Chapter 41 Chapter 41 ROGERIO It had been a few weeks since I had seen Charlotte . I wasnt necessarily keeping count , but the conversation with Maria replayed in my mind occasionally . This morning , it was louder than ever , making me feel uneasy . Elena hadnt mentioned anything about going to the estate . I couldnt decide if it was because of the wedding preparations , but we have had conversations about a lot of things since she returned . She spent most of the time at her familys estate and came over when she needed to . I had no problems with the arrangement ; it meant I had my space to myself . I needed time alone these days ; everything left me feeling irked or annoyed , like something was missing . I tried to shake off the feeling and considered the possibility of Maria lying , but shook my head slowly . What would she stand to gain from that ? I muttered and stared at the clock on the wall . I had come to the office to complete some work for a potential investor , but they had rescheduled , thankfully . I was in no mood to try to convince anybody to do anything . As much as their resources would be a great addition to ours , I could carry on without them . I had plans to change the dynamics of the family business , and I preferred to do it with just my money . I hoped they would cancel , but I only accepted the offer because of my grandfather . He can be an annoying person when you refuse to do his bidding , and I just accept , and then do what I want afterward . I remembered Marias words about my refusal to have important conversations at the appropriate time , but I shrugged them off . I turned to the door as a faint knocking echoed in the room . Esme , if you want to be heard , youre going to have to be a little bit louder . The door creaked open and my secretarys head popped through , her body following suit , and a few seconds later , she was standing in the middle of the room . I didnt want to intrude on- I have no meetings today . You said so yourself ? I questioned . Right , Esme ? She nodded in response and lowered her gaze . I sighed as she produced a file and placed it on the table . Ive prepared your schedule for tomorrow , but theres something you missed a few days ago . My fault or yours ? I demanded . Yours , you left the office early . I tried to tell- Alright , I cut her off . What about it ? Its a meeting with your ex wife , she responded . Then Im glad I missed it , I replied with a scoff . I wasnt interested in anything that had to do with her . I wondered why she mentioned her . Is that why youre so …. jittery ? Is that even a word ? She blurted before she could stop herself . Realization hit her and her eyes widened as her face morphed into a panicked expression . 21 23 Dancing into the Heart of Mr. 26.5 Chapter 41 I chuckled and shifted my gaze back to the clock . Id like to think so . She chuckled and looked around the room for a moment , then turned her attention back to me . You have an appointment with Signora La Guerta today . Youre to meet her at a restaurant downtown . From there , youll stop at the docks to pick out a yacht that will take her friends and guests to the island for the … Are you listening ? Not really , you lost me somewhere . Something about a meeting downtown ? Yes , with Signora La Guerta , she uttered firmly . Summarize everything else . I have time to spare today but I dont want to spend it listening to you list things I know Im not going to enjoy . Its part of the plan for your wedding , sir . You should be- Excited ? Why ? What if she leaves again ? I blurted and the atmosphere in the room became tense . Im sorry . I shouldnt be asking you that . No , its alright , sir . Its okay to have- With a sigh , I answered back . Dont do that . What ? she asked . The talk about cold feet , or whatever youre going to say about it , I said . Nobody wants to hear that . Tell me about this meeting . Give me the short version . Restaurant . She leaves for the island on Friday . Thats it ? I inquired . Not really . She was supposed to go to the shop to pick up the dress last week but she was somewhere else . I sighed . Why am I supposed to know this ? She was harassing your ex wife , Signor , she muttered . Harassing ? She broke through the gates with some handymen , walked into the estate , and started doing renovations to the hallway , she replied . How do you know about this ? My thoughts drifted to Marias call as she responded . A staff member reported it to the police . She stated that the gates were broken and Signora Elena claimed that there was no one at the gate when they entered , so they started working on the house . Thats ridiculous . Charlotte and Maria live there . I slammed my hand on the desk . And she knows it . Yes , she stated . But she claims its her house now . 26.7 % Chapter 41 Ill handle that , but why is it important for me to know ? She handed me a sheet of paper . This is gossip for the blogs . If this report goes out a few weeks before your wedding , you might not like the buzz thatll come with it . Why is she doing this ? I yelled , frustrated . Why ? Signora Elena ? Youd have to ask her , sir . Whats going to happen to the report ? Thats the last sheet , Signor , she whispered . The others have been shredded . I thought you had to see it at least . Wow , you like your job that much ? I groaned . Not really , but it keeps me surviving so Id like to keep it . And here I thought you were doing it to protect my reputation , I said with a chuckle . A smile played at the corners of her lips and she looked away . Its a situation that benefits everyone if it stays tucked away . I want you to keep an eye on Elena . I dont know what she has up her sleeves but my family and I didnt come this far by trusting everybody , I ordered . Especially if theyve betrayed you once . I understand , she mumbled . Ill keep a watch . Is there anything else I need to know , Esme ? Thats all for now , she stated . I need to get some food , I said as I stood up . Oh , you could- Im not waiting till the meeting with Elena . I plan on getting some food and then finding something else to occupy my mind with , I scoffed . If Im going to be stuck doing boring wedding activities , I might as well give myself a treat . Take the rest of the day off . She nodded in response as I picked up my suitcase , tucked my phone in my pocket , and reached for the coat sprawled on the couch a few steps away . She followed closely as I exited the room , and soon after , the sound of heels clicking against the floor ceased . I assumed she had returned to her cubicle and made no move to say anything else . I hadnt decided on the restaurant to eat at yet , and for a good reason ; I had no prior plans to go anywhere . I downplayed my emotions while speaking to Esme but in reality , I was trying to process what had happened . As I drove out of the lot , I replayed her words in my mind . Elena had broken through the gates and started a ruckus over an estate . Whose bright idea was that ? I muttered as I sped through the streets . I decided to visit my favorite restaurant in the city : Ghenerios . I needed to distract my mind from their delicious cuisine and maybe stopover at an art gallery into the Heart of Mr Cab 26.8 % Chapter 41 to buy a few pieces for my apartment . I hadnt been out alone in a while and I decided that it might be a good time to try . I took a bend in the street as the sun shone brightly ; its radiance reminded me of the ring I had given Charlotte and I wondered if Elena had seen it . If she was being territorial right now , the sight of it would enrage her further . I had designed it especially for Charlotte . It was our way of trying to convince my grandfather and mother that she meant everything we had told them . They didnt fall for the scheme but they didnt interrupt the wedding either . Marriage was a prerequisite to being at the helm of affairs and it served its purpose . I tried to steer my thoughts away from the time I spent with her but as the sound of people blurred into the distance , the farther I got , I thought about how Charlotte must have felt by Elenas intrusion . It felt odd that she hadnt reached out to me about it but as the car slowed down to a halt in front of the restaurant , I understood it . If someone had told me to stay away from them , especially if they had the power to make my life harder , Id stay away too . I wasnt sure what to do about the impression that Elena had my approval . Regardless of how disturbing this was , I didnt want to break the no contact rule . But then , if Maria had been angry enough to write a report , perhaps this wasnt something to toss aside . I thought about Elena ; when we were together , everything seemed great , but I still held on to my doubts , and now she was pulling stunts like this . It made me start considering the possibility of her return being a ploy for something else . The idea seemed far fetched , but then I couldnt wrap my head around the entire scenario . I intended to mention it to her later , but for the time being , I was thankful that it would never be mentioned again . Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!