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
CHARLOTTEHe stood up and shoved his hand into his pocket, and for the first time since he walked through the door, I noticed his outfit. He was wearing a blue shirt and black pants, with a white rose embroidered at the hem of his shirt, which served as a reminder that we were from different worlds.Yet somehow, our realities had intertwined. “Do you ever wonder what would’ve happened if we never met on the plane?” I asked, and he shook his head.“I think we would’ve crossed paths somehow, Ms. Edwards,” he said, smiling.I relaxed as a familiar warmth filled his eyes. “You sound so sure,” I replied, and he put his hand in his pocket.“Yeah, this seems like one of those things you just know,” he answered with a shrug and walked to the door. “Would you like to go to the beach later today? It might help to be out a bit,” he added, and I shook my head.“I’d love to...” I swallowed before continuing. “I have a lot to do today, another time perhaps? I wouldn’t want to accept the invite and
CHARLOTTEThe next morning started with us taking a jog around the house. The guards looked puzzled when we set off at dawn, but soon they realized what was happening and relaxed. By the end of the jog, I was breathless but insisted on continuing. A few minutes later, I got the hang of it and went for a second round.Sonia suggested that the training at the gun range would happen later, and I readily agreed. A guard followed me to the apartment to ensure I got in safely, and there was nothing to worry about. It made me a bit uneasy to think that someone had been in here without my consent, but that was the emotion I was trying to overcome.I picked up the bags we had left on the table the previous night and took them to the kitchen. Spending the next few hours cleaning up the apartment myself felt refreshing. There was barely anything to toss away as the house had been cleaned after they ensured there were no bugs. I opened the fridge and saw that they had gotten groceries and added b
CHARLOTTE“I’m sorry for bringing you all the way here, Ms. Higgins,” I said as she walked to the seat. Sonia walked away to address the guards who had just arrived, and we had a moment to talk alone.“Oh, it’s nothing. I understand how sensitive this case is,” she replied and sat down. “I hope you’re feeling a lot better?”“I am,” I answered, exhaling slowly. “I’ve been doing other things to keep my mind from dwelling on it too much,” I added, and she smiled.I turned my gaze to the park and watched people as they walked past, speaking in hushed tones. The kids in the playground were jumping around with toys or fussing about getting on the swings, while their parents tried to hush them or pacify them with sweets. My eyes lingered on the confectionaries, and I started craving something sweet. We hadn’t eaten yet, and I was eager to get a cup of coffee to wake up my body and clear out the drowsiness I was feeling.“I think I’ve got news that can put your mind at ease,” she said. I turn
CHARLOTTE“Can I take this with me?” I asked. She nodded. I looked away and noticed that Sonia was making her way toward us.“Of course, I made a copy for you; I have the other copies locked away in a safe house. I’ll send you the address soon,” she said, picking up her bag.“Thank you for everything,” I replied as she stood up. “I’ll look through this and reach out to your firm about our next meeting,” I added.“I’ll be expecting your call. We’ll need to meet the evening before the hearing, though. Let me know when a location has been decided,” she finished, starting to walk away. She paused, turned around, and looked at me. “Stay safe, Ms. Edwards. You are a very important piece of this case.”“I will,” I answered, looking away as Sonia approached the bench.“The guards will take her back to the firm. Would you like to eat now?” she asked, shoving her hands into the pockets of her blue trousers.When I looked at her, I noticed the bulge of her gun tucked away in the corner of her ja
CHARLOTTE“What do you mean they’re after Thiago too?” I asked, glancing at her. She shook her head.“If he didn’t tell you, it’s not my place to,” she replied, and I scoffed. I thought we were past this. I guess opening up to her about certain things hasn’t brought us as close as I thought.“You can do better than that. He said something about us fighting the same enemy. Those weren’t his exact words, but you get it...” I started, but she looked out the window.“We’ve found a connection between the incident at The Hilton and the Narhzy family,” she began. I listened intently as she explained the silent rivalry between the Mooze and Narhzy families.Both families were business partners at one point, a formidable force in the corporate world, expanding their ventures far and wide. But someone from the Narhzy family decided they wanted more—a higher stake in the shares than what the founding fathers had previously agreed on. His family backed his decision. This angered the Mooze family,
CHARLOTTEI spent the next few hours alone, and I detested it. It was nice to be back in the apartment, but I felt so annoyed, I couldn’t appreciate being in my own space again. Well, I wasn’t technically alone, given that I walked past the guards who were sharing a beer at the door on my way in, and I knew one would be here soon to hand me my things.But it still felt lonely. I chalked it up to spending the night elsewhere and trying to settle into feeling comfortable here, and I took the bags in my hand to the kitchen. I had left the file on the sitting room table with the intention of reading it before I ate, but my cravings overwhelmed my sense of curiosity, and I was happy to ignore it for a bit.“It’s not going anywhere anyway,” I said and ignored it for a little longer.As I moved around the house, I pondered the exchange with Sonia. She had never lost her cool around me, and as much as I was annoyed that she wouldn’t tell me everything she knew, I understood her frustration wi
CHARLOTTE“Hello, Maria,” I said into the receiver and waited for her response. It had been two hours since the training session with Sonia. I was aching in different parts of my body, but I had learned a thing or two about handling a gun and the perfect stance to take before shooting.Deep down, I hoped I’d never have to use the gun. I considered learning how to use it a necessity, but if push came to shove, I hoped I’d never have to put this new skill to use. I knew the people I was up against had zero compunction about taking a life if it meant achieving their goal, but I had never killed anyone. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to sleep well at night if I did, and chalking it up to self-defense wouldn’t help the situation, either.“Hello, Signora,” came the reply.Her voice was so calm it unnerved me. “Are you alright?” I inquired. “You sound… different.”“I’m okay, just exhausted. I’ve had a lot to do today at the estate,” she replied, but deep down, it felt like she wasn’t telling the
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