CHARLOTTEI heard the car in the distance and sighed in relief as it slowly came into view. Sonia slowed the car to a halt and got out at lightning speed. “Are you alright, Signora? What happened?” she asked, staring at me with concern.I chuckled and slowly rubbed my palms together. “I’m alright, just a little shaken. I’ve had quite the experience, and… I need to lie down,” I answered. I tried to stand up, but my legs started to tremble, and she reached out to help me.She held my hand and slowly led me to the car. I sat down, and she ensured my seatbelt was firmly across my shoulder before turning around to get into her seat. “You look like you escaped from a torture room. Where were you, and what happened?” she asked again. I rested my head against the window, staring blankly into space.“I almost got shot,” I said after a while. She started to say something, but I continued talking. “No, you’re not allowed to ask me where it happened. I’m not telling you; I’m still trying to make
CHARLOTTE“Hello, Signora,” a familiar voice said as the speaker opened the door and walked in. I let out a relieved sigh, then chuckled as Maria’s face and warm aura filled the room. My mouth fell open in shock, and I broke into confused laughter for a few seconds before rubbing my eyes to make sure my mind wasn’t playing tricks on me.For a split second, I thought Sonia had reached out to Thiago about the situation, or, even worse, Rogerio. But seeing Maria filled me with renewed energy. She walked towards the bed with quick strides and enveloped me in a hug. “You should have called me,” she said, tightening her arms around me a little longer before pulling away.“You were so far away, I didn’t want to bother you with all this. I kept telling myself I’d call you soon, and I never got around to it. I’m sorry,” I replied, lowering my gaze.“There’s nothing to be sorry about. I’m here now, and I’m going to take care of you,” she said with a wide grin.I smiled sadly and shook my head.
CHARLOTTE“I find that hard to believe. She’s been watching over you like a hawk the entire time I’ve been here. The nurse or some other guard takes her place when she’s not here,” Maria replied, picking up the sheets. “Sounds like a bodyguard to me,” she added, glancing around the room to ensure nothing else was out of place.I moved towards the chair with slow, steady steps and sat down. I turned to the machine I had been hooked up to while unconscious and stared at it for a moment. The nurse had turned it off before leaving the room, and I was relieved to not have to hear the annoying beeping sound it had made earlier. “She’s just doing her job,” I said after a short silence.“She seems too enthusiastic about it,” Maria commented, gesturing to the sheets in her hands. “It’s great to know someone’s watching your back like that, but I still don’t trust it. Where do I keep these?”“There,” I said, pointing to the wardrobe. “There’s a laundry basket in there. The cleaning staff will pi
CHARLOTTEI spent the next few days recuperating under Maria's and Sonia’s watchful eyes. I tried to leave the house at some point; the grand idea was to take a stroll and enjoy the stillness of the night, but they wouldn’t hear of it. So, I started to detest being cooped up and tried to sneak out of the house when no one was paying enough attention. I had made it past Sonia and the guards stationed at the front door without any hassle until I got to the reception on the last floor and met Maria’s questioning glare.“I’d like to ask where you’re going, but I think we can agree that you’re not well-rested for any escapades,” she said, crossing her arms as I walked out of the elevator.“Maria,” I said and sighed with feigned annoyance. “This is not an escapade; I’m trying to breathe air somewhere that isn’t next to you or Sonia,” I added and walked past her.“Speaking of Captain Hawkeye,” she replied, and I stifled a chuckle. Then I turned around to look at her as I arched my eyebrow. “
CHARLOTTEWalking around the vicinity had proven more productive than I anticipated when I realized I had devised a plan. Sitting under a tree, watching the sunset, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. My first order of business was to start the process of suing the people who had taken over the property, and I knew I had to do some research about law firms in the city. Given the odds surrounding it, I needed to ensure I picked the most suitable one that would guarantee the case’s success.I stood up, wiped the bits of soil and grass that clung to my sweatpants, and started walking back to the penthouse. The distance seemed shorter than when I had stepped out, but I figured it was because of a spring in my step. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and things had taken a different turn. I wasn’t sure how to explain my feelings, but it felt nothing like the last few days. I had spent the last hour thinking about everything that had happened and coming to a definite co
CHARLOTTE“You look worried. What’s the problem?” I asked, closing the door behind me. She sighed, placed the phone on the bed, and gestured for me to sit. “You’re acting weird. Did anything happen while I was gone?”“Around here? Yeah, the elevator stopped working for a while, but I think it’s fixed now,” she replied absentmindedly.“Yes, I saw the light come back on, but you know that’s not what I’m referring to. Tell me what’s happening,” I insisted, and she smiled sadly.“I wasn’t going to bother you with it, especially now that you’re still recuperating and you have a lot to handle, but there’s no way I could leave without telling you why,” she began.“I know I said you couldn’t stay here for long, but if you left without telling me, that would be very…” I paused, trying to think of the perfect word. “Hurtful,” I added a few seconds later.“Yes, but you see, the problem at hand is going to make you worry, and you don’t need to get yourself involved with all of that right now,” sh
CHARLOTTEWe left the penthouse at dawn the next day. The night before, I had spoken with Sonia about Maria’s departure, and she immediately sprang into action when she heard we’d need the plane. I could tell she had questions, but held back. I knew what she wanted to ask, but I stayed silent until we exited the penthouse. As we got into the car, I noticed some guards entering the SUVs parked behind ours.“Do they really need to come with us? It’s just a trip to the airport,” I said as we settled in and Sonia gently closed the door. She opened the passenger door and got in beside the driver.“Well, using the plane came with a condition—security trailing behind us,” she replied, reaching for her seatbelt. Maria and I watched as she struggled with it for a moment before it clicked into place.“Wait, does...” I started to ask, but the sound of the driver’s door opening interrupted me. We all turned as he got in and started the ignition.A few seconds later, we were driving through the ga
Charlotte“Reginald & Berkley,” I muttered as the car pulled in front of the building, the firm’s name emblazoned on a large signpost. Sonia peered out of the window for a moment before turning to face me.“Are you sure you don’t want me to tag along? I don’t want...” she started, but I cut her off with a shake of my head.“I’ll be alright,” I said, though my voice lacked conviction.Sonia raised an eyebrow. “That doesn’t sound convincing enough,” she noted, glancing again at the firm’s imposing façade.“I don’t think anything I say would convince you,” I replied with a slight smile, and she chuckled.“You’re right. After everything we’ve been through in the last few hours, there’s nothing you could say to make me take my eyes off you,” she responded, pouting slightly.“Well, I need some time alone with the lawyer. You can’t follow me into their office,” I insisted.“You’re right,” she conceded, reaching into her pocket for her phone. After a quick glance at the screen, she took note
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