Thank you for reading! Surprise, another chapter on a Sunday. The next chapter is tomorrow afternoon. Carlos is about to compete in the French Open Finals.
“Time to get up, Alex,” Carlos repeatedly kicked Alexander’s feet at five in the morning from their hotel suite in Paris. “It’s time to practice.” The two landed at past midnight in Paris. Immediately after arriving at the hotel, Alexander saw Kendra posting social media pictures of her and another man shortly after getting bailed out of jail. As a result, Alexander indulged in a bottle of wine as his sleeping aide. Alexander was snoozing face down on the bed. He frowned, turning to Carlos. “Man, I love you, but I’m not the one who is competing in the finals. I don’t need to warm up -” “But you are my practice partner. Get your lazy ass up!” Carlos kicked him again in the feet. “How will you ever beat me if you keep getting affected by Kendra? She’s out there, maybe in another man’s arms while you sulk? Not the Alexander Jenkins I know, a tennis superstar and model.” “Superstar? I haven’t gotten to your level yet,” Alexander groaned. “And you won’t if you keep brooding,” Carlos
“Devil! Devil! Devil!” “Erik! Erik!” The stadium was torn into two sides. Chants of their favorite tennis superstars could evidently be heard in the open court of Roland Garros’ complex. Carlos sucked in a breath. He wiped his forehead with his wristband and gripped at his lucky pendant. He kissed it with his eyes closed, wishing for the match to win in his favor. Going against Erik Berg, Carlos had already foreseen a challenging match. However, he had long studied all of Erik’s games. He knew his weaknesses and techniques. Carlos was prepared for that match. Still, he could not deny he was a little distracted over the past few days. Thanks to his tempting Kate, he sacrificed a few practice times. Giving Erik one last look, he bounced the ball on the court before finally tossing it up in the air in preparation for his serve. “Aghh!” After an impressive serve, the two tennis players began to return the ball to each other. Both of them were running across the court, able to apply
‘He is alive.’ ‘He is alive.’ The words kept ringing in Carlos’ head while they settled in another room following Hugo’s interrogation. His chest was congested, and he could barely breathe at the possibility. Yet, he also thought back to his uncle Ethan’s words. At least Kate’s parents saw his father’s remains, and Ethan considered it was his father resting inside a coffin. Looking at his head of security, he whispered, “What if I have my father’s body exhumed?” “That’s up to you, sir. At least, it would clear up your suspicion, but Hugo could also be lying.” Lemuel suggested. “It’s a lengthy process, considering what is left of your father’s corpse by now, and it may cause emotional trauma, disturbing your father’s resting place. However, DNA tests can still be on bones.” Detective Bernard responded. He then promised him they would look into it further. “We have already tracked down the attorney who notarized the document. Maybe we can get information from him.” “I don’t know
“Get in, Carlos Ronaldo! And we will leave your friends behind! You are all we need!” Carlos was shocked beyond words, seeing the French police point a gun at him. While this was going on, Alexander and Savannah froze in their stance, their faces paled at the recognition of danger. Savannah instantly shuddered in Alexander’s hold. They had just made it two feet away from Carlos when officer Martin announced his intention. “Get in!” Jules Martin repeated. He used the gun to direct Carlos to the car right in front of them. “Stop this! You can never get away with this!” On impulse, the bodyguards that followed Alexander pointed a gun at the French officer. Slowly, they were taking steps closer to Carlos. Three other men in the car came out, holding their own pistols. At that point, it was two against three, with Alexander’s bodyguard at a disadvantage. After diving to the other side of the parking area, Lemuel was still out of sight. Carlos’ three other bodyguards were completely m
"What about now? Are you a man already?" The question took Alexander aback. He felt slightly offended, but at the same time, he knew it was all his fault. Alexander sucked in a breath and looked into Savannah’s hazel eyes. For a moment, he studied her features. Her red hair was tied into a messy bun. Her face had been cleared of make-up, showing off those light, sprinkling freckles on her skin. He used to think those freckles made her look naturally beautiful. Going back to her probing, he hesitantly replied, “Yes, I am a man now, I guess.” “I met Kendra after we... we sort of had a fling, and everything changed for me. We were continents apart, both chasing our dreams, and I just assumed it would never work out. I should have told you. I should have at least called, but I did not have the courage to tell you how my feelings changed, and I’m sorry.” “I’m sorry, Savannah,” he repeated, spotting how she averted his gaze. “Hey?” He asked, recognizing her silence. Still looking a
Back in Braeton City. From inside her bedroom, Kate was hugging Carlos number two. She had her arms and legs around the huge bear, her face nuzzled on its head. If not for Carlos number two, Kate would have struggled to sleep, especially after the shooting incident in Paris. She had to admit that Carlos’ gift was somewhat effective in replacing his absence. She heard her alarm get off, but she ignored it, burying her face against the softness of the stuffed toy. Her eyes were still shut as she complained, “I’m sorry. I don’t want to leave Carlos yet.” Her alarm snoozed on its own, and Kate relished in the added minutes of embracing the teddy bear. When her alarm went off again, she was inclined to stop it, but it ceased on its own. Her eyes widened, and she turned to her bedside table with a frown. “You don’t have to go to work today.” At the sight of the real thing, Kate’s lips thinned into a smile, and her eyes sparkled. Carlos. She tossed Carlos number two on the side of he
“Go ahead, son. Read the results,” he heard Samantha encourage. While unfolding the paper in his hand, Carlos sensed his heart galloping. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. His emotions were all over the place. It was a mix of worry, excitement, and fear. In every second that passed, Carlos sensed his surroundings hushed. Cold air seemed to have engulfed him, and chills ran down his spine. His eyes landed on the set of letters and numbers that were alien to him, but what really mattered the most were the lines written at the bottom of the page. He gulped as he read, “Based.” He blinked before resuming, “Based on testing results obtained, the probability of paternity is 99.9999998%.” The test results suggested that the man in the grave was, in fact, Manuel Ronaldo, Carlos' father. Dead air fell upon them as Carlos shut his eyes. His hand let the paper fall to the floor. He leaned forward and covered his face with his hands, and he continued to take deep breaths again and a
The Wright family and Carlos’ guests were having tea or coffee, nearly concluding their dinner. The joyous gathering had dropped Carlos’ sadness over the DNA test, and while everyone was chatting merrily, Alexander’s eyes were glued to his phone. Eventually, unable to hold back his curiosity, he turned to Carlos and asked, "Did Savannah contact you, by the way?" Carlos and Kate were whispering to each other when Alexander spoke. The Devil turned to his friend, lifting his brow. He responded, "Why? She has no reason to contact me.” Carlos crossed his arms at Alexander and inquired, “Did you contact her? I hope you used a VPN.” “Relax, I did,” Alexander replied. "I'm always playing it safe." When Carlos did not probe any further, Alexander suggested, “Can you text her, man? I checked on her if she was feeling better, but she did not answer.” Carlos chuckled and reminded him, “Alex, it’s probably two AM in Ireland right now.” “Yeah, I know, but I texted her in the morning,” Alexa