CHARLOTTE“Did anything happen there? You seem worried,” Sonia said as soon as I stepped into the vehicle.“I… I don’t know, I feel weird. Like something’s going to happen, and I can’t do anything to stop it,” I replied.“What’s that supposed to mean?” she mumbled, frowning.“How many more questions do we have to go through until we get back to the part where I don’t know?” I asked sarcastically, and she rolled her eyes.“Don’t be snarky,” she retorted and turned to look out the window.“Can’t help it, that’s the point,” I answered as the driver started the ignition, and the car pulled out of the lot. “Everything is so complicated. I don’t understand it sometimes.”“Sometimes?” she echoed, and I chuckled. We spent the rest of the drive in silence; I was really tired of this cycle. I sounded like a broken record at this point, but the entire thing felt like it was taking more from me than I wanted to give.It seemed like life just brought numerous obstacles my way, and I was sick of go
ELENAMilan wasn’t proving to be everything I had hoped for when I returned. I had started to regret not completely leaving to start my life on my own terms. Not having the resources needed for sustenance had driven me back home, but it was starting to feel like I had made a terrible mistake. My father continued to pressure me about the wedding with Rogerio.I was tired of giving excuses, telling him we were still working on the plan when, in reality, nothing was happening. All I had gotten from this entire ordeal was a lavish bachelorette party. And money— lots of it. I had enough to keep me afloat for a few weeks, but my main goal hadn’t been achieved yet. When I returned home, my father made me promise to get Rogerio to marry me again; he wanted the union as a way to gain access to the Thuthai family.Knowing my family, I could tell that he had nefarious plans beyond what he told me, but my role wasn’t to ask questions. I had one job: to marry the heir of the Thuthai family wealth,
ROGERIOFor someone who’s envisioned having the grandest wedding the city has ever seen and looks forward to being part of the Thuthai family, Elena’s grudges were not unfounded, but I had my reservations too. It was easy to make the conversation we had about the wedding revolve around my uncertainty about whether she was going to leave again when, in reality, I couldn’t stop thinking about Charlotte.The conversation I had with Maria replays in my head every second. I needed to find Charlotte. I considered going back to the hotel, but I knew it was futile. If Maria didn’t want to talk about it the first time, she certainly wasn’t going to mention it at all. I had to find Charlotte on my own, but it was becoming clearer that all the resources I had couldn’t get a definite location.The private investigators I hired were at their wits’ end; they’d seen nothing like this. It felt like she dropped off the surface of the Earth.“Why can’t they find her?” I said and leaned backward.I was
ROGERIO“I want this,” he said, pointing to the bottle sitting on the bar table. I glanced at it and arched my eyebrow.“You need to be more specific. We’re already drinking wine. You want some?” I asked with feigned confusion, and he smiled.“Don’t be intentionally obtuse, Rogerio. It’s not cute,” he sighed, standing up and walking to the bar to pour more into his glass.“I’m not trying to be cute. I want you to say the words,” I answered in a stern tone, and we stared at each other for a few seconds before he looked away.He lifted the bottle and stared at the label. “You know what I want,” he muttered, setting the bottle back on the counter.“Yes,” I started, glancing at the bottle before scoffing. “I want you to explain why you want me to enter a war my father and those before him had the sense to stay out of as a favor,” I answered and shook my head. “Do you really think I’d agree to that?”“I’m not asking you to turn against the Narhzy family, Rogerio, I’m—” he began, but I shoo
CHARLOTTEI shifted uncomfortably in the car. The crowd outside had grown bigger, and I could hear sirens in the distance. “What’s happening out there? I should…” I began, reaching for the door, but the driver locked it.“Why… What’d you do that for?!” I exclaimed. He turned around and looked at me intently.“I’m sorry, Signora,” he said after a short silence, then returned to his seat. “I can’t let you leave the car,” he finished, and I scoffed.“You can’t let me leave the car? That sounds ridiculous. Open the damn door,” I retorted, but he exhaled and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.“I’m trying to keep you safe, Signora; that’s my job. I can’t let you out of the car,” he answered and started watching the area.“Then you’d…” I started to say, but he suddenly pressed the buttons, and the car unlocked. I looked at him in confusion and reached for the door when Sonia entered through the other door.“Where are you going?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.I let go of the door and
CHARLOTTEWhen I opened my eyes the next morning, I knew the meeting with Thiago I was hoping for wouldn’t happen, and this time it wasn’t because I was averse to seeing him. My body ached in places I didn’t know existed; it was hard to move without groaning in pain.“What’s happening?” I said and placed a palm on my head to feel my temperature.The room started to spin, and my mouth instantly became dry, leaving a bitter aftertaste when I swallowed. I sighed at how warm my forehead felt and tried to sit up, but my body had plans of its own. It had decided we weren’t leaving that spot any time soon. I let my hands fall onto the sheets and shook my head. What a way to start the morning.I chuckled at the irony of everything— now that I was willing to see Thiago so I could ignore the thoughts that were on a loop in my mind; I had fallen ill. I looked around for my phone and realized it had fallen on the floor.I contemplated calling Sonia but decided against it. She’d be here soon and wo
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CHARLOTTEI wasn’t feeling any better the next day, and I knew I had to get medication, but I neither had the energy to move from one place to another, nor could I bring myself to pick up my phone to call for help. I lay in bed for over twenty minutes, wondering why my body had chosen this moment to give in to illness.“I guess we can’t have it all,” I muttered, trying to sit up, but my limbs ached as I tried to move them. I sighed and looked around the room. Sonia would be over soon, and I knew she’d want to get a nurse, but for some reason, I didn’t want her to.I couldn’t quite wrap my head around why, but somewhere at the back of my mind, I felt I had neglected something regarding my health. I wanted to be the first to find out what it was before anyone else. I forced myself to sit up despite the pain in my joints, exhaling slowly. The room began to spin as I rested my back against the wall and tried to relax.I heard my phone ringing and started looking around for it, only to rea