Chapter 34 CHARLOTTE In 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 . Youve heard of me , she sneered and she walked towards me through the rubble that had been created . Who hasnt ? 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 . Its Rogerios 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 study when she heard the commotion . How did you get past the gate ?! she yelled , and the men froze . They all turned to Elena , who stood between me and a visibly annoyed María . She raised her hand in feigned surrender and turned around to look at me . We knocked ; no one was there , so we … Broke through ? I interrupted . She rolled her eyes and turned to Maria . We let ourselves in , she said with a shrug and lowered her hands . Fancy way to say it , I retorted , and Maria sneered at her . My eyes widened in fear for a moment , then turned into amusement . I had never seen her so angry , and as she yelled at the men to get out of the house , I realized that I had never seen her angry at all . Im sorry about the noise , Signora , she said to me , turning her attention to Elena . You cant say that to me , she responded calmly , taking off her gloves . Youre just a maid here . I frowned at her condescending look and started walking towards them . You cant say that to her . You dont have a say here ; you are a nobody , she announced without looking at me and raised her right hand to look at something . I followed her gaze and chuckled as my eyes landed on her engagement ring . Is that why youre here ? To assert dominance over an engagement you ran away from the first time ? I demanded , and she flinched at my sarcastic tone . I like to call it taking back whats mine . Youve been here long enough ; nobody wants the placeholder anymore . 21:21 Dancing into the Heart of Mr C 21.9 % Chapter 34 Fair , but this is my house now . My estate , This estate belongs to the wife of Rogerio , and thats going to be me soon . This was always the original plan . I dont care about you enough to give attention to this nonsense , I stated as a wave of annoyance coursed through my body . I held my palm to stifle a cough as I walked closer to her . She lowered her hand and looked at me suspiciously . I stood next to her and whispered in her ear . You came in here ; I have never sought you out or started a scene with you for being the reason my marriage is broken . What you will not do is break my walls or come in here uninvited , She opened her mouth to say something , but I cut her off . Take your grievances up with the law , Go to court and talk to Rogerio , but the next time you break into this house , it wont be a friendly conversation . Get out before I call the cops . Her eyes flashed with disdain and resistance for a moment , then she smiled . Ill be back , she vowed and exited the room . Maria followed hotly on her heels and didnt return till I could hear the revving of her car as she drove off . She walked into the hallway , looking scared and annoyed . Theyre gone , Signora . I sighed in relief and looked around at the mess she had caused . Maria , call the lawyer and the accountant . We need to hire security and some other people ; we cant have strangers walking into the estate . She broke in ; you could press charges , Signora , she advised , and she started to pick up the frames that had fallen on the floor . That would be playing right into her hands . Im not interested in this game ; she can play on her own . I need to know if this estate generates any substantial amount of money , and I have some saved that could help us . We cant live like this . Alright , Signora . Do you want lunch? she inquired , and I shook my head in response . You are not getting me lunch ; neither are you picking up after those people . Well get other people to do it ; just arrange the appointments , please . She nodded in response and walked into the study to use the phone there . I turned around and walked towards the bedroom . My thoughts were scrambled all over the place . I knew that the first line of action included protecting myself , but Maria was right . I could report to the police , but she also threatened to return . I tried to put the exchange out of my mind as I got dressed , but that was futile . I felt like she had put a target on my back . Walking in here , telling me to leave . Who does she think she is ? I muttered and heard a knock on the door . A few seconds later , Marias head popped through , and her eyes scanned the room , then rested on me . Signora , you should be in bed . 21:21 Dancing into the Heart of Mr. Co 22.0% Chapter 34 When I return , I answered and picked up my purse . Im going to get lunch , then run a few errands . Are the appointments booked ? Yes , 4 pm and 6 pm at their offices , she answered , and she gave me two business cards with the addresses of the establishments . I stared at them for a moment , then put them in my purse . Thank you , I said and walked towards the door . Ill send some food along for you too ; what would you like ? Oh , Ill just cook something , she questioned , and I shook my head in response as I walked out of the room . She moved out of the way and followed closely as I made my way to the garage . I opened my car and got in. She took one look at me and sighed in resignation . She turned around and started walking towards the gate . Theres no need to open it ; the new bride already broke through , I mumbled , and she stopped in her tracks . She turned around to look at me and chuckled . Stay safe , Signora ; call if you need anything . I nodded in response and drove out of the garage . I glanced at the rearview mirror and caught a glimpse of her watching in the distance as I sped away . I shifted my gaze to the road as I sped through the gates , which currently stood ajar . I frowned at the sight and kept driving towards the road . *** I had spent an hour driving through town to steady my nerves . By noon , I was a lot calmer . When I walked into the restaurant a few minutes later , the smell of fresh pastries filled the air as I walked to a table . When I had settled down , a waitress came around to take my order . As we exchanged pleasantries and spoke , her eyes shifted to my hand . I looked at it too , and dread washed over me , followed by confusion . I was still wearing my wedding ring . I smiled sadly and resisted the urge to fiddle with it in front of her . Then I started to wonder if she recognized me but quickly dismissed the thought . I barely went anywhere the entire time I was married to Rogerio . Everything I desired was brought to the house , and I practically dedicated my time to seeing him happy . Clearly , that didnt turn out well . I apologized for the silence and repeated my order . She nodded in response and scribbled in her notebook , then walked away . I returned my gaze to my finger and took off the ring . It was a pink star diamond ring but with a little extra detailing . I stared at it as I remembered the day he gave it to me . We had been going to see his family , and he said he made a ring like his moms , but specifically for me . I thought it would be something simple and beautiful , but he produced the most colorful ring I had ever seen ; the pink star was surrounded by blue Oppenheimer diamonds and some vivid yellow ones as well . He described it as a burst of flavors , which was what he thought about me . In that instant , I realized something else that I hadnt paid attention to in a while ; these were real diamonds . I had been worrying about my survival the entire time , not realizing that I was walking around with a solution . I decided not to pawn it until I had seen the accountant and my lawyer . 21 21 C Dancing into the Heart of Mr. Cad 22.2 % Chapter 34 If we could survive on whatever money I currently have , then this would be a last resort . I looked around to make sure no one was watching me and slipped it into my purse . Discover our latest featured short drama reel. 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