CHARLOTTEThe party had gone according to plan; everyone had a great time, and I was delighted to have pulled it off despite my initial doubts. It felt like, for the first time in a long while, something had gone according to plan without any hitches, and I was delighted to be part of it.As people filed out of the establishment, I settled into my office chair, sipping wine straight from the bottle. It felt like a small reward for a job well done. However, by the time I reached my second bottle, I knew leaving the office without stumbling over objects, or even people, was becoming increasingly unlikely.I giggled at the thought of falling over things, but knew it would be a terrible sight for everyone involved to watch their new manager embarrass herself because she couldn’t hold her alcohol. That was why I had stuck to drinking only a few glasses while the party was in full swing. Now that I was certain everyone had enjoyed themselves, it was time for my little celebration.When I le
CHARLOTTEWhen I opened my eyes, the car had slowed to a halt in front of a building. The air felt different - oddly familiar. I was too drowsy to look around and assumed it was the alcohol creating the effect I wanted when I started drinking. Without much thought, I went back to sleep.A light tap on my shoulder stirred me. I tried to open my eyes, but muttered something incomprehensible instead. The last thing I heard was Thiago’s chuckle before I felt my body being lifted from the seat.“Can’t let you fall asleep here. Let’s get you somewhere comfortable,” he said softly.Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my head against his chest.His scent filled my senses as I drifted into a semi-conscious state. Unlike me, reeking of alcohol, he smelled different. A blend of something sweet and musky. I tried to identify the scent, but surrendered to the pull of sleep again.Time blurred as I slept. When I tried to open my eyes again, I realized I was no longer in his
CharlotteAfter spending some time moving around the house, I decided I was ready to read what was in the folder. I walked to the room, grabbed the file from the bedside table, and moved to the couch in the middle of the room.The first few pages contained what seemed like legal jargon I’d need a lawyer to properly interpret, but I kept reading. Soon, I got the hang of it, though I wasn’t sure I completely understood what was happening - until I got to the sixth page.At the bottom of the page was a highlighted section that showed my parents’ names as the owners of a property and detailed how the ownership had been illegally transferred to a member of the Narhzy family.The next line was a court order stating that the property should be returned to “… Charlotte Naomi Edwards within weeks of this…” I started reading out loud, and my eyes widened in surprise.I let go of the file, and its contents scattered to the ground as a gasp escaped my lips. I stared at the papers for a few minute
ELENA "Hello, Thiago," I said, trying to steady my voice as he came out of the shadows. My heart beat against my chest with every step he took, and the closer he got, the less sure I was that I'd be able to maintain my composure. "Why are you here?" "What? Milan is like home to me too. I can't come over to see my family and friends for a bit?" he said with a crooked smile as he walked toward me. We were standing in the middle of an abandoned warehouse with high windows and no wind beating against the sheets, yet I felt a cold shiver shoot up my spine.I hadn't seen Thiago in a long time, technically, since the last trip we had, and I had deliberately spent my entire time in Milan putting that experience behind me.I had chosen to forget what it felt like, smelled like, and the steps that led to making that decision. But now that Thiago was standing in front of me, my brain turned to mush. The closer he got, the colder I felt, and my thoughts flew all over the place. What was h
ELENA"What if I told you all that can be in the past and we could make things right?" he asked, stepping a few paces forward. I shook my head and clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth. "Fool me once, Thiago. Shame on you. Fool me twice? Shame on me. I won't let you fool me a third time." "A third time? I don’t understand. I haven’t…" He began, confusion crossing his features. He paused, clearly thinking about what I had said. I glanced out the window and noticed the sky had grown darker since I arrived. Light still streaked into the warehouse, just enough to illuminate the puzzled expression on his face. "The first time was when you convinced me you were in love with me and had good intentions," I started. "The second time was when you got me to abandon my family and follow you to a place that didn’t feel like home. But I was determined to make it one. Until you left." "I'm never going to hear the end of it, am I?" he said quietly, and I shrugged. "You're the one
ELENA"I don’t love Rogerio," I started, pouting as I carefully picked my words. "I’m not even sure if he still has feelings for me. It would be surprising if he did, considering I left him at the altar, waiting for a bride who never showed. But… what I’m most curious about is, why now?" "Why now?" he repeated, lines forming on his forehead as he tried to understand the question. "Yes. Why are you asking me to leave now? You asked the same thing right before the wedding. And now, you’re asking again. You haven’t called me in what—years? Months? Yet, a few weeks before my wedding, you show up… here," I replied, throwing my hands up. "To convince me to leave again. Why? What’s in it for you?" "Oh…" He shifted his weight to his right foot. I couldn’t tell if he was nervous or just trying to come up with an answer he thought I’d find acceptable, but it was clear he was deep in thought. It amused me to see him struggle for an immediate answer. What had he been thinking? That he cou
CHARLOTTEI heard the doorbell ring and ran to open the door quickly. I was expecting to see Thiago, but Sonia’s face came into view, and my excitement tripled. "How long have you known about this?" I asked as a huge grin spread across my face. She stepped into the house and chuckled as we locked gazes, then feigned ignorance. "Known about what?" "Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m referring to - this," I replied, pointing to everything in the house as we moved from the front door to the living room. She maintained her expression, looking around in confusion before handing me my bag. "I don’t know what you’re talking about, ‘Signora,’” she answered, and I rolled my eyes before digging into the bag to find my phone. "Drop the act, Sonia. There’s no way you didn’t know that Thiago had gotten the house back for me. Why didn’t you say something?" I replied, glancing at my phone’s screen. I had missed three calls: one from an unknown number and two from Maria. I made a me
CHARLOTTE"Fair enough," I answered and stood up. "Did you bring a change of clothes, or can we leave now?" "We can leave. The car is outside, and you need to rest a little before you go to the club," she answered and stood up. "Alright, give me a few minutes," I said and went into the kitchen to make sure the appliances I had turned on were off. A few minutes later, we were on our way to the penthouse. ********** The club was in full swing when I arrived later that evening. The staff had been able to coordinate the activities around the club, and everyone seemed to be having a good time.The party we held the previous night had proven to be successful as the regulars waved enthusiastically when I walked through the doors, and the new faces leaned in to ask the bartenders who I was.I could tell that the replies they had gotten were satisfactory, as their eyes seemed to follow me all the way into my office. Once I had settled in, I asked Sonia to help fetch the financial rec
CHARLOTTEI sent Sonia a message telling her to give me a few minutes to wrap things up before stepping out of the office. My hands trembled as I typed each word, but I knew it had to be done or she would waltz into the building looking for me and eventually find me here.I didn’t want anyone, especially not someone who reports directly to Thiago, to know what I had stumbled upon. I stared at the device for a second, then placed it into the box. I shook my head and placed the other files on the box, but left out the one I wanted to read earlier.The conversation I listened to left me feeling very confused. I knew there had to be a reason why Thiago had been helping me, but discovering that he was part of the reason I had a terrible life growing up left me in a constant state of bewilderment.I reached for the file left on the floor and skimmed through it. Each page left me feeling numb as it contained documents giving periodic reports of my activities from when my parents died up unti
CHARLOTTERealizing that I had gone through life feeling alone and struggling through everything on my own wasn’t because I was alone in the world.Nor was it because I didn’t have a family that cared for me. It was because a group of people had decided to serve injustice on a platter and make my life a living hell to serve whatever purpose they considered proper.I stared at the file sitting in my lap as tears formed at the corners of my eyes, and memories of the life I had led flashed through my mind.Everything would’ve been easier, or at least there would have been a smidge of hope lurking in the corner, if someone from either side of my parents’ family had found me and taken care of me.I started to think about the possible reasons they would have to do something so treacherous, but I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Were they scared that I would come back seeking revenge if I had lived with a family member?Why didn’t they make my death a reality then? That would’ve been so much
CHARLOTTEThis wasn’t the time to cry. It was the time to find out why Thiago was linked to my parents’ death and why this information had never been made public.I kept reading and discovered that he had been a teenager when the accident occurred. While he had been willing to testify, his family had bought off the detective in charge of the case and silenced anyone who attempted to investigate further.I pressed my palm over my mouth to stifle a scream, glancing around the room in a panic. I couldn’t afford to draw attention to myself. My curiosity had led me to this place, and now it felt like I had stumbled into a torture chamber, each revelation cutting deeper than the last.I didn’t know how to process this avalanche of information, but I couldn’t stop now.This was just one folder. The rest of the files still lay scattered on the floor, and the shelves were lined with others. As I looked around, my stomach churned at the thought of what else I might uncover. Would I even be able
CHARLOTTE“What… How did this get here?” I muttered, picking up the picture and staring at it intently. My eyes scanned the room as waves of confusion and curiosity coursed through me.My thoughts were a jumbled mess. Where was I, and why was there a picture of my family in the company vault?One question after another sprang to mind, and as my gaze fell back onto the stack of folders scattered on the floor, I knew there was only one way to get answers.I had to go through the files in this room, every single one of them if that’s what it would take.Ignoring the dust, I sank to the floor and reached for the folder from which I assumed the picture had fallen. Its name tag bore only one word: Edwards. My family name. My voice barely above a whisper, I repeated, “Edwards,” and opened the folder.I tried to calm my nerves as I began reading, but with each sentence, my heart pounded faster. The first page contained details about my parents and their real professions, information similar t
CHARLOTTEThe next day started off well. I got out of bed early, took a bath, grabbed breakfast, and asked Sonia to book a reservation at a restaurant close to school where I would have lunch before attending the classes I had planned for the day.I intended to move around the different departments in the office, familiarize myself with the staff, their supervisors, and learn what each person contributed to the overall outcome of the company.Having a plan made me feel like I was on the right path. I moved around the apartment with a spring in my step and a sense of determination building in my heart as I prepared for the day ahead.I decided to focus on what I had in front of me and use it to my advantage rather than dwelling on what was going wrong. That seemed to be the best decision I had made in a while.I felt lighter, as though things were beginning to fall into place. When I arrived at the office, I asked for the files related to the company’s early days and the financial repo
Charlotte“Well… it might be because you’ve been with the club since its inception. You’re familiar with the system you created for it,” Sonia suggested, turning her gaze back to the road. “If you feel out of place at the firm, why not take some time to learn what makes the company tick?”I mulled over her suggestion for a moment, then chuckled lightly.“That’s a great idea, but I already have so much on my plate. I can’t imagine adding anything more to the pile…” My words trailed off as a spark of inspiration lit up in my mind.“What is it?” she asked, glancing at me briefly before refocusing on the road.I sighed, a small smile forming. “I think you’ve just given me a brilliant idea.”She looked over, her expression confused, before returning her attention forward. “I don’t know what you’re planning, but whatever it is, keep thinking about it. You already look better just talking about it,” she said with a chuckle as the car came to a smooth stop in front of the house.I reached for
CharlotteI took Thiago’s advice and decided to make the best of the situation. Surprisingly, things began to take a turn for the better.The meeting with the board exceeded my expectations; they understood the reasons behind the drop in sales and were eager to suggest solutions, even refining the ideas I’d presented.Their willingness to collaborate reignited a sense of purpose in me.After wrapping up at the firm, I headed to the university to pick up my schedule for the semester and familiarize myself with the campus.It felt strange to be surrounded by so many young people leading lives so different from mine. There was an energy here - a mix of excitement and uncertainty - but I decided to embrace it.I wasn’t ready to dive into any of the pre-formed cliques, nor was I eager to make friends right away. I resolved to take it slow and let things unfold naturally.The other classes I’d been taking to prepare myself for the semester were voluntary, but now it was time for the real de
CHARLOTTEIt had been a week since I started working at Thiago’s firm while also doubling as the manager at the club. Combining both activities had been nothing short of hectic.Every morning, I dropped by the office to review the previous day’s reports, stayed for an hour or two, and then rushed off to school for my classes, which had just begun.At night, I stopped by the club to supervise activities. I’d given up bartending for a while - it was clear that taking on that role too would be overextending myself.I also stopped spending the night at the club like I used to, knowing I needed at least a little sleep to function the next day.After a week of this chaotic schedule, I felt like I needed to drop something and focus on one thing. That morning at the office, I resolved to decide what worked best for me.Abandoning school was out of the question; I’d only just started, and giving up on something I so desperately wanted wasn’t an option.That left me choosing between the club an
ROGERIO“Elena, I assure you, I didn’t mean to hurt you or play any games. If I didn’t want to go through with the wedding, I would’ve let you know. I—”“You know, that’s what I thought for a moment,” she interrupted, pacing. “If you didn’t want to go through with it, all you had to do was call me. Did you even consider that, or was it fun for you to let me walk into the church and get embarrassed in front of everyone?”“Elena, let me explain… I wasn’t… I didn’t…” I stammered, but she stopped pacing and stepped toward me.“Since when do you stammer? Since when do you not know how to articulate yourself? Rogerio, you better say something that makes sense right now, or I swear to—” She stopped short as I raised my hands in defeat.“I was anxious!” I blurted out before I could think. I had been trying to come up with the perfect excuse, but nothing seemed adequate under the weight of her anger. The words tumbled out, unfiltered.“What?” she asked, her expression shifting to one of confus