Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

The secretary quickly brought the person in. Gemma immediately recognized her-it was the swaitress from Christmas Eve.

She forced herself to stay calm. Just because she recognized the girl didn't mean the girl would recognize her. After all, the waitress served countless customers daily. How could she possibly remember each one? Even as she reassured herself, her fingers clenched tightly, refusing to relax, and her brows furrowed under a heavy cloud of worry.

The young woman looked to be in her early twenties, not much younger than them. It was clear that she was nervous, stepping into such a large company for the first time.

"Um... may I ask why you calledhere?" she asked hesitantly.

Mona glanced at her. "We apologize for calling you over so suddenly, but something happened, and it's related to the hot drink served on Christmas Eve. We were hoping you could help us shed slight on it." "Help you? Me?" The girl seemed puzzled. She couldn't imagine how a waitress like herself could be of any help. "Yes," Mona confirmed. "You don't have to do much. Just tell us what happened that night. How's your memory?" The girl's face lit up with a touch of pride, her red lips curving into a smile. "Other things I can't guarantee, but my memory is excellent. I was top of my class in school because of it. I never forgot anything the teacher said. But..." Her voice trailed off, and her expression dimmed.

"But what?" "But my family's financial situation was bad. My dad passed away early, and my mom has been bedridden for years. I also have a younger brother. We didn't have money, so I had to drop out of school and start working odd jobs," she said with a sigh.

Mona nodded. "I understand. Since your memory is so good, can you tellwhich of these two was the person who cto your shop that night?" Mona pointed to both Heather and Gemma.

The girl's gaze shifted between the two women. When her clear, bright eyes landed on Gemma, Gemma's heart pounded violently.

"It was this lady," the girl said, pointing directly at Gemma without hesitation.

Mona's lips curved into a smile. "Good. You're not mistaken." "Of course not. My memory is always reliable. I'm certain I haven't seen the other lady before," the girl replied truthfully.

"Do you also remember what she ordered that night?" Mona pressed further.

The girl paused, appearing to think, though in truth, she already knew the answer. The atmosphere felt odd, as if the drink in question held significant importance.

After carefully replaying the memory in her head, she finally answered, "A freshly blended hot drink with banana and mango." Gemma's face turned pale. She hadn't expected the girl to remember so clearly. "You're lying! I only ordered banana. I didn't ask for mango. You serve so many customers every day-you must have made a mistake." If the waitress admitted to being wrong, the matter would blow over, and Gemma could avoid punishment.

But the girl was indignant. "I'm not lying. It was Christmas Eve, and I remember it very clearly. It snowed heavily that night, and it was already late. There were hardly any people on the streets.

"Our shifts are staggered. I had just started mine, and you were the third customer I served that night. At first, you asked for banana juice. I said okay. But then you hesitated for a few seconds and toldto add mango. I agreed. Then you askedto add milk as well." Gemma silently cursed her bad luck. Why did she have to encounter someone with such a sharp memory? Not only did the girl remember her, but she even recalled the exact sequence of events.

"I said banana juice. The mango was something you added yourself. You must be remembering it wrong," Gemma argued.

"Miss, perhaps you're the one who's mistaken," the girl countered. "That night, you had your hair down and wore a black overcoat that reached past your knees. Inside, you had on a beige turtleneck sweater, and you were wearing Chanel earrings. I couldn't see your shoes clearly, though.

"I remember your outfit in such detail. How could I possibly forget what you ordered? Besides, we always prepare drinks according to the customer's requests. If you asked for banana, why would I add mango on my own? We'd get in trouble with the boss for doing such a thing." The girl listed every detail of Gemma's appearance that night. Gemma was stunned into silence. She had met her match.

"Manager," Heather interjected, "I can vouch that Gemma wore exactly that outfit that day. Not just me- everyone else in the office can confirm it too.

"If the girl can remember every detail of Gemma's clothes, how could she possibly forget what Gemma ordered?"

If you're loving the book, nel5sis where the adventure continues. Join us for the complete experience all for free. The next chapter is eagerly En waiting for you! Gemma felt her face burn with shame. Heather's words only confirmed the waitress's accuracy. Mona's icy gaze fell on Gemma. "Gemma, do you have anything else to say?"

Gemma lowered her head, stammering, "Manager, I was momentarily foolish. Please letoff this time. At the time, I thought the mango drink tasted better sq added it. I didn't mean for Candy to have an allergic reaction. Besides, didn't the product launch still go smoothly? There wasn't any real harm done. Can't you just let it go this once?" "Even now, you're still trying to lie your way out of this," Mona said coldly. "I won't waste my breath with you. Pack your things and go to the finance department to collect your paycheck for this month." "Manager, I didn't mean to-" Gemma pleaded, her voice trembling.

"Whether you meant to or not doesn't matter to me. This is how it will be handled," Mona declared firmly.

Gemma left in defeat, her head hanging low. As she looked around the bright, bustling office, she felt a pang of regret. She didn't want to leave this place. Determined, she headed toward Aurora's office. Heather, who had planned to escort the waitress out, noticed Gemma's move and frowned. What was she up to now? "Heather, please follow me," Heather told the waitress.

"Is there something wrong with the drink from that night?" the girl asked nervously.

"Don't worry. Just tell the truth," Heather reassured her as they entered Aurora's office together.

Aurora was busy with paperwork when Gemma barged in. Her calm gaze swept over Gemma. "What are you doing here?" she asked coolly.

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