CHARLOTTESonia had left the room, mentioning she needed to update the guards on the current situation. I was glad to have a moment to myself. Lying in bed, I replayed our conversation in my mind—everything was happening too fast. I glanced at my phone, tempted to call the firm, but I couldn’t bring myself to pick it up. Someone was dead because of me, and I couldn’t shake off the weight of that reality.A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts, and Sonia re-entered.“You don’t have to stay,” I said, watching her walk to the bathroom to wash her hands. “You’ve been through quite a bit yourself. You should rest.”She stepped out, drying her hands with a towel before tossing it into the laundry basket. “I can’t leave you alone,” she replied, sitting in the chair positioned near the door. “The guards are supposed to take shifts watching you, but I figured you wouldn’t be comfortable with that.”“You’re right,” I admitted. “I wouldn’t. I just need to be alone right now to think.”So
Charlotte“What do you mean?” I asked, stepping back as the woman struggled to stand. She paused to catch her breath, then stifled a cough, but blood trickled from the corner of her lips.I glanced at Sonia, wondering if this was the reason she had been washing her hands in the bathroom earlier. She seemed like she was ready to start another session if the occasion called for it, and that scared me a little. I wondered what else she was doing that I may not have considered this the entire time.“Your presence here, Signora,” the woman continued speaking. I turned my attention back to her as she stood up slowly. I realized that her hands were tied, and the left side of her face had been badly bruised. “It’s going to stir the pot. A lot of people are going to wind up dead or missing because you can’t stay dead. It’s a shame I won’t be here to see it, but I’m sure,” she added, coughing, then chuckling. “I’m sure it would be so much fun,” she finished.“I wasn’t dead. I didn’t commit suic
CHARLOTTEI woke up to someone knocking on the door, reached for my phone, and glanced at the time. I tried to stifle a yawn as I stood up and walked toward the door. “Who is it?” I asked, placing a hand against my forehead.“Sonia,” came the reply, and I opened the door. “How are you feeling?” she asked as soon as she stepped inside.“I feel great,” I said, hesitating. “Though I’m not sure I should… with everything that’s happened.”“It’s good you focus on getting better. We can’t keep dwelling on the past. The best way forward is to look for some silver lining.” She interrupted, and I raised an eyebrow.“When did you become so optimistic?” I teased. She chuckled and shrugged.“I’ve had a few hours to think things over. Bottom line? It might be better to look on the bright side.”“What’s the…” I began, but trailed off, turning back toward the bed. “I got a message from Thiago last night,” I said, sitting down. “Is he back?”“Yes, he heard…” she started, but stopped, shaking her head.
CHARLOTTEThe activities of the previous day left me feeling weaker than I’d anticipated, but in a good way. I needed a minute to catch my breath afterward, but I was glad I did it.“How’re you feeling today?” Sonia asked as she walked into the room.I stared at her attire in confusion; she was wearing different clothes from yesterday—blue pants and a cream top I had never seen. She usually wore black, and seeing her in different colors felt strange and exciting. I realized she still had the apron on, and my face morphed into a frown. “What are you doing?” I asked, and she chuckled.“Making you breakfast. Well, everyone’s doing something as well—our way of saying thank you,” she said, folding her arms.“You don’t have to do anything in return. You already—” I started to say, but she held up her hand.“I’m sorry, we’ve been over this,” she said, and I chuckled.“Right. We have. Thank you,” I answered, and she nodded.“Do you have a plan for today?” she asked, and I looked at the clock,
CHARLOTTEWhen I opened my eyes, the car had slowed to a halt in front of a black gate, and the driver was speaking to a guard who held a large notepad. I sat up and watched as the guard shook his head and peered into the vehicle. I blinked in confusion and caught a flash of recognition in his eyes when he looked at me. He stepped back and sighed, returning to the security post to speak with his companion, who pressed a button, opening the gates.I tried to see his face as we drove past the post, but he had already moved inside, making it impossible to get a clear look. I replayed the moment of recognition in my mind, searching for a reason why he’d react like that, but nothing came to me. I shook the thought away and turned my attention to the environment as we passed trees and shrubs. Slowly, we made our way toward a building in the middle of a clearing, the pastel blue walls contrasting against the bright green landscape that surrounded us.The car slowed to a stop in front of the
CHARLOTTE“Come… come in,” I stammered, stepping away from the entrance and holding the door open for them to walk in.As they moved to different parts of the room, Sonia made a beeline for the wardrobe while the lawyer sat down on the couch opposite the bed. I peeped outside and scanned the hallway before closing the door. “Would you like something to drink? I could call room service,” I offered. They turned to look at me and shook their heads in unison.“You don’t have to do that,” Sonia said, turning to open the wardrobe door. She placed the items she was holding inside and started to lock it when she noticed the bouquet.“I’m alright,” Coleen said, setting her suitcase on the floor. I turned to her and watched as she reached into her bag, producing a notepad and a case file. “I had something to eat on my way here,” she added with a thin smile.“Are you sure?” I asked, glancing at Sonia, who had moved from her previous position to a corner of the room. She was leaning against the w
CHARLOTTE“Dafoe & Higgins,” I said as I stepped into the room. “I’ve never heard of them,” I added, glancing at Sonia, who had moved from her former position to sitting on the couch.“Yeah? I didn’t know about them either. I asked a friend for someone they could trust, and they recommended her. What do you think?” she replied. I clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth.“I think she’s too excited to do this,” I answered, and she chuckled.“Isn’t that supposed to be a good thing?” she asked, and I shook my head.“Ideally, yes. But Berkeley was excited too, and that didn’t go well for him. I guess there’s a part of me that’s still scared of things going wrong,” I admitted, and we sat in silence for a while.“It’s okay to feel that way. The best we can do to prevent anything like that from happening is to ensure our security measures are airtight,” she replied as I walked toward the bed.“Yes, we’ll do that. The first thing on the list is to stop using the same location twice, esp
CHARLOTTEMy eyes fluttered open of their own accord the next morning. I had spent most of the night half awake, lying in bed, thinking about everything that had happened. I sat up in bed, mulling over the situation. There wasn’t much I could do to change anything beyond the plans I had already laid out.An uneasy feeling tugged at the back of my mind; it felt like I could sense danger from a mile away. I chalked it up to my fears trying to cripple my will to get things done and forced myself to look past it.Sun rays streamed into the room, and I looked outside the window. Soon, Sonia would be here, and I’d have to leave. I glanced at my phone and resisted the urge to pick it up, remembering how it had been used by the Narhzys to track my location. The last thing I wanted was to give them another reason to attack. Sonia’s plan to keep them in the dark seemed like a much better idea, and I was determined to stick with it.I got out of bed, walked to the bathroom, and turned on the tap
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
ROGERIOI hadn’t planned to leave Elena at the altar until I received that message; in fact, I was resigned to my fate.As much as I hated how things had turned out, I convinced myself that I wasn’t going to track down Charlotte to confirm whatever suspicions I had.There was no use pining over a life filled with uncertainty or sulking over the road not taken - until I got that warning.The message warned me there would be a shootout at the wedding, and in all my years of being trailed by security personnel, I knew better than to treat such a message lightly.I discussed the issue with my head of security, instructing him not to inform the other guards or anyone else until we could trace the source of the message.Unfortunately, our efforts proved futile. The lead brought us to an empty, nearly dilapidated warehouse on the outskirts of Milan that was up for sale.When we inquired about the ownership under the guise of buying and renovating the property, we discovered the owners were d
ELENAAs she spoke, I zoned in and out, trying to think of how best to handle the situation my way. It seemed like she was trying harder to convince herself that what had happened was a mistake than to make me feel better.At least she stayed to console my family, unlike my own, whose reputation - now tarnished - was more important than the emotional torture their child was enduring.I inhaled deeply, closed my eyes, then exhaled slowly. When I opened them, I noticed Keisha had gotten up from her seated position and was moving toward me.It felt like she anticipated what I was about to do before the thought even took shape in my head. I stood up, bundled up my dress, and started running out of the church. She followed suit, trying to catch up with me.“Elena!” she yelled, trying to get me to stop or at least slow down. “Elena! Where are you going?”“To fix this,” I answered without looking back or slowing down. “To get to the bottom of this rubbish and fix it before it’s too late,” I