Kate flinched, feeling the sunlight seep through the glass window of Carlos’ room. When she opened her eyes, she realized how the curtains were slightly open. She concluded how Carlos must have gotten up in the wee hours because he already had the necklace around his neck. Before they made love last night, he had taken it off. Kate looked up at his sleeping frame. She smiled mesmerizing at his handsome face. Slowly, she climbed higher on his bare chest to study his features. She had to admit it; maturity did Carlos well. The way part of his cheeks has sunken just a little, highlighting his chiseled jaws and adding to his charisma. She closed the gap between them and pecked on his cheeks. When Carlos merely hummed, clearly still fast asleep, her eyes landed on the compartment pendant. Kate squinted, studying the details of the same pendant. Her hand slowly held the pendant, carefully assessing how she would open it. When she finally assumed how it could be opened, she adjusted h

“Thank you for returning my daughter,” Ethan said while welcoming Carlos to the dining table. “Although we don’t mind if Kate stays with you until tomorrow. When are you leaving again, Carlos?” Samantha asked. “I’m leaving tomorrow, aunt,” Carlos revealed. “Kate will see me practice tomorrow morning, and I’ll leave for New York in the afternoon.” “Will you be back?” Samantha asked. “Yes, aunt. I will return after my New York trip, but I might not stay long. I still have to wait for instructions from the French Open organizers, but I am certain they will not delay the tournament for long. It can’t clash with the Wimbledon finals,” Carlos explained. “Yes, and we still need you to win the French Open Cup,” Ethan said before pointing Carlos and Kate to their seats. Observing the frown on Kate's face, Ethan asked, “Why are you looking grumpy?” “I’m not grumpy, dad. Pfft!” Kate denied it by faking a laugh. The truth was, Kate was disappointed that she did not get her reward from

“We think… your father may be alive.” The words that left officer Baker's lips echoed in Carlos' head. He did not know for how long he sat there, thinking. His mind wandered back to his father’s wake. Carlos recalled how his mother never let him see Manuel’s face because of his father's injuries. He felt a headache coming his way, trying to identify those who peered inside his father’s coffin. The accident that resulted in his father's death was a head-on collision with a truck and resulted in a fire, barely recognizing the bodies of both vehicle drivers. ‘Uncle Ethan and aunt Sam, I’m sure they had a look,’ Carlos thought. Then, Carlos's voice came through with the recollection of how the police went to his mother about the accident. He stammered into his reply, “I think… the police identified him properly. I remember how, aside from his private things, there was a DNA test done -” “Teeth. I already checked,” said officer Baker. “They identified your father’s DNA through his tee

[I’m sorry, Kate. Don’t worry, everyone will know that you are my girlfriend when this is all over. Have a good sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow morning. I love you, and I miss you terribly.] Carlos replied to Kate’s text while at the dining area of Alexander’s home. For over an hour now, Carlos, Alexander, and Kendra had been enjoying their meal while occasionally drinking red wine. They chatted about their previous tennis matches while sometimes talking about the other players. Kendra also injected conversations about models dating tennis players, allowing her to be thoroughly part of the discussion. Kendra picked up the bottle of wine from the ice bucket and poured the remaining contents into Carlos’ and Alexander’s glass. After which, she said, “Oops! Looks like we need a refill, guys.” Carlos checked the time and said, “Nah, I think it’s time for me to go -” “Go? Oh, my god, Carlos. It has been so long since we had so much fun, don’t you agree?” Kendra asked, winking at Carlos.

From a private island in France, a tall man in his late twenties was looking distantly at the sea from the garden terrace of his mansion. He was slightly bearded, with long hair tied behind his head. The man was Guillaume Bonnet, Hugo’s only son. As Guillaume stood there with his hands tucked inside his trouser pockets, he sighed, planning for his next move. His father’s actions resulted in their family business’ near bankruptcy, and while he had Carlos Ronaldo to thank for the end of his father’s reign, he just could not let go of the hundred million dollars they had lost. They suffered around sixty million dollars, gambling for Carlos to lose in a match. This included the wagers placed by their allied gangs in other countries. However, when the police seized his father’s properties, they also lost control of those assets. They also lost men. The umpires under their payroll were arrested, and the same could be said to anyone who had dealings with the Bonnet Gang. In short, they w