Chapter 62
CHARLOTTE
I picked up my phone and glanced at the time. It had been half an hour since I spoke with Sonia and I felt like I was ready to go now. I put the phone down and stared at my reflection in the mirror. The dress accentuated my figure, and I loved how comfortable the material felt on my skin. If there was anything I prioritized regarding my fashion choices, it was comfort. It felt great to be out of that robe, which was a representation of everything I didn’t want to feel ever again.
Sonia arrived at the apartment to pick me up, accompanied by two men who helped move my boxes into the living room. They offered to take them to the bedroom, but I insisted I’d handle it when we returned. As we drove through the city, I couldn’t have anticipated a rooftop dinner. But as she led me up the stairs and held the door open, I finally understood what she meant about the Mooze family’s traditions. They had a knack for ensuring everyone experienced a taste of luxury.
“Call me when you’re ready to leave,” Sonia said, closing the door gently behind her. I looked around the place and noticed it had the same flowers as the penthouse. “Roses,” I muttered, slowly making my way towards the table in the center.
Thiago was sitting there, furiously typing on his phone. As I inched closer, he raised his gaze and stood to welcome me. He walked over, complimented my dress, and held my chair before returning to his seat. I looked around once more and shook my head slowly.
“I’d have sworn chivalry was dead,” I announced, and a smile played on his lips.
“I thought you’ve had a pretty long day. Dinner seemed like the least I could do,” he replied, tucking his phone into his pocket.
“The least? Oh, you think this is the bare minimum?” I asked, arching an eyebrow.
“For someone who almost died in my family’s hotel, yes. I think food is the least I could do. Nothing I do can erase that memory, so I figured I could do these little things to help,” he answered, smiling wistfully.
He had an unreadable expression, and I couldn’t tell if he was sincere or if it was something he had repeated to many people who had sat where I was. I chuckled at how cynical I’d become and averted my gaze for a few seconds.
“These roses are beautiful. They look like the ones in the penthouse. Is that part of your way of helping too? Sonia said it was mine. Explain that.”
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Dancing into the Heart of Mr. Ce
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Chapter 62
He stared at me in confusion for a moment before breaking into a grin.
“You do have a thing for getting right to business. I like it.”
“Great. Are you going to answer the question or keep deflecting?” I replied, picking up a rose stem that lay on the empty plate in front of me.
“I was thinking it’d be nice to eat first, don’t you think?” he said, and I shook my head.
“Talk first, cat later. I don’t have an appetite right now,” I replied quietly, turning to look at the door as it creaked loudly.
Sonia entered, followed by chefs and their assistants. I watched as they walked to a section of the room and started setting up. I turned back to Thiago, who was standing up. “Give me a minute. I have to tell them we’re not ready,” he said, quickly walking towards them.
I tried to steady my breathing while he was gone. I was putting up a front of being tough, but deep
down, this situation terrified me. I felt like I had walked into something more than I bargained for.
No one offers a victim a penthouse and rooftop dinner without something else at play. While I was
curious enough to keep the conversation going, a small voice in my mind reminded me I was toying
with fire.
A few minutes later, I heard Thiago’s footsteps approaching and exhaled slowly. I raised my head to
meet his gaze as he slid into his seat. “I hope they didn’t feel slighted. I just prefer to talk first,” I said
as soon as he sat down.
“Oh, I think you did them a favor. They looked relieved to hear it, something about being stuck in traffic, so they needed some time to set up,” he replied with a thin smile.
“That’s great then. So… what were you saying about the penthouse?” I asked, and he let out a low
chuckle.
“It’s a gift from me to you. After the events of this afternoon, I thought it’d be great to offer you a place to stay since you’re new in town,” he answered.
“Are you doing this for everyone who made a reservation at the hotel? Or…?” I drawled, and he
shook his head.
“The other occupants will get other forms of compensation, but this is just for you,” he said, folding
his arms across his chest.
“Is this because of the Thuthais?” I blurted, remembering what he mentioned earlier. “I don’t think they’d like to hear I’m the recipient of these favors you owe them.”
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Chapter 62
“Oh, no. I remember what you said about not being part of the family. Just see it as my way of helping regardless of the situation,” he replied.
“Okay… Do I have to pay rent or something? I don’t think I can afford it. I came here to start my life over again. And that reminds me… my luggage, my property–how did you get them out of the hotel before everything came crashing down?” I inquired.
“Now that’s an exciting story to tell,” he said, leaning forward as his eyes shone with excitement.
His reaction sparked curiosity in me. I didn’t remember the exchange with the men who had locked us up as something to be excited about. But he seemed to have a story to tell, and I was itching to connect the dots.
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