With Miranda’s assistance, the check-in process at the hotel went smoothly and efficiently. In just over ten minutes, all sixty guests had their rooms assigned, and the older men and women were being guided by hotel staff to their rooms. Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief after the last group was taken care of. One of the girls at the front desk handed Miranda a glass of water. “Thank you, Miss. If you hadn’t been here, we would’ve been in serious trouble today.” Miranda took a sip and smiled. “It’s nothing.” “These older folks, traveling without a guide, can barely communicate with us. We had no idea what they were asking for. Why didn’t their guide stay with them? This is going to be a challenge.” “Exactly,” another receptionist chimed in. “Miss, we can’t keep bothering you like this. Could you help us reach out to their guide?” Miranda nodded. It was time to contact the tour guide. A group of elderly tourists stranded in a foreign country without proper assistance was a disaster waiting to happen. Miranda understood the importance of helping each other when abroad, especially among fellow Americans. But wait, the guide had gotten into an accident—Derek was the cop she had met before. He could probably get in touch with him. Miranda pulled out her phone and dialed Derek’s number. After a few rings, the call connected, and Derek’s voice came through the line, clearly excited. “Miranda? Is that really you? You called me? I was debating whether to call you all day, afraid I’d bother you, but now you’ve called me. Am I dreaming?” Miranda chuckled softly. She had to admit, Roman had a way of expressing their emotions so openly—whether it was love or fondness, they rarely held back. Though she’d spent years in the West, she still carried that inherent reservation from her past. As much as she admired their directness, there was a part of her that would always remain reserved and introspective. “Hey, Derek. Are you busy right now? I hope I’m not interrupting your work.” “Not at all,” Derek replied quickly. “Rome isn’t as chaotic as you’d think. I’ve only had one incident today, and now I’m wrapping up, getting ready to clock out.” “Only one accident? That’s good.” “Yeah, it was a minor one. Why?” Miranda explained, “I’ve got a group of tourists here at the hotel. Their guide didn’t show up, and they’re having trouble communicating. I thought maybe you could help, since you handled the accident.” Derek hesitated, a slight note of disappointment creeping into his voice, though he hid it well. “You’re right, it was a guide involved in the accident.” “Is he still with you?” “Yeah, my colleagues are finishing up his paperwork.” “Is he hurt badly?” “No, just some minor injuries. The other party is willing to settle, so it’s being handled pretty quickly. Funny enough, the other party is also American, and they both speak fluent Italian, which made things go smoothly.” Another American? What a coincidence. “Would you mind if I spoke to him?” “Of course, hang on a second.” Miranda could hear muffled voices and some background noise as Derek handed the phone over to the guide. After a moment, a man’s voice came through the line, speaking in a thick accent. “Hello?” Miranda responded in English, “Hi, I’m calling on behalf of your tour group. They’ve arrived at the hotel but can’t communicate with the staff without a guide. They asked me to help.” The guide sounded panicked. “I thought I’d arranged for someone to take over! They didn’t meet up with them?” “It seems not. The group is mostly elderly, so they might have missed the connection.” The guide let out a heavy sigh. “I’ll head over right away. Thank you for letting me know.” “No problem. Once you arrive, just let the front desk know, and I’ll inform them to expect you.” “Thank you so much.” “It’s nothing. Take care.” After hanging up, Miranda informed the front desk that the guide would be arriving shortly. The receptionists and hotel staff all seemed relieved. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll head upstairs for some rest,” Miranda said, glancing at her watch.One of the receptionists looked at her pleadingly. “Miss, we’re so sorry to ask, but could you stay a little longer? We’ve had groups come through before, and their English is often too difficult for us to understand. Could you help out just a bit more?” All the girls behind the desk looked at her with hopeful expressions, making it difficult for Miranda to refuse. It wasn’t like the guide would take long to arrive, probably less than an hour given the size of the city. So, she agreed. To her surprise, the guide showed up in less than twenty minutes, rushing out of a car and heading straight for the front desk. “I’m so sorry! I’m the guide for the group.” Miranda raised an eyebrow. His English was laced with such a heavy regional accent that she immediately understood the receptionists’ concerns. They wouldn’t be able to communicate with him easily. The staff at the front desk exchanged puzzled glances and turned to Miranda. “He says he’s the guide,” she clarified for them. The guide recognized her voice and stepped forward. “You’re the one who called me, right? I can’t thank you enough for helping out.” He extended his hand for a handshake, but Miranda subtly stepped back, maintaining her distance. “It’s no problem.” “Still, I’m really grateful. It’s good to have fellow Americans around when you’re traveling abroad! I got into an accident today with another American, driving a Maybach, no less. I thought I was going to be ruined! But the guy turned out to be a big-shot businessman. He wasn’t mad at all, even gave me a ride over here. Turns out, he’s staying at this hotel too.” The guide nodded toward the entrance. “Look, that’s him. Doesn’t he look like a CEO from a movie?” Miranda followed his gaze toward the revolving door and saw a tall, well-built man walking in. His posture, his air of authority—it reminded her too much of Mr. Satan. But as she looked closer at his face, she realized it couldn’t be him. This man wasn’t wearing a mask and had none of Mr. Satan’s familiar features. It wasn’t him. The man approached the front desk and handed his passport to the receptionist. “Checking in, please.”