Chapter 61
CHARLOTTE
I stepped out of the bathroom, feeling a lot better than I had in the last few days, Sonia had shown me around and exited the apartment to give me some time to myself, and I was grateful for the silence. I wasn’t necessarily comfortable, but taking a bath had helped to calm me. I still felt very confused about the entire ordeal, but I was certain I’d be more receptive to whatever information Thiago had to give.
I walked to the bed and found a clothes bag lying on it, a note pinned to a black box placed beside it. “What’s this?” I said, picking up the box.
I brought it close to my ear and shook it; the box made a faint rattling sound, which piqued my curiosity. I moved it in front of me and read the note:
I’d be ready to answer your questions at dinner. Take all the time you need. Call Sonia when you’re ready.
I looked around for a signature or anything to indicate who had signed the note or left the present, then chided myself for being ridiculous. There was only one person who knew where I was right now. I couldn’t say no to dinner anyway; all that running away from death’s door left me feeling famished. “Might as well get to it,” I murmured and tore the seal off the box. I turned it upside down and dumped the contents on the bed. It contained my phone, which he had taken away from me at
the hotel, and a smaller box.
I picked up the smaller box and opened it, gasping in surprise as my eyes rested on a beautiful pair of earrings
a necklace, and a bracelet. “Diamonds,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper, and gently placed it on the bed. “Diamonds for a date?” I asked myself as I grew increasingly uncertain about what was happening.
I picked up the bigger box and glanced inside, my eyes catching a white strip glued to the bottom with Sonia’s name and a phone number scribbled on it. I reached for my phone, turned it on, and
dialed the number. She picked up on the first ring. “You’re ready to leave, ma’am?” she asked in a
tone that made me suspect Thiago was standing next to her.
“No. I… um, I’m confused. I thought this was a place to stay and an avenue to get answers to my questions. Why am I getting diamonds for dinner?” I said, and she stifled a chuckle.
“The…” she started to say in an uncertain tone, “The Mooze family has a few traditions they like to hold onto.”
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Chapter 61
“Their tradition includes sending diamonds to strangers they put in a penthouse? I’m not so sure about that, doesn’t sound like something I trust,” I interrupted.
“They have a few things they follow that you’ll learn about soon, ma’am. But you do have to wear the jewelry. You don’t have to trust anything that happens around you, this could simply be a sign of respect. It’s a gift, after all,” she answered, and I could tell she was trying to tell me to read the room with her tone, but right now, I wasn’t sure I cared about that much.
“Where are you?” I asked, wedging the phone between my neck and shoulder and slowly unzipping
the bag.
“My apartment,” she replied in a surprised tone. I took out the dress from the bag and stared at it.
“This looks like a perfect fit, how’d you know my size?” I inquired, picking it up and making my way
to the mirror at the end of the room.
“I have a great eye; I’ve been staring at you for most of the day. Wasn’t hard to guess. Have you tried the dress on?” she answered in a more relaxed tone.
“No, not yet. I’m staring at it right now,” I replied, placing the phone on speaker and putting it on the floor. “I’m trying it now,” I added, slowly unzipping the dress.
It was a black sleeveless mini dress which I could tell would be comfortable. She wasn’t wrong about having a great eye for fashion. It was a perfect fit and felt just right for any occasion. “You were right about knowing your fashion onions,” I said, turning around to check the fit.
This time she chuckled and sighed in relief. “Thank goodness. I was dreading having to go back to
the store.”
“What? You don’t trust your talent?” I replied, zipping the dress.
“Oh, it’s not that. I just like to be realistic; even a genius can’t be right all the time,” she said in a playful tone.
“Are you calling yourself a genius? Tooting your own horn, eh?” I responded in like manner.
“If I don’t, who will?” she asked, and I chuckled, then looked at my feet.
“Oh, I think you’ve forgotten about the shoes. Except this is some play on reverse Cinderella,” I said,
and she laughed, catching on with the joke.
“You’d arrive barefoot and leave with a pair of shoes?” she said, and I smiled at her response.
“That would be quite something, don’t you think?” I said, and she agreed with me.
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“Thankfully, that’s not the case tonight. The shoes are in a separate box under the bed,” she answered, and I dropped to my knees, scanning under the bed for the box.
I saw them and slowly made my way towards the bed, reached for them, and slid them on. “They’re perfect too,” I said after a while.
“I’m on a roll today, aren’t I?” she replied, and I chuckled in response.
“Superhero and fashion connoisseur. Is there anything you can’t do?” I replied, and she laughed
heartily.
“I’ll tell you when I find out,” she answered, then whispered something inaudible before continuing “I’ll call you in a few minutes to know if you’re ready for dinner. If you need anything else, don’t
hesitate to reach out.”
“Alright,” I answered, picking up the phone to hang up, but she had already done the honors. “I wonder what that was about,” I said, turning my attention back to the diamonds still resting on the
silk bed sheets.
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