." John Croone insisted.

Clarisse: "But-----!"Clarisse wasn't able to finish his sentence when Johnny Croone spoke again.

"To sincerely show how thankful my Boss is because you saved his life, he also donated a generous amount of money amounting to one million dollars at the Sunshine Orphanage. That's where you grew up, right?" John Croone gave her more information.

Clarisse's eyes widened in shock after she heard Johnny. Why does his Boss knows about her background and how did he know about the orphanage?

"Wait, how did you know about Sunshine Orphanage?" she asked, while looking obviously shocked.

"If you want to know the answers to your questions, you should accept my Boss' dinner invitation." John Croone smilingly said, instead of answering her question.

Clarisse fell into a deep thought as she's trying to assess the situation. She's having second thoughts of being with a total stranger, as she doesn't have any idea what will happen to her. However, there are many CCTV cameras around the convenience store, and it will serve as an evidence on who she talked with if something bad happens to her...

She really wants to know the "so-called-Boss," and she wants him to get back the money that he donated at the orphanage. If she doesn't accept the dinner invitation, Johnny will just keep on coming back until she says yes. But once she accepts the dinner invitation, the man won't pester her anymore, and they can forget everything.

"Okay, I'll come with you." Clarisse finally made her decision.

"Good choice. I will pick you up at 9pm, right after your shift ends." John Croone gave her further instructions.

"Wait, how do you know almost everything about me? Oh, nevermind. I don't want to hear the answer..." she just have to wait for the day she will meet the so-called Boss.

"It's settled then. Please be ready at exactly 9pm."

After a few moments, Clarisse watched Johnny exiting the convenience store, while looking bewildered. She wondered what kind of person is Michele Montserrat... Well, she will find out about him once they have dinner together, face to face.

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Later that night, Clarisse is now endorsing the night shift to her fellow colleague, Lara. She's giving her some last-minute instructions, then afterwards, she finally said goodbye. As soon as she steps out from the convenience store, a sleek-looking black limousine suddenly stopped infront of her. A chauffer who's wearing a black suit and tie suddenly appeared and walks towards her.

"Good evening, Miss Clarisse Marshall. I am Thomas, and I'm going to be your personal chauffer this evening. As instructed by our Master Michele Montserrat, I'll be driving you to the dinner venue." The chauffer politely informs her.

"Err... Nice to meet you, Mr. Thomas. Where are we going?" Clarisse inquired.

"We're going to a very private place, and I'm afraid I can't disclose the location for privacy and security reasons. But I can assure you that it's a very safe place." the chauffer gave her an assurance.

"Uh, okay then. I'll trust you. Shall we go ahead now?" asked Clarissa.

The chauffer politely opened the door for her. Once Clarisse is inside the limo, she can help but to feel amaze when she saw numerous bottles of expensive. And at the same time, she also saw a tray laden with big and fresh-looking fruits such as apple, oranges, pear and who knows what are the other fruits there. There were also some slices of cheese, crackers, and high-quality ham. She's not really a wine drinker, and she is unfamiliar with rich people's food so she decided to not touch or eat anything...

After a few minutes, the limousine stopped at a modern high-rise building located at an expensive-looking Metropolitan City. Clarisse steps outside from the limousine, and stared at the building with her mouth open...

She was greeted by two tall and big-looking man who are wearing sunglasses and they are also wearing black suits...

"Welcome to Athena Palace, Miss Clarisse Marshall."

Clarisse: "T-Thank you."

"Our Boss have been waiting for you. Please follow us. This way, please." the two bodyguards escorted her.

Clarisse tries to hide her nervousness while she's trailing behind these two bodyguards. The three of them are walking inside the lobby. And once they reached the elevators, one of the guards started talking to her again.

"The elevators on the left side are for all the hotel guests. We have a special elevator for our Boss, and we're going to use that." Informed the first bodyguard.

"But it's all the same---!" Clarisse wasn't able to finish her sentence when the man spoke.

"We're just following our Big Boss' orders." responded the second bodyguard.

Clarisse decided to shut her mouth and not say anything else. Anyway, she's pretty sure what they are doing. They stepped inside a gold-colored elevator. She was secretly impressed by the elevator's interior design.

"In case you're wondering, everything and every corner of this elevator is made from gold." one of the guards informed her, much to her amazement.

Clarisse's jaw almost dropped halfway to the floor when she heard the trivia about the elevator. She can't believe that it's possible to own an elevator which is made from gold! She can't help herself but to feel amazed once they reached penthouse where Michele Montserrat is waiting for her. She feels like she's inside a dream. Everything about this place is beautiful, and she feels like she's doesn't have the right to step into this wonderful place! Everything about this place screams of money!

After a few minutes, they have finally reached the penthouse. Clarisse feels like she stepped inside one of the pages of an Architecture's Digest Magazine! She can't help but to be fascinated by everything that she sees inside! The penthouse's interior design screams of wealth and elegance. It was a spacious place, and she only see this kind of place in one of the Hollywood movies. The glass walls offers a clear view of the Metropolis, and everything looks so beautiful and majestic.

"Michele Montserrat got some good taste when it comes to interior design and choosing the right furnitures." Clarisse whispered to herself.

Clarisse was busy looking around, and she didn't realized that someone has been watching her from afar.

"I hope you like everything you see in my office."

Clarisse almost had a heart attack because of shock when she heard someone talking behind her. She quickly wheeled around and she is finally standing face-to-face with the man she saved few days ago. She forced herself to look at the man straight in the eye. Her eyes instantly surveys the man who is standing infront of her. She finally has a close encounter with Mr. Michele Montserrat. He looks immaculately fresh and clean. He is giving out this Big Boss vibe with his almost perfect suit and tie. His almond shaped eyes are looking back at her, as if he's reading what's on her mind. That's why she feeling overly conscious while she is standing infront of Michele Montserrat. Mr. Montserrat got a straight nose, and it ends up with a curvy tip. Her eyes surveyed the man's lips as well... He got kissable lips! Her eyes went down to his razor-like jawline. This man can kill a huge population of women with his looks!

Her train of thoughts stops in a halt when she heard the man's voice again.

"I hope you're satisfied with what you see." she heard that baritone voice, and there was a hint of amusement on his voice.

Clarisse blushes furiously like a steamed crab. She must have looked so stupid while he caught her staring at him.

"I-I'm sorry." she timidly said.

"You don't have to be sorry. Anyway, I've been looking forward to meet you today. Please do take a seat and make yourself comfortable. Can I offer you anything like coffee, juice or tea?" Michele Montserrat offered.

"A cup of coffee would be nice, thank you very much." Clarisse shyly responded.

"And how do you like your coffee?" the man did a follow-up question.

"With lots of milk and one spoon of sugar, please, thank you." she replied again.

She watched the man make a cup of coffee. She watched his hands move while putting a teaspoon of cream and sugar, just like what she wanted. But does he really have to do it on his own? Doesn't he have a secretary or something?

"I'm sorry about what happened with my security staff, Clarisse. They must have scared you. They look intimidating but they are one of the kindest, loyal and gentle souls that I've met in my life." Michele explained.

"It's alright, they are just doing their jobs." Clarisse meekly thanked him.

"By the way, introductions are in order. I'm Michele Montserrat, and I'm the one you saved while I was suffering from the side effects if hypoglycemia." Michele finally introduces himself, as he extends his right hand towards Clarisse for a handshake. At the same time, Clarisse smiled in return.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Montserrat. I'm glad and relieved that you're doing okay now." Clarissa politely introduces herself as well.

"Let's just drop the formalities, shall we? Please call me Michele, and I'll just call you Clarisse, okay?" Michele tries to lighten up the mood.

"I think that's not a bad idea." Michele nodded in return.

"By the way, I have prepared a special dinner for you as my way of saying thank you for saving my life. I hope you're hungry." announces Michele

She doesn't know why, but she feels extremely comfortable while talking to this man. She thought that she will be intimidated by this man, but it was the total opposite. Michele shows a warm and positive personality, and it feels so good to talk to him!

"I'm actually kind of hungry, so yeah, dinner sounds good to me. But I think you didn't have to do this just to thank me. Just a simple "thank you" is enough." Responded Clarisse.

Michele gently smiles at Clarisse.

"Please allow me to do this for you. Anyway, we should go now or else the food might get cold."

"Where are we going to eat?" Clarisse curiously asks him.

Michele grinned at her in return.

Michele: "At the rooftop."

Clarisse watched too many romantic movies already, and she knows what's going to happen at the rooftop. She knows that Michele Monsterrat prepared a candlelight dinner with numerous red roses and maybe, there's some live music as well. She also knows that she'll be eating a high-class kind of meal that fits the rich and the famous. Well, having this kind of dinner with Michele Montserrat is not a bad idea afterall. Michele escorted her to go to another gold-plated elevator. After a few seconds, the elevator door opens, and they were instantly greeted by the evening wind. And just like what she expected, there's a long red carpet, and there were numerous rose petals scattered on it.

As they are walking on the red carpet full of flower petals, they are greeted with a beautiful music from the violinist. At the same time, she saw a table full of expensive-looking food and of course, there are some candles on the table as well. Michele is such a real gentleman. He pulled a seat for her. He is a sweet, gentle and kind man, which really impresses her. Clarisse feels like a princess while she's watching Michele slicing the beef steak into small pieces for her. Then afterwards, he gave the plate to her.