ROGERIOYou’d think my problems would go away as quickly as I wished. Well, that would disprove the relationships beggars have with horses, wouldn’t it? My job, the upcoming wedding, my life in general; everything made me feel uncomfortable. Waking up meant I was saddled with the responsibility of living like a lab experiment, someone’s fun science project. Only, I wasn’t having any fun. The lab rats never do anyway.I disliked being here and perhaps taking the offer to be in charge of the family business was the worst decision I have ever made. On a personal scale at least, if I dared to look beyond my needs, I could understand why doing it was for the greater good. But how many of these greater good projects would I have to do before I can finally do something that I wanted?“Ironic, isn’t it? One would expect the richest billionaire in the city to be having the time of his life,” I said to myself and looked around the room.When my thoughts started to follow this path, it filled me
ROGERIO“Stop the car,” I said, and the driver slowed down, parking on the side of the road. I exhaled and looked out of the window for a few minutes. Elena’s response to my question hadn’t been satisfactory, and I didn’t trust her to handle anything regarding Charlotte with any grace.I didn’t particularly care how life treated my ex-wife, but I didn’t want to be part of the problem either. I groaned and sighed in frustration. If I couldn’t get a good answer out of Elena, I had to go to the estate to see what the entire charade was about. At least for Maria’s sake, she would be happy to see me trying to resolve the issue. I heard the engine of the car carrying the bodyguards as they caught up with us and stared at me through the glass, waiting for instructions.When I left the house this morning, I was heading for the office to finish any work left from the weekend and prepare for the meeting scheduled for later that afternoon, but right now, I felt like it was important to deviate f
ROGERIO“What do you mean she left? Are you saying that just to mess with me?” I asked, failing miserably to conceal my shock.“To what end? You’ve made a mess of everything already; there’s not much I can do in that regard, is there?” she replied, rolling her eyes and then closing them.I ran my hands through my hair and sighed. “Maria, I beg you, don’t play games with me. I don’t have time for that and I...” I uttered, but she clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth.“Some nerve you have to come here, wake me up just before dawn, and insinuate that I would waste my time going in circles with you,” she interrupted, shaking her head.“Why would she leave then? Where would she go? She has nowhere to go, no family...” I began to say, but Maria opened her eyes with a look of disgust crossing her face.“Was that why you let your family and everyone else treat her like crap? Because she has nowhere to go?” she sneered, and I swallowed, taken aback by her harsh tone.“Maria, that’s
ROGERIO“Maria!” I yelled as she exited the room. My thoughts were scattered all over the place, and I wasn’t sure what to make of everything she had said. Charlotte had never mentioned she was pregnant, nor had she shown any symptoms to indicate anything in that regard, but to be fair, I wasn’t always at home.On the days I managed to stay indoors, I spent most of my time in the study, making as minimal contact as possible with her. Yes, we had our intimate moments during the first few months of our marriage, and I could remember a few times I had come back home drunk and woken up in bed with her, barely remembering the details of the previous night. Surely that wasn’t enough to… “Maria!” I yelled again and followed her.She turned around, and we locked gazes as a look of disapproval crossed her features. “There are people asleep in this house, Signor. You’d do well not to wake them up,” she said in a stern tone.“And you’d do well to answer my questions,” I uttered, lowering my tone
Elena“Sally!” I yelled, hoping the sound of music coming from above the deck would let her hear me, but she hadn’t sprinted here in her usual fashion. I knew it was pointless to keep calling out to her. Sally was the personal assistant my father had employed to practically follow me around since I returned from what he called my foolish decision to run off.I had come up with a story to explain my disappearance a few weeks before my wedding with Rogerio, but I knew that even if everyone else believed my tale of woe, he didn’t buy it. He had questions about the inability of his private investigators to find my location. Still, my mother had warned him to stop questioning me, stating that I had just gone through a traumatic experience and didn’t need to be interrogated.I knew getting my family to get off my back would be easy as pie. My main problem was getting Rogerio to accept me, but even that proved easier than I envisioned, which surprised and terrified me in a way. During the fi
Fate or Ruse?If the guests at The Hilton Hotel had been told that they would be pawns in what they assumed to be an elaborate scheme to affect the finances and credibility of the Mooze family, they would have steered clear of the establishment. Still, they could admit that no one can predict the events of the future.Never in a million years would they have considered the possibility of being held against their will in one of the most secure places in the city. Residents booked suites in the establishment due to the mere fact that it was renowned for being secure and fabulous. Now, most of them wish they had simply stayed home or tried making a reservation elsewhere.The tourists who had arrived in the city to experience the culture of the people quietly swore to never return if they made it out alive. Huddled together in an open space which appeared to be a hall used for various events, this wasn’t the holiday they were looking forward to.They sat in tense silence, apprehensive abo
CHARLOTTE“Why are they doing this?” I asked, though no one in particular. The intentions I had expressed a few minutes ago had dampened the mood further, and the tension was rife, almost tangible.I looked around, regretting my lack of tact. But given the circumstances, perhaps it was better for everyone to know the fate that awaited them. What surprised me was that no one moved from their positions or attempted to escape. I heard a few people sniffling and someone muttering what I assumed was a prayer. I turned to look at Thiago, who was still staring at the door as if expecting something different to happen at any moment.“These people you’re expecting. Do they understand the gravity of the situation?” I asked, glancing around once more. If he wasn’t bluffing, it might bring hope to everyone in the room. After heightening the tension, I desperately wanted to alleviate it.“I hope so, but they’ve taken too long to get here. I’m not so sure anymore,” he answered with a sigh.“So, we’
Charlotte“She wouldn’t need to tell you, I will,” a familiar voice said as one of the car doors opened. I turned in the direction of the sound and locked gazes with Thiago. He threw his hands in the air as he alighted the vehicle. “Hear me out. This is the first time I’ve followed you. If we can call it that.”“I’m confused. How did you get out of the building before everyone else, and who are all these people?” I asked as Sonia quietly made her way into one of the cars.I looked around to see that Thiago and I were the only ones standing. His entourage had seated themselves in the cars, giving us a sense of privacy, though I could tell they were watching through the tinted windows. He took two steps forward and shoved his hands in his pockets. It was then I realized he was wearing clean clothes. While I looked like I had been dragged from the cold hands of death, he had taken a bath and styled his hair.“How did…” I muttered, but he interrupted me.“I promise you, I can explain ever
CHARLOTTEWhen I got home that evening, one of the guards was holding a box, which he handed to me with a cheesy smile. I took it, arching an eyebrow, but as I read the note stamped on the side, I understood why he was smiling that way.Thiago had picked the silliest yet cutest way to ask me out to dinner. I chuckled, thanked him, and walked into the apartment.I knew Thiago was just being performative with this gesture, and while I appreciated it, I wasn’t sure I liked the ideas it might put in the minds of others.Hopefully, they’d been around us long enough to know there was nothing between us - or so I hoped.When I opened the box and turned it on the bed, a dark blue dress fell out. It was short, with purple and silver frills, a bodice I feared would be too tight, and small sleeves that let my arms breathe. I picked it up, admired it, and reached for my phone to call him.“What’s the occasion?” I asked, as he picked up on the first ring.He chuckled, clearing his throat before re
CHARLOTTEWhen I was done, I slid the mug over to him, and he inhaled the aroma first."What’s this called?" he asked, and I shrugged again."That’s not an answer," he added."Actually, it is. It’s called anything your taste buds want it to be. I have my name for it, but I like it when customers give their own. So, what do you want it to be called?" I responded, shoving the pen and notepad back into my pocket.He lifted the mug, looked at me with uncertainty, then sipped from it and smacked his tongue as he set it down."Oh, it’s sweet and hot. I like it," he said and downed the contents of the mug in one gulp, stifling a belch. "That’s actually great. Where’d you learn to mix like that?""Well, it’s been a few years since I bartended, but the art isn’t lost on me," I replied, folding my arms. "So, what do you want to call it?""I’m not sure… I might need another round to be certain," he said with a knowing smile. I chuckled and got to work making another drink for him.***The next f
CHARLOTTEWorking at the club was going smoother than I thought, and despite Thiago’s disapproval, I kept working as a bartender on some nights. When I wasn’t in the office with my nose stuck in financial records that I could barely understand, I took a break from that part of the trade by standing behind the counter, taking orders, and mixing drinks.It gave me the chance to familiarize myself with the regulars, whom I introduced myself to as “Charlotte,” but they preferred to call me “Charlie,” establish customer relationships with new customers, become closer with the staff who seemed to appreciate the approach I had taken towards running the establishment, and brush up my bartending skills.It was fun, a little overwhelming when I first set out to do it and stressful given that I hadn’t done it in a while, but still fun, and I made sure I had the best time. As I progressed, I asked the guards to get me a talkie or one of the earphones they used for their operations, and I became t
Elena“Very well. Also, call me when you’ve decided. I’ll reach out later in the week about the wedding plans. Now that a date has been set, everything should proceed smoothly,” she responded, her tone brisk. She said something to someone in the background, then hung up.I lowered the phone and stared at the screen for a few seconds before shaking my head. I never knew what to expect with the Thuthais. As much as I hated to admit it, Maria was right. No matter how much I tried to stay ahead of the curve, something always came up to make me feel like I was twenty steps behind.I knew I had to talk to Rogerio now. There were no more excuses to reschedule outings or avoid meetings. This had to be done soon. But before that, I needed to talk to someone else: my father.He had been the mastermind behind my insistence on the estate that had been given to Charlotte. No matter how much I tried to explain that securing it was nearly impossible, he remained adamant about pushing for it.It didn
ElenaI lowered the windows and closed my eyes as the wind blew tiny ringlets of hair across my face. I couldn’t stop thinking about Thiago’s words in the warehouse, about Rogerio’s insistence on finding Charlotte. Now I had Maria’s words to add to the mix.I tried to force myself to sleep, hoping it would save me from dwelling on the connection between what they had said, but the sound of the bustling city humming in the distance grew louder and closer, pulling me back.The noise reminded me that something else was out there, something beyond my reach. As we inched closer, I focused on the peculiar thought that every single person walking in and out of stores, yelling on street corners, or laughing in restaurants and bars with their partners and friends had their own unique problems. One way or another, regardless of social standing, we all shared that common thread.“Problems,” I muttered to myself, chuckling softly. “We all have problems we’re dealing with.” I shook my head at the
ElenaThey looked extremely stressed about the idea of answering to Rogerio, and I understood it. The power and social currency of the Rogerio name wasn’t something anyone in their right mind would dare go against.I was fully prepared to wield it to its maximum potential until one of the men finally spoke up, saying the only thing they could do was call Maria to come to the gate. That was perfect, as speaking with her had been my main objective all along.I crossed my arms, maintaining my annoyed expression while waiting. Predictably, Maria took her sweet time, and just as I was about to return to the car to sit and wait, she arrived with an expression far sourer than I could have conjured up myself.“You’re not wanted here,” she said coldly as the guards silently retreated to their posts, pretending not to eavesdrop on the conversation.“You have no right to tell me that. You just work here. This house belongs to Rogerio, and—” I began, but she cut me off with a sharp chuckle and an
ELENAThe meeting with Thiago had shaken me to my core. I had put up a brave face during the conversation, concealing my feelings as best as I could, but deep down, I was terrified of what the possibility of Charlotte being pregnant meant for me. If she were found, it would upend the plans I had carefully set in motion to solidify my place as Rogerio’s bride.For days, I mulled over ways to stay ahead of Rogerio and eventually decided to visit the estate. It had been a while since I was last there, and I wanted to see if my presence would provoke Maria enough to reveal any information about Charlotte’s whereabouts.That morning, I rose early, called my assistant, and instructed her to inform Rogerio that our meeting for the evening had been rescheduled. My plan was to spend the morning at the estate and see Thiago before he left Milan.However, the latter didn’t go as planned - my assistant informed me he had already left the city an hour before. I tried to reassure myself that Thiago
ROGERIO The plan was to wait outside her apartment and watch from a vantage point to study her movements. I wasn't sure what I'd be able to decipher from whatever I saw, but I still needed to satisfy the curiosity lodged at the back of my mind, propelling me to act on impulse. I didn't know what to expect, but even if she didn’t leave the house all day, I’d still be able to see if anyone came to visit. Maybe I’d do a better job identifying what exactly was going on. Half an hour later, I had parked the car a few meters away from her apartment block and turned off the ignition. I watched quietly to see what would transpire, and in all fairness, I was ready to stay there all day if I had to. My phone rang. I reached into my pocket for it and glanced at the screen. It was a call from the office, and I knew who would be on the other end. "Hello, Signor, you…" my assistant began as soon as I hit the dial button. I clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth. "No meetings
ROGERIOI spent the next few days trying to weigh my options and decide the next step to take. "I have to watch her every move, but how?" I said to myself one morning as I prepared for work. Her assistant had called to reschedule the dinner we were supposed to have later that day, and instead of feeling relieved, my suspicion grew in leaps and bounds.I picked up my suitcase and stepped out of the apartment, deep in thought. She hadn't been here since the last time we spent time together. I was delighted to have my space all to myself the way I'd always wanted, but this new information stirred something in me, and I knew I would be restless until I found a way to sate it.I walked down the hallway, ignoring the guards that greeted me, and stepped into the elevator, trying to put the thought out of my mind and focus on the day ahead. But every step I took seemed to renew the desire to get to the bottom of this. As the elevator moved to the ground floor, I decided what I wanted to