Alluring Mask

CHAPTER 22

CHAPTER 22

I sat still in my seat, watching the houses pass by as Atlas drove. We had arrived in Mexico and had come from Cancún International Airport. Our flight had been direct because Atlas had a private plane.

"I'll give you one day to rest before your training. I'll also introduce you to your trainer so you can start tomorrow," Atlas said suddenly.

He was still looking at the road while driving when I turned to look at him. I nodded slowly in response and said nothing else. The flight had taken about 16–18 hours to get here, so we were both tired.

A small smile formed on my lips when we passed a sea. It was beautiful. The water was vast, a deep blue, and the sand was very white. I also saw many shops selling souvenirs.

I leaned my elbow and arm on the lowered car window. Atlas also lowered his, so a strong wind blew into the car. I could smell the sea even though we were far away. This place was almost like an island.

I also saw buildings, and they were all mixed together.

"We're here at the El Centro of Cancún," Atlas said. "Since it's your first time here, I need to tell you about everything here in Cancún. Cancún is divided into two main areas. First is the Zona Hotelera, mostly tourists go here because of the world-class attractions and more. There are also many resorts and luxury hotels here, especially nightclubs."

I looked at him and listened to what he was saying.

"Second is the El Centro, this is the city center of Cancún, also known as Downtown Cancún. There are also some tourists who visit here if they want a local experience, and El Centro is much quieter than Zona Hotelera, that's why I prefer to stay here every time I visit Cancún."

He was right about the local experiences. It felt like I was in the Philippines, but it seemed a bit more upscale here. There were also wet markets where you could buy fresh fish and vegetables.

"It's beautiful here, Atlas," I whispered, looking at the houses we were passing.

"I know," he replied simply.

We passed a few public beaches until we reached his house. We turned off the highway onto a small road and drove straight to his house. I think it was still part of the downtown he was talking about because the wet markets were just a short distance away from where we were.

The area was also noticeably quiet. There were bougainvillea plants scattered outside each house, and they were so beautiful. A few petals were falling on the road.

We stopped in front of a large, closed brown gate. I looked up and saw Atlas's house here in Cancún. If I'm not mistaken, it was a tropical colonial villa. It was white and brown with a bit of black.

I looked down at the small brown door located on the side of Atlas's large gate. There was a small sign there with an engraving.

R.D.

Atlas Residence

My eyebrows furrowed because of that. R.D.? What does that mean? I was about to ask Atlas when he suddenly spoke into a small, intercom-like doorbell next to the gate.

"Open the gate, Oceanus."

I peeked through Atlas's window when I heard an unfamiliar voice. It was a voice that sounded like it had just woken up—a deep baritone.

"Copy."

Within a minute, the gate opened, and we were able to enter the villa. There were many plants, flowers, and even a tree in his garage. It was an open space, and the only shelter was the trees there.