CHARLOTTE
I woke up to the sound of hurried footsteps moving through the house and voices yelling in unison. Too disoriented to make sense of it, I struggled to block out the noise coming from the engines of trucks revving in the distance. Yawning and stretching my arms, I sat up, looking around the room with a confused expression.
My mind felt like a blank slate for a hot minute, delighted yet frightened at the prospect. But a few seconds later, the feeling dispersed as my brain started to recall the events of last night.
I sighed and smiled sadly. Life had taken a different turn, one I couldn’t deny I hadn’t foreseen as the days rolled by. I remembered the terms of the marriage that Rogerio and I had. We hadn’t started our relationship on the basis of love, but I could swear we were great friends.
When I fell in love with him, he never made it feel like it was an unrequited love. I felt safe and secure, like I had found someone who was ready to stick with me through thick and thin until he gained access to his inheritance. Slowly, the veil came off, and I saw him for who he truly was, but I was too invested in the union to walk away.
I wanted to make it work and build a life like the one I had seen my parents thrive in before their deaths. ‘If wishes were horses...’ I mumbled under my breath, stopping midway, and closing my eyes.
The clause didn’t fully apply to me, as I had lived a life of luxury and affluence, but it couldn’t compensate for the neglect I felt in my marriage to a Thuthai.
His family didn’t make it any better; they utilized whatever chance they got to remind me that I wasn’t worth being married to their son. Given the agreement with Rogerio, I couldn’t tell them that I was actually doing their family a favor by being there. It hurt like hell that he didn’t try to defend me, either.
But I had grown to love him, so none of that really mattered. I turned my head to the door as a knock pulled me out of my reverie. “Signora? Are you awake yet?”
“Yes, Maria. I’m surprised I slept a wink. Come in…” I answered and waited for her to open the door, then step into the room. As she made her way through the entrance, the commotion from the hallway caught my attention.
“What’s that?” I asked, and she smiled wistfully, then shut the door behind her.
“Just people... moving around. I think you should worry about yourself, especially after the night you’ve just had.”
I watched as Maria placed the tray on the table in the center of the room. “Maria, I appreciate your concern, but I believe I am capable of choosing what thoughts to dwell on. This doesn’t seem like a usual morning at the estate. Please update me on the current situation, or I will seek out the information myself.”
“Signora… I,” she started to say, then hesitated. She lowered her gaze and clasped her fingers behind her.
“Your silence is worse than the muffled sounds I hear outside my door. I am as curious as I am concerned, so speak up already.”
“Very well. It’s Signor Rogerio, he’s back…”
“He is?!” I clapped my hands excitedly. “See? I told you he’d be back. Now we only need a minute to ourselves, we could have breakfast together. Or lunch, whatever the time is,” I replied and jumped off the bed.
She opened her mouth to say something but decided against it. My gaze landed on the tray she had brought with her. “Is that my breakfast?”
“Yes,” she responded, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Great! Take it to the dining room, get a plate for my husband as well,” I answered, sprinting out of the room as I heard the sound of his voice in the distance.
“Signora, don’t,” she started to say, but I was already out of the room and I had shut the door behind me.
My excitement gave way to confusion as a strange man walked past me in the hallway, carrying two suitcases.
“Hey! Who are you and where are you taking those bags?” I asked, and he stopped in his tracks, looked at me with soulful eyes, and continued walking.
What is happening? I looked around the hallway. Everyone who walked past me had one thing in common: they were wearing a blue shirt and brown khaki pants, and they all carried one thing or another.
I looked at the walls and felt a knot in my stomach. The only pieces that were left hanging were the ones I had added to the collection; the walls felt bare and different in a way that made me start feeling like something had been taken from me. I followed the sound of Rogerio’s voice into the library and stopped at the door. He wasn’t alone; some other men were in the room with him.
Leaning against the doorframe, I watched them converse for a few minutes before locking gazes with one of the men: Paul Cohhen, the priest who officiated at our wedding.
My eyes moved back to Rogerio, who was standing with his back to the entrance, still wearing the same clothes he had on last night. He turned around and caught me staring at him. When our eyes met, I felt a chill wash over me from the icy glare he gave me.
“Leave us,” he said to the men, and they exited the room in a heartbeat. They seemed relieved to be out of there, and for some reason, I envied them. My mind had started to piece together bits of the puzzle, but a part of me remained in denial.
The other part of me wanted to turn around and run in the opposite direction to avoid whatever was coming. “Are you going to come in, or are you just going to stand there?”
“I’m not sure,” I answered, turning to look at the hallway. “What’s happening out there?”
“Oh, that? I’m moving. No, that’s not how to break it to you properly, I’m leaving, Charlotte. Forever.”
I turned to look at him as he placed his hands across his chest. “You can’t be serious,” I muttered, and he chuckled in response.
“I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life. You mean nothing to me; I don’t want to be here, and you’re being an asshole about signing the papers, so I’m leaving.”
“You don’t mean that, right?” I demanded and stepped into the room. “You don’t mean that, do you?”
“What? Leaving? Oh yes, I realize that you just woke up so it might take a little longer than usual to process things, but I’ll give you a quick update: the people you saw in the hallway? They’re movers. The trucks parked outside are here to take my things out of this wretched house.”
“No, not that. You don’t really mean it when you say I mean nothing to you. You’re just angry about something I’ve done, and I understand it. We can make this work, Rogerio; we could go to therapy, go on a vacation, or something. Anything but this, you don’t have to move out of your own house to prove a point.”
“Sometimes, I wonder if you were always this slow and I didn’t catch it in time or if you like to act obtuse on purpose. Let me clarify something for you: our marriage was an act of convenience. It was useful to meet our needs at the time, and it has run its course. I’m sick of it, and I’m sick of you.”
“Rogerio, I…”
“Shut up and let me finish. There’s nothing you can say or do that will change the events of things. I can’t throw you out of the estate; it became yours when we got married and even after the divorce, it’ll be yours. But I can leave, and that’s what I’m doing.”
He turned around and pointed to a black envelope on the table. “That’s a copy of the divorce papers. Try not to tear them up this time. Sign them. If you attempt to contact me without my lawyers present, I will file a restraining order against you or find something to press charges about. It’s your choice, this house or prison.” He added, picked up his suitcase, and left the room.
CHARLOTTEI was too stunned to make any sudden moves. My life was crumbling before my eyes, and I couldn’t do anything about it. I slid onto a couch next to the door and sobbed quietly.My heart raced, and my body trembled terribly. I had finally lost everything that was important to me. It felt like life enjoyed playing cruel tricks on me. First, it was my dad and mom dying, leaving me to fend for myself in a world where everyone operated on a different set of rules than the one I had been raised with. Now my husband was gone.“This can’t be happening,” I said to myself as tears streamed down my cheeks. “It’s all a bad dream, and I’ll wake up from it soon.”I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly. I wiped my face and slowly opened my eyes, hoping to meet different circumstances. My resolve wavered as I opened my eyes and the house became silent. I was still in the library; nothing had changed. The silence made it worse; it was easier to deal with this when I could still hear people talki
CHARLOTTE“Maria?!” I yelled, my voice echoing through the empty house. “This is sad,” I added when she didn’t respond, and I started walking to the front door. Then I stopped in my tracks, turned around, walked into the room, and picked up the tray containing the dishes I had just used, proceeding to stack them in the kitchen sink.We were the only ones left in this deserted estate, and I couldn’t let her do all the work while I wailed about how much of a failure my life and marriage were. Plus, I needed something to do to keep my mind off the present as I made plans for the future.Today, I had one mission: find Rogerio and uncover the reason behind our separation. I had always assumed it was my fault, or that I was constantly making mistakes. However, upon reflection, I am starting to realize that there may be other external factors at play.First, I thought about his parents; Rogerio had grown up under the care of his grandfather, Don Huilo, and his mother, Penelope. I had no idea
ROGERIOThe sun had just begun to set when I arrived at the penthouse. The movers had completed their task of hauling the properties I had brought from the estate. Once they finished, they dispersed as swiftly as they had gathered, leaving me with the staff members who had packed up their things and moved with me. I studied them for a few minutes, waiting to see if anyone would speak up, but none did. It dawned on me then that my decision to divorce Charlotte had brought about unforeseen consequences.First on that list was her refusal to sign the papers. She claimed to love me, but I doubted it. Our relationship was built on different terms—love was never one of them. We both knew it, so I couldn’t fathom her delusion. It was pointless, considering we both acknowledged that our union wasn’t working. I attempted to push the encounter out of my mind and focus on what I could currently control, but the expressions on the faces around me made it futile.I stood in the corner of the room,
CHARLOTTEThe drive back home was slow and excruciatingly painful. I had to park by the side of the road a few times to convince myself that I would arrive at the estate in one piece. My body trembled slightly as the recollection of seeing Rogerio propose to his ex-girlfriend remained permanently etched into my memory.I barely knew her, but from the conversations we had when our relationship was still hopeful, I knew she had shattered his heart into a million pieces with her disappearance. I had thought our marital issues stemmed from an issue between both of us, one we could work on, but this was something different.It wasn’t a marriage that was done because one or both of us had issues that could not be fixed or tolerated. He had simply returned to the woman he truly loved. For the first time since we were married, I truly comprehended what unrequited love felt like.My thoughts shifted to the first night we met at the bar. He had walked in looking dejected, and I knew that he nee
CHARLOTTEBefore leaving the courtroom, I stole a final glance at Rogerio. He looked perfect in the three-piece suit he had on, and I yearned to tell him that, but I knew better. He seemed excited about the outcome of the proceedings and did a fine job of avoiding my stare.As he spoke with his lawyers in the most enigmatic fashion, I smiled wistfully and walked to the parking lot. My lawyer offered to follow me, but I declined. I thanked him for his role in the hearing and made my way towards the car with slow, steady steps. Thankfully, the lot was empty, so I got into the car and sat in silence for a few minutes.Everything I had dreamed of having for almost two years had gone up in flames in a few hours. I had no more zeal to fight for anything left inside me. I could wish to turn back the hands of time or try to find a light at the end of the tunnel, but I knew those options were pointless.No matter what I did, nothing would change. I tried to come to terms with what had happened
CHARLOTTEIn the middle of the hallway stood men hammering the walls. I looked on in terror as my head throbbed from the noise. A draft blew into the room, and my eyes watered as I sneezed. When my vision cleared, I saw a woman standing in the middle of the room. I broke into a grin as we locked gazes. “Elena La Guerta...” I muttered.“You’ve heard of me,” she sneered and she walked towards me through the rubble that had been created.“Who hasn’t? Why are you here? And who are these people breaking my walls?” I asked, folding my arms across my chest. If this was her idea of a first impression, she was doing a wonderful job of pissing me off.With a mocking face, she uttered. “You call it yours, but it belongs to the Thuthais. It’s Rogerio’s house.”I swallowed at the mention of his name, and my resolve crumbled a little. She chuckled and turned around. This triggered a memory from the engagement party. I smiled wistfully as Maria walked into the hallway. She had been cleaning the stud
ROGERIO“Signor Rogerio, you’ve got to do something about this,” a familiar voice said into the phone in a hushed tone. I blinked in confusion and looked around me. I was in my bedroom, and slowly, the events of the previous day started to come back to me.I had spent the day at the office handling the appointments that had been rescheduled to fit the court proceedings and moving out of the estate. I also spent hours in meetings with the accountants, investors, and other shareholders.The company had experienced a loss, and someone was trying to undermine our activities on the island. I wasn’t prepared to hear that gold was being stolen by the miners as well.I needed to schedule a trip to the island, but had decided to take a day off. I needed some time alone to rest and clear my head. The sound of the voice speaking through the phone speakers pulled me out of my reverie. I rubbed my eyes and looked at the clock on the bedside table, then shifted my gaze to the phone’s screen.The ca
CHARLOTTEI spent most of the day in the establishment, which did me a lot of good. It was warm. The atmosphere smelled delicious, and I felt safe. My head still throbbed, and my body trembled slightly; this reinforced my need to sit still.The restaurant was located in the city’s hub, and sitting next to the window gave me a vintage view of the world outside as well; it felt like a movie I had been missing out on. Elena’s visit roused something in me, possibly fueled by the possibility of losing shelter, but it was there nonetheless.It was a thought that had been creeping into my mind slowly, a voice I hadn’t been paying attention to, but recent events had given it some credence. “The world’s moved on without me,” I muttered, staring at the people on the street.I had spent time engulfed in my grief of losing my parents, going between numerous foster homes, and finally being too old for that, then coming to Milan to work. I had been so focused on myself that I forgot to see the worl
Dear Readers,We’ve reached the end of this story, and I can’t begin to express how grateful I am for each and every one of you. From the first chapter to the last, your support, comments, encouragement, and even your wild theories have made this journey unforgettable. Writing this book was an adventure, but sharing it with you was the real magic.Your patience, love, and engagement mean the world to me. Whether you’ve been here from the very start or just joined along the way, thank you for believing in these characters and their journey.But while one story ends… another is just beginning.🔥 Introducing my new book: S.I.X: The Mafia’s Kryptonite 🔥A story of power. Romance. Loyalty. Blood. In the world of the Mafia, trust is a luxury, and betrayal comes at a deadly cost.🔫 He was the legend. The nightmare. The one name whispered in fear—S.I.X.For ten years, SIX ruled the underworld as a ruthless enforcer for the La Fratellanza Mafia. But now, he’s desperate to leave. There’s just
EPILOGUEFive years had passed since Charlotte and Rogerio decided to give their relationship a second chance. They had committed to the process, putting in the work, and it had blossomed into something beautiful.Their marriage had grown stronger, filled with mutual respect, understanding, and a shared vision for the future.Together, they built a family, welcoming two children, a boy and a girl, into their lives. They vowed to raise them with love, patience, and the wisdom gained from their own past mistakes, ensuring they grew up to be better people than they had ever been.Determined to create lasting memories, they prioritized family time, going on trips, attending couple’s therapy, working on their businesses as a team, and making sure they were present in each other’s lives.Over time, both of them had changed in ways neither had expected, shaped by experience, love, and the desire to be better versions of themselves.Rogerio had learned to treat people with more empathy, to be
CHARLOTTEElena’s trial had concluded, and she had been sentenced to life imprisonment in a maximum-security prison. I wasn’t sure if the verdict truly satisfied me, but knowing she would be locked away for a very long time, unable to pose a threat to me or anyone else, filled me with reassurance.I decided to visit Thiago, who had returned to Milan to support his friend during the trial. I sent him a text asking if we could have dinner together; there were things I needed to discuss with him and I wanted his honest opinion. He readily agreed, and the next day, I boarded a plane to Milan.The entire flight, I couldn’t shake the gnawing feeling that this would be the last time I set foot in this city for a very long time.As soon as I arrived, I went straight to the estate to speak with the staff. I was still undecided about selling the villa, but if they were willing to stay and take care of the place in my absence, I would consider keeping it. When I spoke to the chef about this, he
ROGERIOI had been visiting Maria’s grave every week since my memory returned. Mostly out of guilt. I felt responsible for what had happened to her in more ways than one. If I had listened, if I had stopped Elena before she spiraled, none of this would have happened.Maria would still be alive, and perhaps, Charlotte would still be here too. But it was too late for “maybes” and “could-haves.”I hadn’t returned to the office yet. There was nothing there that my grandfather and mother couldn’t handle, and I needed to be alone. This place, the cemetery, seemed like the perfect escape.It had become a ritual. Each day, I knelt by Maria’s tombstone, remembering our time at the estate. She had been the mother figure mine never was, and losing her had affected me more than I could have imagined. I hated myself for it. As I sat there, lost in grief, I heard a branch snap behind me.I turned, expecting Thiago or one of the guards checking in on me. But when I saw who it was, every nerve in my
CHARLOTTEThings in L.A. had been going smoothly, but my heart was still in Milan. The case remained unresolved, making a return seem like a foolish idea, yet each passing day filled me with the temptation to board a flight and see things for myself.The air here carried a tension of its own as the reveal Thiago and I had planned drew closer. I wanted to delay it further, but there was no point, it was better to get it over with once and for all.School was the only thing holding together any shred of sanity I had left, and I didn’t take it for granted.I allowed myself to grieve Maria and heal at my own pace, though the days dragged on, making it feel like there was no coming back from such a loss.While I tried to focus on the silver linings, I still felt alone, even with Thiago’s unwavering support. I hated how lost I felt deep down. Two weeks later, I decided to damn the consequences and visit Milan. What was the worst that could happen?If things went terribly wrong, I’d join my p
ROGERIOWe had returned to Milan, and the police dropped by the house to question me about the accident, the trip, and a million other things, but Thiago wouldn’t let them past the gates after the first interview.In his words, I needed time to recuperate, and this was true. I had gone from feeling much better to being disoriented.I couldn’t tell if it was the barrage of questions or the flashing lights from the press trying to get pictures of me when I came out of the apartment, but I certainly needed a break from everything. Things were moving too fast, and to top it off, I was having occasional headaches.My memory was still hazy, but I would occasionally remember things, only for some parts to remain out of reach, leaving me struggling to recall.It was a continuous struggle between trying to stay in the present and drifting into fragments of the past, but I tried to maintain some composure and hoped that things went as planned.My mom and grandfather occasionally came to visit,
CHARLOTTEAfter carefully processing the information I had uncovered, I decided to return to Milan to warn Rogerio about Elena. I chose not to inform Thiago, knowing he would try to stop me.Besides, he had told me it was my prerogative to do what I felt was right, and I fully intended to do just that.Upon arriving in Milan, I went straight to the detective I had previously hired. Though he had mixed feelings about my return, he remained in charge of Maria’s case, which made things easier.I laid out everything I had learned about Elena’s involvement in the attacks and her plans for Rogerio. When I refused to disclose my source, he assured me that they would treat it as an anonymous tip to protect my safety while they investigated further.I asked if I could speak to Rogerio directly, only to learn that he had already left the city, with his last known destination being Mykonos. The realization hit me, he had been following me.That only reinforced my suspicions. If Elena knew he was
ELENARealizing that I had made such a grave mistake kept me on edge. I hadn’t heard anything implicating from the media or Rogerio, but I was still nervous.I had stayed away from the public eye and ensured that my return to the city hadn’t made any headlines. It was enough that the topic had shifted from my disastrous wedding to the attack on the Thuthai estate and Maria’s death.The news hadn’t mentioned anything about Charlotte, and I started to wonder if Rogerio had brought her up just to rattle my nerves.“Well, if that was his plan, then he succeeded,” I muttered to myself, wondering if I had gone too far in ordering the men to attack his vehicle.I hadn’t wanted anything serious to happen to him, just enough to make him come back home and give up his search for his ex-wife. But the silence from his end over the past few days was starting to bother me.I didn’t want to show up at his mother’s estate uninvited; she must be irritated with all the chaos surrounding her family, and
ROGERIOThe sun’s rays beat against my face and I put out an arm to block it, then looked around. The last thing I remember was getting off the plane and the car somersaulting several times in the air.I didn’t know where I was or what exactly had brought me here. I got up from the ground and tried to brush the sand off my clothes when I realized that I was injured in a few places, but it was nothing serious.The car, however, lay turned on its back, tires rolling in the air, which smelled of petrol and something else. I looked at the car and realized that there were people trapped inside. I wasn’t sure how I had gotten out, but I had to help them out too.I tried to move and realized that I had sprained my ankle. I didn’t realize how terrible it was earlier because my body was still recovering from the shock.As I tried to move my limbs, my body let me know that it had gone through much more than I could reckon. I couldn’t move as quickly as I wanted to, and I wondered if I would be