CHARLOTTEThe air left my lungs. My heartbeat quickened. My head swam. My breathing increased.My vision became clouded, and it felt like my entire world was spinning.However, warm, strong hands were on my skin amidst all this, cradling and caressing me back to reality.“Charlotte?” A deep voice I recognized very well called out. “Charlotte.” He repeated my name and asked. “Are you okay?”Was I okay?I didn’t even know the answer to that.All I knew was I felt hazy, and my eyes fluttered open and closed with strange speed.“Charlotte.” He called my name again, shaking my arms, and slowly, my eyes balanced.I blinked once. Twice. I was coming back into focus.The first thing I saw was dark eyes staring down at me with concern and confusion.The look had my heart throbbing furiously in my chest, and I almost winced out loud.Blinking again, I raised my right hand and placed it on thick muscular skin. A chest. Nathan’s chest.“Are you okay?” He asked for the umpteenth time, and since wo
CHARLOTTEMy entire body was sore by morning, with the memories of the last night’s sexual encounter still brewing in my mind.From kissing passionately in the bathroom, Nathan had taken me to the bedroom, where he made love to me with his hands and mouth.Then he’d proceeded to fuck me hard and long all night, leaving us both exhausted from the effort.He was a good lover—a great kisser—and we both enjoyed ourselves immensely.I felt content as we lay under the duvet, sunlight streaming in and Nathan’s arm possessively wrapped around my waist.This was everything I had always wanted. Everything I needed. And more.A smile crept on my face as I tipped my head to stare at his face.His eyes were closed, his lips still pursed, but he always looked handsome.Involuntarily, my fingers went up to feel the stubble beards that scattered around his jaws, and my goodness…he looked so breathtaking. So handsome.A slight sound left his throat when I caressed his jaw again, and his eyes fluttered
NATHANI’d be a big-time liar if I said I wasn’t more than emotionally attached at this point.I watched as Charlotte struggled to meet my gaze, working her fingernails like they’d help soothe her nervousness, and I ticked.Without thinking, I tightened my hold on her wrists and pushed her around slowly until she was facing me.“Charlotte,” My voice sounded strained, like it’d just taken a lot from me to call her name. And it had.I couldn’t ignore the overriding heaviness and stab to my chest as her eyes evaded mine.She’d grown so distant after I’d harmlessly granted Charles the permission he sought to call me his father.At this point, I was willing to give Charles whatever he wanted—a father figure or an uncle figure.But seeing her reaction and how she’d acted startled me when I made the offer hurt me. I won’t lie.Wasn’t she looking for a father figure for her son?Wasn’t that the main reason she’d chosen to go on a blind date?“I don’t think you should have told him to call you
CHARLOTTEMy heart sank to the bottom of my stomach as I watched Nathan rush to carry the beautiful woman who just fainted at the door.She looked pale and fragile like a flower carefully cultivated in a garden of love.“Wendy? Wendy?” Nathan called her name gently, his eyes softening a little bit at the unconscious woman on his arm.I had seen the look on her face before she fainted, the way her eyes lit up when she saw Nathan. She looked like she was in love with Nathan.Combined with Nathan's concern…I was sure that this was someone he liked, too.Nathan Hamilton liked another woman.The realization struck me hard.Without another word or glance at me, I watched Nathan gently carry the lady out the door.Hesitantly, I followed him out.I helped him open the car door while he placed her in the back seat.He turned to face me, and his expression was—unreadable.If someone asked me to explain his expression, I would say he looked guilty, maybe.But why?“Charlotte, I’m sorry. I need t
NATHANMy mind was a jumbled mess as I drove to the hospital.I wasn't expecting Wendy at all, and I had not given much thought to the fact that she and Charlotte would eventually meet.But if I was being honest with myself, I wasn't planning on making any introduction between the two women.Because they belonged to different aspects of my life, I thought I could deal with them separately.Charlotte was my wife, and while I might have had something with Wendy five years ago, I felt nothing for her.But it wasn't easy to get rid of my guilt when I thought about Wendy and her delicate condition.Immediately, I drove into the hospital, a stretcher was provided, and she was wheeled into the emergency ward.I wasn't allowed into the ward while treatment was going on, so I paced outside, unable to get my thoughts into control.It was impossible not to worry about Wendy and how the shock might worsen her condition.Once news got to her father about what happened, he might try to twist this u
CHARLOTTETalking to Noah eased my heart a bit, and when I left his workplace, I decided to get the equipment I would need for blogging.I checked my bank app to see if I had sufficient funds for this new business I was about to start, and surprisingly, I saw that I had already been paid the compensation that came with being fired.My heart tinged bitterly. Nathan sure didn't waste time.The compensation amount brought back a little bit of the sadness I felt about the entire incident. I knew that if I allowed myself to spiral down that hole, it would take me a long while to recover.And I needed to be strong for my sake.I had been weak for far too long. I needed to start protecting myself and my son, too.I took a taxi to the mall and started shopping for what I needed.I got a tripod, artificial lights, a mini camera, lenses, and cute kitchenware to make my meals cuter and more attractive.As I paid at the counter, I mused about how much everything cost.I could not afford all these
CHARLOTTEIf I had a genie, I would have wished for immediate transportation to Charles’s school.Nathan was driving as fast as he could, but he wasn't going as fast as I wanted.My heart pounded as I tried to think about who could have taken Charles.Possibilities as to who could have done it raced through my mind.What could they possibly want from my son?I knew taking him was a way to get to me, but why?Why?!My heart sank into my stomach.My hands were fisted on my knees as I tried to hide my trembling. I would not break.Charles was okay.My son was okay.He had to be.As Nathan drove into the school's compound, I didn't wait for him to park properly before I ran out of the car.“Where is my son? Who took my son?! I was breathless, my voice hardening at each word that escaped my lips.The staff had already assembled, and when I suddenly entered, they started to tremble.Nathan appeared at my side a moment later, and the rage in his body made the staff blanched with fear.“Who d
CHARLOTTEIf my guess was right and Bella took my child, it would mean only one thing.Danger.Charles was in danger.My son, my sweet, sweet boy, had been kidnapped by Sophie's mother.My heart rate picked up, and I turned to grip Nathan's arm.“Nathan. Nathan's that's not…that's not my mother. That's Bella. Sophie's mother. She…she took my son,” I struggled to get the words out.“Charlotte. Listen to me, Charlotte. You have to calm down. Take deep breaths!” Nathan's words were coated with worry and concern.I gripped his arm harder.How could he tell me to calm down?How could he not see that Charles was not safe?Nathan didn’t understand.I had to make him understand.I had to make him see.“Please. Nathan, please. I'm begging you with my life. Help me find Charles. Find my son. I can't…nothing must happen to him,” I was finding it very hard to breathe now.It was as though I was submerged in water, drowning with no place to go.“I will find him, Charlotte. I promise you. Now breat
CHARLOTTETHREE MONTHS LATERToday was my wedding day. As I walked down the hall towards my husband, my eyes watered, lips stretched into a smile.I took one step after another, and my mind flashed back to the day he officially proposed to me.*“Come on, get ready. I want to show you something,” Nathan said as he tugged me out of bed.I frowned.I had been feeling sluggish today and wasn't particularly interested in going out.Besides, I wanted to finish the romance novel I was reading, but Nathan didn't budge as he tugged me up.“I promise it will be worth your time. Please?” he pouted, and I laughed at his cute appearance.I gave in and got dressed.He waited patiently for me, and since it was almost dusk, I decided to wear a beautiful strapless gown he got for me the other day.Nathan whistled as he took in my appearance.“I don't know where we are going though. Is this alright?” I asked, and Nathan just nodded.“You're perfect. Come on, let's go.”Nathan was in a perfectly good m
NATHANI met Lucy the day after Charlie found her, and she explained everything she knew.Lucy explained how sad and heartbroken my mother was and how she tried to hide all of her broken feelings from me.She told me how my father and his wife, Melina, killed my mother to take over the company, which was rightfully hers.When my parents got married, my mother was just the rich daughter of rich parents. But after her parents' death, the company automatically passed to her.I guess that was when William started to abuse her.As her husband, he had rights to the company, but my mother held all the power.The company was to be mine when I came of age, but William and Melina killed my mother and took over, making me a CEO while still having the company in their grasp.I thanked Lucy profoundly for agreeing to talk to me.She permitted me, so I recorded all the information and took it to the police as evidence.William was arrested, along with his wife, Melina.My father was furious that I
NATHANThe sun rose before us, and I was still sleepy when the doorbell rang. I frowned as I glanced at the time.It was seven in the morning.Who could be at our doorstep this early?I groaned at the relentless ringing, and Charlotte's body became aware of mine.She opened her eyes and met my gaze, a smile on her lips. My heart skipped a beat as she smiled at me.She was so gorgeous, damn. Her smile, sleepy eyes, and messy hair made my head flutter, and I leaned in to kiss her.“Good morning,” I whispered. She nuzzled against me.“Good morning. I thought I heard the doorbell ringing,” she yawned as she sat up.As if on cue, the doorbell rang again.Charlotte wrapped a robe around her body, and we padded to the living room to see who it was.I asked her to step back while I opened the door.It was a delivery man.Several delivery men.The one closest to me glanced up at me before looking back at his clipboard.“Hello. Is this Ms. Charlotte's residence?” he asked, and Charlotte walked
CHARLOTTEWe spent some time with my new family, and when it got late, we decided to leave.Selina was sad to see us go. She tried to get us to stay overnight, but we told her we would come and visit her soon.Besides, we needed to get home for Charles.The drive home was silent. Nathan was focused on the road, and I kept thinking about what happened.I recalled the day's events, from the hospital visit to the massive feast, and almost combusted from the emotions running through me.By the time we got home, I was still too shell-shocked to speak, and Nathan embraced me.“You've been quiet, my love. Are you alright?” his brows were furrowed with worry, and I rested my head on his chest before I answered.“I'm fine. I am. I just can't…it's so hard to believe,” I said softly.“What is?” he asked.I had a feeling he knew what I was talking about, but he needed me to say the words, to articulate them, so that I could better understand myself.“That I finally found my new family. And they'r
CHARLOTTENathan held me for a long time, and we stayed in the restroom.During this time, I reflected on the reason I’d come here in the first place.The dawning news of my new family—my new beginning, my new home.My chest constricted, and in seconds, tears filled my eyes.I had a mother now.The thought hit me suddenly, so unexpectedly, and the first sob left my lips.A mother.One who loved me.I remembered our encounters and how warm she made me feel, how she laughed with me, how she made me feel at peace.I remembered our connection and the ease with which she related to me.I remembered our shopping spree and how she convinced me to play dress-up. I remembered us laughing at our ridiculous dresses and how beautiful they were.Selina loved me right from the first day we met at the beach.The sob turned into full-fledged tears.Nathan patted me on the back, saying nothi
CHARLOTTEA few days later, Selina called me to inform me that the DNA test results were ready.Nathan drove my nervous self to the hospital.When we got there, we saw Selina outside. She was bouncing on the tips of her legs and immediately embraced me when she saw me.“Hi, Selina. Shall we go in now?” I asked, but the older woman shook her head negatively.“Oh, there's no need for that, my darling. I already got the results. Here, see for yourself,” she said, handing a document to me.My heart pounded, and my hands shook slightly as I opened the document.I gasped when I saw it, tears springing into my eyes.I was Selina's daughter.Selina was my biological mother.A sob escaped my throat as I read the confirmation over and over.After all these years of searching, all these years of misconceptions and lies.After all these years of suffering, of paying for a crime she didn't
CHARLOTTEWhen I returned home, I couldn’t stop thinking about Julian's comment about Nathan's company.Julian had hinted about Nathan losing everything he worked for.What did that mean?Was someone trying to overthrow him? I wanted to call him, but I didn't.He had already started work today, so if something were wrong, he would deal with it.Right?Nathan was competent. So I did not need to worry.I paced for a while, then decided to do something to distract myself from overthinking.It had been a while since I baked, so I went to the kitchen and arranged some ingredients.The worry in my body eased as I kneaded the dough, and I relaxed.I got into a rhythm, losing myself in the chore. My body moved fluidly, the motions as natural as breathing, and as I baked, I sang.I soon lost track of time.Nothing else mattered outside the bubble I was in except for my dough and my song.I
NATHANI was on my way to the office when my phone rang. It was a strange number, and I was reluctant to pick it up.But my instincts told me it must be someone important, so I picked up the call.The call was from the city’s prison, and I frowned when the warden told me an inmate wished to speak with me.Who could it possibly be?I waited as the warden handed the phone to whoever it was, and immediately, I heard the familiar tenor of Sophie's voice; I wanted to hang up.“Before you do anything, I want you to please listen to me,” her voice was weak, and I could feel the rattling pattern of her breath.She didn’t sound very healthy.“And why should I listen to you?” I snapped.“Because the doctor said I'm dying, and I don't want to die with this weight in my chest. I need to see you, please,” she begged, coughing as she spoke.I said nothing as I hung up and parked t
CHARLOTTEI woke up in Nathan’s arms, happy and contented.The past few days were like heaven.Nathan spent every moment with me, spoiling me rotten.We went shopping, ate fancy courses at exquisite restaurants, attended posh and elegant parties, ate street food, and did everything we could think of.I nuzzled into him, not wanting to lose the warmth, when suddenly my phone buzzed on the bedside table, and I groaned.I wasn't willing to stand up yet, but the buzzing was insistent, and I sighed as I sat up and reached for the phone.It was Selina.The older woman was excited when I picked up her call, and I felt guilty for not wanting to pick up earlier.“I hope I'm not disturbing you?” she asked.“No, no. Not at all, Selina. Is there anything I can help you with?” I asked.“Oh. The thing is, I was wondering if you'd like to go shopping with me. I'm bored, and I don't want to go on my own.” I had a feeling that Selina was pouting as she spoke, and the image that came to my head at the