4

"To transform yourself is to transform your destiny." 

~ Laura Esquivel

Charlotte

"Hi." was all I could say manage to say, embarrassed at the memory of our last physical encounter.

He didn't bother to respond and just walked back into the living room.

"Why is your brother always such an asshole." I huffed. 

"It's his nature." Matteo laughed.

"I didn't know you were coming, why didn't you tell me." I complained as we walked into the living room.

“Fernanda!" I squealed and rushed to hug the woman in front of me.

"Sweetheart." she hugged me back.

"Hiii." I beamed at Alessandro before hugging him, he was never much of a hugger but I always hugged him every chance I got.

"Pumpkin." he smiled.

"Why did no one tell me you were coming?" I whined to my father.

"Because they wanted to surprise you." Dad smiled.

"Well this is the best one I've gotten in a long time." I beamed.

"You've grown so big.” Fernanda playfully pinched my cheeks and my cheeks turned into a bright shade of red.

"Babe stop that, she's a full grown woman now." Alessandro scolded his wife.

"She's still a little girl Ales." dad argued.

"Daddy." I pouted.

"What." He scoffed making me laugh.

I turned to Adriano and he was busy on his phone shutting everyone out as always.

"I'm surprised his almighty grumpiness is here." I mocked making everyone laugh except him, he just kept staring at his phone.

"I'm talking about you El-"

"Don't call me by that name." his ever so sexy deep husky bass voice warned. He has always hated calling him Elio.

"My goodness he talks." I gasped dramatically causing him to glare at me.

"Cutie stop provoking him." Matteo laughed at his older brother.

"Dad where's mum?" 

"There was an emergency at the hospital so she had to leave." he told me.

"Oh and the boys?"

"Peyton flew to Morocco for work While Landon is in Berlin." 

"Without telling me!" I huffed.

"Are you his girlfriend or bodyguard or something now." Alessandro laughed at me.

"No, I just need to be informed, I'm his sister." I responded quickly.

"Dinner is ready." The chief chef informed us.

"So what time did you arrive?" I asked Matteo linking my hands with his as we walked into the dining room.

"Approximately 5 hours ago." he told me.

Everyone sat at the table and we started having our dinner. I only nibbled on my food since I had already eaten earlier thinking you would most likely be home alone seeing it was a weekday and everyone usually got back at awkward hours.

"So Char remember I told you about our trip to London?" Matteo asked breaking the comfortable silence.

"Yeah, we leave after tomorrow right?" I asked excited.

"There's been a change of plans." he told me.

"Which are?" 

"You'll be going tomorrow-"

"That's not a problem, the earlier I get out of here the better." I beamed.

"With Anthony." he finished and immediately my smile turned into a frown.

"Excuse me-"

"You'll be going with Anthony." Fernanda said slowly.

"What the hell why!" 

"I've got some urgent work to attend to" Matteo tried to reason.

"Then I'll wait for you to finish" 

"The deal can't wait, the man we are dealing with is very important and can't be kept waiting." Dad told me.

"Then have someone else accompany him, cause there is no way in hell I'm going anywhere with this asshole." I huffed angrily.

"Both your brothers are busy, Landon is in Malaysia and Peyton is in Morocco." 

"Then have me go with someone else." 

"Who better to deal with one of the most difficult scumbags on earth than the man himself." Alessandro smirked proudly at the mention of his son.

"Then I'm not going." I huffed.

"I told you, she’s chickenhearted, but well who cares, I don't need her spoilt ass ruining everything." Anthony spoke with a challenging smirk.

"Excuse me-" I glared at him.

"You heard me, you can't do shit without daddy, princess." He taunted me.

"I'll show your arrogant ass what I can do, I don't need my father for anything." I stated making my father quirk an eyebrow at me.

"That's hard to believe considering you act like a golden egg about to break, so fragile." he kept taunting me.

"I'll have you know, I am a fully grown ass woman who doesn't need anyone, I'll go to Brazil with you and I'll prove your useless ass wrong" I gritted out.

"It's settled then, be ready by 8am sharp, I don't like being late" he got up, pecked Mariana's cheek and left.

"I'll show that fucking asshole!" I huffed angrily storming to my room.

As soon as I slammed my door shut all the anger I had against Adriano subsided at the realization of what I had just done.

OK to be clear it wasn't my intention to accept going but he always tries to make me feel inferior when he gets a chance and my pride gets the best of me.

I grab my phone and sent a text message to my friends, telling them everything that had just happened before taking a shower and starting to pack my bags. 

                                                                           ☻

"I can't do this" I sighed holding tightly on my mother's arm as we waited for Adriano to arrive.

"It's only 2 months Char." Fernanda chuckled.

"2 months with your son." I pouted.

"He's not all that bad" Matteo chuckled.

"He's not all that bad, his not all that bad," I repeated his words while looking at him with disbelief, "your brother is the devil himself."

"In his defense, you do provoke him first" my mother chuckled.

"No I don't." 

"Yes you do." Ingrid patted my back.

"It's only because he always wants to make me feel small, unimportant and less of a person." I huffed like a child.

"He does that to everyone," Alessandro shook his head laughing. "Myself included, just ignore him and you'll be all good."

"That's like telling the sun not to rise or the stars not to shine." my dad chuckled.

Before I could respond, 3 black cars pulled up in front of us. A tall man with sunglasses got out of the middle car and opened the door and Anthony stepped out looking as sexy as ever in a black suit that hugged his body, perfectly showcasing his muscular arms and body.

"Damn he looks hotter than before." Ingrid whispered into my ears. I just gulped and stared at the godlike man walking up to me, I tightened my grip on my dog that was currently in my hands as he kept advancing to us.

He pecked his mother’s cheek then my mothers’.

"Is the princess ready to go or does she need more time." He taunted me as he moved his black sunglasses to his hair and towered over me.

"Good morning to you too Mr. Santoro." I flashed him a fake smile deciding to be the mature one.

He smirked at me before signaling for one of his bodyguards to put my cases in the car.

The guard looked at my bags then back at me. I had 1 duffel bag, 6 suitcases, 2 work bags and 2 full makeup kits.

"What did you pack your entire closet?" Alessandro teased.

"This isn't even quarter of what I of what I own." I smirked.

"What is in all those bags?" Dad asked.

"The most essential things I'll need." I explained.

"All that for 2 months." Matteo gave me a pointed look.

"I'm sorry that you are one of the male species and wouldn't understand the needs of a female because personally I think I haven't carried enough." I patted his shoulder.

"Let's go." Anthony spoke.

"OK" I nodded before hugging my old dog tightly. "Bye spice, I miss you already." I sigh "can I take-"

"No." Anthony answered before I could even finish my sentence.

"Rude." I rolled my eyes at him.

"Have fun." Ingrid whispered to me as I hugged her.

"Bye baby girl." Matteo pecked my cheek and gave me a hug.

"Let's get going, time is money." Anthony spoke irritated.

"Antho, take good care of my favorite person on planet earth." Matteo told him and Anthony just scoffed in response.

"If I don't come back alive, please take good care of spice for me and give all my things to a charity organization." I told my mum and dad who burst out laughing.

"I'm serious" I hugged them. "If I don't make it alive know that I love you guys although I act like I don't sometimes." I frowned. 

"You sound like you are going to get killed or something." Alessandro joked.

"With your unpredictable bipolar patient of a son being my company for the next 2 months, I'd rather appreciate everyone and everything I love."

"Drama goddess." Anthony rolled his eyes. "Bye mama." He pecked his mum’s cheek and she whispered something to him causing him to glance at me before smirking.

"Let's go." 

"Anthony." my dad called as we walked to the car and we both turned to face him.

"Hmm" he responded.

"Just ignore her tantrums and try your best not to kill her." He cautioned.

"Seriously dad!" I glared at him.

"I love you my pumpkin." He blow an air kiss at me.

"To hell with it." I rolled my eyes "I can't believe the first time I'm allowed to travel without you or the boys breathing on my neck has to be ruined by this asshole" I whined.

"Goodness can we leave already." Anthony huffed. “We are already behind schedule.”

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes and got into the car.

After Anthony also got into the car, we drove off to a private airport where a jet was waiting for us.

Thank heavens I was dressed in proper travelling attire.

"Boss." a man that walked up to us greeted.

"Is everything ready?" Anthony asked sternly.

"Yes" he nodded.

"Good then let's go." Anthony tried to take my hand but I pulled it away, not because I hated him but because he always had this way of making me weak with his touch.

"I can walk on my own." I said rather harshly.

"Suit yourself." he moved and walked towards the jet with me following behind.