CHARLOTTE“Ms. Edwards?” Sonia’s voice called, but it sounded so faint and distant that I thought I was imagining it. “Ms. Edwards,” she repeated, and I felt my body shake lightly. I opened my eyes and blinked in confusion as the room was filled with guards who looked ready to draw their weapons at the slightest inclination.My throat felt dry, and I tried to reach for the bottle of water on the bedside table, but one of the guards snatched it away, muttered something, and handed it to his companion. “What’s… What’s going on?” I stammered as Sonia sat on the bed with a relieved expression. “Sonia?” I continued, but she shook her head slowly.“I’ll explain everything in a moment, but we need to get you out of here first. You need a doctor, and I’m sorry I failed you again,” she answered.My expression morphed into a frown as I looked at her in confusion. I started to say something, but one of the guards stepped forward and whispered something into her ear. She nodded, and they all file
CHARLOTTE“I’m confused,” I murmured, lowering my gaze, trying to process everything she had just said. Sonia started to respond, but a knock at the door interrupted her. I watched as she hurried over, stepping outside and locking the door softly behind her. I wanted to move, but even sitting up was a struggle—my body simply refused to cooperate.“The law firm,” I muttered to myself, scanning the room. Panic surged as I realized it was nowhere to be found. If I had been out for so long, I might have missed the crucial information the lawyer had regarding the case. As much as I tried to push the thought aside, I knew in my gut this was tied to the Narzhy family.The speed at which they acted was baffling. I tried to wrap my mind around how they could have moved so swiftly. A flash of memory—the car that drove past us at the scene—flickered in my thoughts. Could we have been followed? Sonia returned, her expression heavy with guilt. I could see the regret on her face, likely wishing we
CHARLOTTEFew things have knocked the wind out of my sails, like receiving this news. Everything spun momentarily, and it felt as if someone had thrown a brick at my head. I started to feel faint, my heart felt like it would burst, and my palms grew clammy as beads of sweat formed on my forehead.“What do you mean, he’s dead?” I asked, struggling to collect my thoughts. “He can’t be dead; he just sent me this,” I added, showing her the texts I’d received from him.She stared at the phone’s screen for a moment, then sighed. “Signora, I—” she began, but I shook my head vigorously.“No,” I interrupted, defiance etched on my face. “He can’t be dead, not when we’re making progress with the case. He—” My words faltered as I began to cry. She reached for my hands and held them.“I know it’s hard to accept, and I’m so sorry you had to hear it like this. I was hoping to wait until you were feeling better before saying anything, but he’s dead. He really is,” she said slowly, releasing my hand w
CHARLOTTESonia had left the room, mentioning she needed to update the guards on the current situation. I was glad to have a moment to myself. Lying in bed, I replayed our conversation in my mind—everything was happening too fast. I glanced at my phone, tempted to call the firm, but I couldn’t bring myself to pick it up. Someone was dead because of me, and I couldn’t shake off the weight of that reality.A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts, and Sonia re-entered.“You don’t have to stay,” I said, watching her walk to the bathroom to wash her hands. “You’ve been through quite a bit yourself. You should rest.”She stepped out, drying her hands with a towel before tossing it into the laundry basket. “I can’t leave you alone,” she replied, sitting in the chair positioned near the door. “The guards are supposed to take shifts watching you, but I figured you wouldn’t be comfortable with that.”“You’re right,” I admitted. “I wouldn’t. I just need to be alone right now to think.”So
Charlotte“What do you mean?” I asked, stepping back as the woman struggled to stand. She paused to catch her breath, then stifled a cough, but blood trickled from the corner of her lips.I glanced at Sonia, wondering if this was the reason she had been washing her hands in the bathroom earlier. She seemed like she was ready to start another session if the occasion called for it, and that scared me a little. I wondered what else she was doing that I may not have considered this the entire time.“Your presence here, Signora,” the woman continued speaking. I turned my attention back to her as she stood up slowly. I realized that her hands were tied, and the left side of her face had been badly bruised. “It’s going to stir the pot. A lot of people are going to wind up dead or missing because you can’t stay dead. It’s a shame I won’t be here to see it, but I’m sure,” she added, coughing, then chuckling. “I’m sure it would be so much fun,” she finished.“I wasn’t dead. I didn’t commit suic
CHARLOTTEI woke up to someone knocking on the door, reached for my phone, and glanced at the time. I tried to stifle a yawn as I stood up and walked toward the door. “Who is it?” I asked, placing a hand against my forehead.“Sonia,” came the reply, and I opened the door. “How are you feeling?” she asked as soon as she stepped inside.“I feel great,” I said, hesitating. “Though I’m not sure I should… with everything that’s happened.”“It’s good you focus on getting better. We can’t keep dwelling on the past. The best way forward is to look for some silver lining.” She interrupted, and I raised an eyebrow.“When did you become so optimistic?” I teased. She chuckled and shrugged.“I’ve had a few hours to think things over. Bottom line? It might be better to look on the bright side.”“What’s the…” I began, but trailed off, turning back toward the bed. “I got a message from Thiago last night,” I said, sitting down. “Is he back?”“Yes, he heard…” she started, but stopped, shaking her head.
CHARLOTTEThe activities of the previous day left me feeling weaker than I’d anticipated, but in a good way. I needed a minute to catch my breath afterward, but I was glad I did it.“How’re you feeling today?” Sonia asked as she walked into the room.I stared at her attire in confusion; she was wearing different clothes from yesterday—blue pants and a cream top I had never seen. She usually wore black, and seeing her in different colors felt strange and exciting. I realized she still had the apron on, and my face morphed into a frown. “What are you doing?” I asked, and she chuckled.“Making you breakfast. Well, everyone’s doing something as well—our way of saying thank you,” she said, folding her arms.“You don’t have to do anything in return. You already—” I started to say, but she held up her hand.“I’m sorry, we’ve been over this,” she said, and I chuckled.“Right. We have. Thank you,” I answered, and she nodded.“Do you have a plan for today?” she asked, and I looked at the clock,
CHARLOTTEWhen I opened my eyes, the car had slowed to a halt in front of a black gate, and the driver was speaking to a guard who held a large notepad. I sat up and watched as the guard shook his head and peered into the vehicle. I blinked in confusion and caught a flash of recognition in his eyes when he looked at me. He stepped back and sighed, returning to the security post to speak with his companion, who pressed a button, opening the gates.I tried to see his face as we drove past the post, but he had already moved inside, making it impossible to get a clear look. I replayed the moment of recognition in my mind, searching for a reason why he’d react like that, but nothing came to me. I shook the thought away and turned my attention to the environment as we passed trees and shrubs. Slowly, we made our way toward a building in the middle of a clearing, the pastel blue walls contrasting against the bright green landscape that surrounded us.The car slowed to a stop in front of the