CHARLOTTE“I can’t take the job,” I said as soon as I stepped into the office. Thiago raised his head to meet my gaze and broke into a grin.“I knew you’d come,” he replied, standing up. “Sit. How are you feeling?”“I’m exhausted, and it’s not the type that comes from physical exertion. I can’t explain it, but I’m genuinely tired of everything,” I answered, sitting down.He returned to his seat and watched my expression for a moment before speaking.“I can’t say I understand how you feel, but I know what it’s like to feel overwhelmed by situations, especially those beyond our control. But I think you should take the job.”“Why? I don’t have any experience. I don’t know what it’s like to run a business, and I don’t have a degree that would give me the foundation to pull it off either. What’s the point?” I replied, throwing my hands up in frustration.When we left the apartment, Sonia had tried to convince me to take the job. I had been considering it during the ride here, but when I st
CHARLOTTEWe spent the rest of the day shopping, and what I thought would be a tedious spree turned out to be unexpectedly delightful. It gave me a glimpse of Thiago in a completely different light. I’d seen him in many shades, commanding with his security personnel, thoughtful and kind, calm yet simmering with intensity. But this carefree, lighthearted side of him was new.He had Sonia and the other guards keep a respectful distance as we moved between stores, selecting outfits. Thiago would try on clothing, examine himself in the mirror, and eagerly ask for my feedback. I knew he valued honesty, so I gave it without hesitation.If something looked good, I told him; if it didn’t, I suggested a different color or style. He did the same when I modeled my picks, though it took me a little while to loosen up enough to show him.Each time I tried on a dress, skirt, or blouse, he offered playful yet sincere critiques that eased my nerves. By the end of the day, I was laughing at his exagge
ROGERIO“Hello, Rogerio,” the voice rang through the speaker, and my eyes flew open as I recognized who the speaker was. My mother rarely called. She was prone to making unannounced visits; a call meant that she had grown weary of the situation but couldn’t be bothered enough to make a trip.If it was important enough for her to make a call, there were two things attached to it. One, it needed to be urgently resolved. Two, she wouldn’t want to have the conversation again. I sat up and glanced around the room.I had taken the day off to schedule a meeting with Thiago, but he rescheduled, and I went home. It was a strange decision, an impulsive one, but I did it. The alternative was to go back to the office, then prepare for dinner with Elena, but I chose peace and quiet.“Hello, Mother, how’re you doing?” I replied and closed my eyes as she cleared her throat.“Were you asleep?” she asked, and I arched an eyebrow.“Why? You sound surprised,” I answered, trying to steady my nerves. I co
ELENARogerio’s approach to planning the wedding had finally pushed me to the wall, so I decided to call his mother. My family had spent the last few weeks reminding me that I’d thrown away my chances with the Thuthai family the first time, and I had to ensure the wedding happened this time. They didn’t care if I had to grovel or beg to become the next Signora Thuthai; they simply wanted me to do whatever it took to get it done.I knew calling his mom was a power move. She wouldn’t entertain the flimsy excuses Rogerio had been giving me for not picking a date, and he’d be forced to do whatever she said. As I sat at my vanity table, doing my makeup for the dinner Rogerio and I were supposed to have tonight, I wondered if he’d detest me even more than he already did - or if he’d understand that I’d done what needed to be done.The door creaked open, and a head full of red hair peeked through. I blinked, confused. I’d been expecting my assistant and had already prepared a speech to addre
ROGERIOThe wind blew debris across the estate as I stepped out of the front door. I watched the gardener and another worker dash toward the trash bins, trying to gather the scattered pieces and secure them. Climbing into the car, I glanced back at the house one last time.Maria’s response lingered in my mind as the vehicle hummed to life. The driver guided us through the gates and into the bustling city center, a blur of movement and noise. My visit to Maria had been a dead end; she was hell-bent on keeping Charlotte’s whereabouts from me, and for good reason.I was certain Maria knew exactly where Charlotte was staying, but she’d made the same calculations I had. My confession hadn’t helped my case.I’d assumed that being honest with her would make her see reason, that she might even try to help me out of this impossible situation. But hope, as I’ve learned, is a fickle emotion— present one moment, gone the next. As soon as she started laughing, I knew I’d lost the fight completely.
CHARLOTTEThe party had gone according to plan; everyone had a great time, and I was delighted to have pulled it off despite my initial doubts. It felt like, for the first time in a long while, something had gone according to plan without any hitches, and I was delighted to be part of it.As people filed out of the establishment, I settled into my office chair, sipping wine straight from the bottle. It felt like a small reward for a job well done. However, by the time I reached my second bottle, I knew leaving the office without stumbling over objects, or even people, was becoming increasingly unlikely.I giggled at the thought of falling over things, but knew it would be a terrible sight for everyone involved to watch their new manager embarrass herself because she couldn’t hold her alcohol. That was why I had stuck to drinking only a few glasses while the party was in full swing. Now that I was certain everyone had enjoyed themselves, it was time for my little celebration.When I le
CHARLOTTEWhen I opened my eyes, the car had slowed to a halt in front of a building. The air felt different - oddly familiar. I was too drowsy to look around and assumed it was the alcohol creating the effect I wanted when I started drinking. Without much thought, I went back to sleep.A light tap on my shoulder stirred me. I tried to open my eyes, but muttered something incomprehensible instead. The last thing I heard was Thiago’s chuckle before I felt my body being lifted from the seat.“Can’t let you fall asleep here. Let’s get you somewhere comfortable,” he said softly.Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my head against his chest.His scent filled my senses as I drifted into a semi-conscious state. Unlike me, reeking of alcohol, he smelled different. A blend of something sweet and musky. I tried to identify the scent, but surrendered to the pull of sleep again.Time blurred as I slept. When I tried to open my eyes again, I realized I was no longer in his
CharlotteAfter spending some time moving around the house, I decided I was ready to read what was in the folder. I walked to the room, grabbed the file from the bedside table, and moved to the couch in the middle of the room.The first few pages contained what seemed like legal jargon I’d need a lawyer to properly interpret, but I kept reading. Soon, I got the hang of it, though I wasn’t sure I completely understood what was happening - until I got to the sixth page.At the bottom of the page was a highlighted section that showed my parents’ names as the owners of a property and detailed how the ownership had been illegally transferred to a member of the Narhzy family.The next line was a court order stating that the property should be returned to “… Charlotte Naomi Edwards within weeks of this…” I started reading out loud, and my eyes widened in surprise.I let go of the file, and its contents scattered to the ground as a gasp escaped my lips. I stared at the papers for a few minute
CHARLOTTEIt had been a week since I started working at Thiago’s firm while also doubling as the manager at the club. Combining both activities had been nothing short of hectic.Every morning, I dropped by the office to review the previous day’s reports, stayed for an hour or two, and then rushed off to school for my classes, which had just begun.At night, I stopped by the club to supervise activities. I’d given up bartending for a while - it was clear that taking on that role too would be overextending myself.I also stopped spending the night at the club like I used to, knowing I needed at least a little sleep to function the next day.After a week of this chaotic schedule, I felt like I needed to drop something and focus on one thing. That morning at the office, I resolved to decide what worked best for me.Abandoning school was out of the question; I’d only just started, and giving up on something I so desperately wanted wasn’t an option.That left me choosing between the club an
ROGERIO“Elena, I assure you, I didn’t mean to hurt you or play any games. If I didn’t want to go through with the wedding, I would’ve let you know. I—”“You know, that’s what I thought for a moment,” she interrupted, pacing. “If you didn’t want to go through with it, all you had to do was call me. Did you even consider that, or was it fun for you to let me walk into the church and get embarrassed in front of everyone?”“Elena, let me explain… I wasn’t… I didn’t…” I stammered, but she stopped pacing and stepped toward me.“Since when do you stammer? Since when do you not know how to articulate yourself? Rogerio, you better say something that makes sense right now, or I swear to—” She stopped short as I raised my hands in defeat.“I was anxious!” I blurted out before I could think. I had been trying to come up with the perfect excuse, but nothing seemed adequate under the weight of her anger. The words tumbled out, unfiltered.“What?” she asked, her expression shifting to one of confus
ROGERIOI hadn’t planned to leave Elena at the altar until I received that message; in fact, I was resigned to my fate.As much as I hated how things had turned out, I convinced myself that I wasn’t going to track down Charlotte to confirm whatever suspicions I had.There was no use pining over a life filled with uncertainty or sulking over the road not taken - until I got that warning.The message warned me there would be a shootout at the wedding, and in all my years of being trailed by security personnel, I knew better than to treat such a message lightly.I discussed the issue with my head of security, instructing him not to inform the other guards or anyone else until we could trace the source of the message.Unfortunately, our efforts proved futile. The lead brought us to an empty, nearly dilapidated warehouse on the outskirts of Milan that was up for sale.When we inquired about the ownership under the guise of buying and renovating the property, we discovered the owners were d
ELENAAs she spoke, I zoned in and out, trying to think of how best to handle the situation my way. It seemed like she was trying harder to convince herself that what had happened was a mistake than to make me feel better.At least she stayed to console my family, unlike my own, whose reputation - now tarnished - was more important than the emotional torture their child was enduring.I inhaled deeply, closed my eyes, then exhaled slowly. When I opened them, I noticed Keisha had gotten up from her seated position and was moving toward me.It felt like she anticipated what I was about to do before the thought even took shape in my head. I stood up, bundled up my dress, and started running out of the church. She followed suit, trying to catch up with me.“Elena!” she yelled, trying to get me to stop or at least slow down. “Elena! Where are you going?”“To fix this,” I answered without looking back or slowing down. “To get to the bottom of this rubbish and fix it before it’s too late,” I
ELENAI looked around the empty church and chuckled as the priest slowly walked over to where Rogerio’s parents were seated, conversing with them in hushed tones. I turned to Keisha, who was visibly shocked at the outcome of things.I tried to say something, but no words came out when I opened my mouth. My heart started racing, and my palms felt sweaty as I lowered myself to the floor and sat down.Keisha tried to get me to stand, but I wouldn’t budge - I simply refused to move from that spot.“My worst nightmare has become a reality,” I muttered, chuckling, though nothing seemed funny at that point. I stared at Rogerio’s grandfather and his mother as they rose from their seats and walked toward me.The priest reached the altar before them, extinguishing the candles near the pulpit. He patted my shoulder and walked away without saying a word.I hated what this day had turned into - what was supposed to be a joyous ceremony had devolved into a spectacle of pity.A gust of wind blew thr
ElenaI pondered her words, watching as she selected three pairs of shoes from the options the attendant had laid out.She placed them on the table and asked me to choose one. I pointed at a random pair, and she giggled with excitement, stating that she was going to pick the same pair too but asked for it in a different colour.I tried to push thoughts of what she had said about having a child out of my mind, but they lingered.They reminded me of what Thiago had said about Charlotte. He had assured me she wasn’t pregnant, but what if he was lying?Or worse, what if he had been misinformed? If Rogerio ever found out she was pregnant, our marriage would end before it even began. My conversation with Maria crept back into my thoughts, and I sighed. She was right. I’d never admit it to her face, but in some ways, she was. “Hey,” Keisha said, her voice breaking through my reverie. “Cheer up. You’re getting married - it’s not the end of the world.” She chuckled, and I mustered a faint
ELENAIt had been days since I last spoke with my father, and as the wedding date loomed closer, I knew I should call him to confirm his outfit and ensure there weren’t any last-minute plans he’d decided to spring on me. But I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I knew the conversation would inevitably shift to the estate, and right now, I wanted to focus solely on the wedding.In a matter of hours, I’d be married to Rogerio, and with that milestone reached, I could finally exhale and move on to more pressing matters in my life. For the first time in ages, I felt genuinely excited about something, and I wasn’t about to let anything ruin it. To keep myself in this bubble of bliss, I delegated all inquiries about my family’s involvement in the wedding to my assistant. Meanwhile, I waited for the personal shopper to arrive at my apartment. I had decided, quite impulsively, to get a new dress. The style of the one I’d originally chosen no longer appealed to me, and honestly, I was l
CHARLOTTEWhen Sonia arrived to walk me to the car, I couldn’t hide my relief. What had begun as a dinner meant to ease the stress of my day had spiraled into yet another source of anxiety.I wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and shut out the world. Sonia tried to start a conversation during the ride home, but I wasn’t in the mood to talk.She seemed to sense my reluctance and eventually stopped trying, keeping her attention on the road while the driver skillfully navigated through the city. The moment we arrived at the penthouse, I headed straight for the elevator. Once inside the apartment, I tossed my bag onto the couch and made my way to the minibar. I poured myself a generous glass of wine, and before I knew it, I was halfway through the bottle. That’s when I remembered I needed to call Maria. I rummaged through my bag for my phone, finding it buried beneath the usual chaos. As I held it in my hand, I hesitated. Maria had a knack for reading between the lines, and
CHARLOTTE"Did something happen? Do we need to reschedule?" I asked as the guard walked away. Thiago shook his head, offering a nervous chuckle. "No, it's nothing that can't be handled later. Now, where were we?" "You were about to tell me the main reason behind this dinner," I replied, picking up the fork in front of me. I dug into the pasta - not because I was particularly hungry but because I needed something to fidget with while he gathered his thoughts. The atmosphere had shifted, suddenly dampened, as if something heavy weighed on his mind. I wanted to know what had transpired between him and the guard, but I knew that if he didn't want to talk about it, there was no use pressing him.I placed the fork in my mouth and tried to enjoy the food. It was delicious, and the music had slowed to a tempo that matched the mood, yet my growing desire to go home and collapse into my bed overshadowed any intention of savoring the evening. "You've been doing pretty well with the club,