Born and raised in a small town in Sardinia, Felice always felt an underlying wanderlust. Days spent in his family's vineyards left him eager for anything but, until a rash argument with his father about his responsibilities led him to mark his own path when he found his first summer job at the local hotel as a teenager. After his first experiences travelling, he settled into life back home until a chance encounter with an ostentatious entrepreneur changed the course of his life.

Mr Cossu was a flamboyant Sardinian businessman who received Felice at his estate for a job interview, only to divulge everything but the job description. Despite this, Felice enthusiastically accepted his offer of a trial period at his business based in the Seychelles. A blind date had been set with the enigmatic, minute tropical islands somewhere in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

However, fate had another plan. It took him twenty-four hours to reach his destination in the throes of a coup d'état that would impact the way of life on the island for many years to come. Despite the political upheaval, Felice quickly acclimated to the creole way of life. After a short time on the island, he accepted the job offer as assistant to Mr Floris, Cossu's associate at the SOGIS construction company, responsible for some of the largest developments in the Seychelles.

While getting used to his professional obligations, he quickly carved a life for himself in Mahé. It wasn't long until he met Helena, a native Seychellois who worked in the tourism industry. They quickly became inseparable, indulging in all the islands had to offer, from the nightlife to the culinary delights, to the intoxicating idyllic beaches.

Life in paradise soon became overshadowed by the harsh reality of President René's socialist policies that ultimately impacted SOGIS operations. Trouble lurked closer as Cossu devised a plan to sell off his assets, including his shares in SOGIS. The sudden passing of Mr Floris's partner forces a company to restructure which would leave Felice to assume more responsibilities as Head of Operations.

With resistance to René's regime mounting, the Seychellois became immersed in a culture of fear. Suspicion spread amongst the people and SOGIS was not exempt from the rampant manipulation and intimidation tactics. Felice felt trapped, strapped for cash, and frustrated by the severe delays, arson attempts, and dishonest coworkers. Like oil to a fire, a coup was staged to reinstate the former President Mancham with the airport as the battlefield. While the attempt was unsuccessful, Seychelles became cut off from the world until the airfields were repaired.

Although moments of joy punctuated the turmoil, Felice began to feel disenchanted with the islands. Seychelles was like a siren, seducing anyone who set foot on her shores – yet mayhem always followed.

Sign up now to get the most out of Books2Read

Discover something great at Books2Read.

Thanks for signing up for Books2Read notifications!