Share

City Lights and New Beginnings

Author: Moonbunnie
last update Last Updated: 2024-06-16 00:02:53

CHARLOTTE

I had spent a few hours in the shack, and quite frankly, I didn’t want to leave. The food was great. The service was wonderful, and the general ambiance made me feel comfortable. However, as time passed, I knew it was time to go.

I ordered takeout and exited the place, making a mental note to return the next evening. I was glad to find somewhere I liked and was happy to explore other restaurants and establishments, but I was so impressed with the service here that I was willing to make it a favorite.

I stepped out and looked around for a taxi, but there was none in sight, so I decided to walk. I wasn’t sure which way to go to get back to the hotel, but I felt like that was part of the experience. If I took a cab everywhere, I wouldn’t learn how to navigate the city on foot.

I considered going back in to ask for directions, but decided to follow the couple who had stepped out of the gym closely. I kept enough distance between us to ensure I didn’t come off as a weirdo, which
Locked Chapter
Continue Reading on GoodNovel
Scan code to download App

Related chapters

  • A Chance At Forever: Chasing His Divorced Love   A Quiet Morning Interrupted

    CHARLOTTEIt had been two weeks and five days since my arrival in Los Angeles, and I spent most of my days sitting at my new favorite spot at the beach, listening to the waves, and watching people come and go. It started as a form of relaxation but soon morphed into a weird sense of nostalgia, and something I couldn’t quite label.Watching couples surf together reminded me of all the things I wanted to do while Rogerio and I were together. Watching parents run around with their kids, whose happy laughter filled the air, made me feel like I had lost something. But I was determined not to let my past ruin my enjoyment of the present. So, I stayed put and focused on why I was there: to breathe, to find myself, and to ensure I was in a different headspace so I could aptly prepare for other experiences.I didn’t want to be the architect of my misfortunes anymore, and I knew it would take a conscious effort to get to that point. When I wasn’t sitting next to the sea, I walked through the st

    Last Updated : 2024-06-18
  • A Chance At Forever: Chasing His Divorced Love    ROGERIO

    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

    Last Updated : 2024-06-19
  • A Chance At Forever: Chasing His Divorced Love   A Sudden Turn

    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

    Last Updated : 2024-06-20
  • A Chance At Forever: Chasing His Divorced Love   Chasing Shadows

    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

    Last Updated : 2024-06-24
  • A Chance At Forever: Chasing His Divorced Love   Revelations in the Hallway

    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

    Last Updated : 2024-06-26
  • A Chance At Forever: Chasing His Divorced Love   Behind the Facade

    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

    Last Updated : 2024-06-27
  • A Chance At Forever: Chasing His Divorced Love   Fate or Ruse?

    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

    Last Updated : 2024-06-29
  • A Chance At Forever: Chasing His Divorced Love   Into the fire

    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’

    Last Updated : 2024-07-02

Latest chapter

  • A Chance At Forever: Chasing His Divorced Love   Sonia

    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

  • A Chance At Forever: Chasing His Divorced Love   A Sound of Betrayal

    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

  • A Chance At Forever: Chasing His Divorced Love   The file

    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

  • A Chance At Forever: Chasing His Divorced Love   Thiago

    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

  • A Chance At Forever: Chasing His Divorced Love   Discover

    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

  • A Chance At Forever: Chasing His Divorced Love   Excitement

    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

  • A Chance At Forever: Chasing His Divorced Love   Work

    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

  • A Chance At Forever: Chasing His Divorced Love   Firm

    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

  • A Chance At Forever: Chasing His Divorced Love   Her image

    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

Scan code to read on App
DMCA.com Protection Status