CHARLIE

That morning, I thought I was going to lose my jaw when it almost dropped when Julius entered the room.

As he examined me from head to toe and asked, "Are you okay?" I had the sensation that my face was turning red. It was so embarrassing.

"Now you're awake, good morning. Are you feeling alright, Charlotte?" I struggled to even look at him during the party, and today would be no different.

‘It was so embarrassing, Charlotte Caivano!’ I scolded myself silently.

It was too humiliating to find myself wasted in his room. Unbelievable! This whole thing was a dream. Me? What would Julius feel and think about me? Was he disappointed or what?

‘Absolutely unbelievable! Yes, it was just a dream. A dream, Charlie!’

"You could look at him because you were just dreaming, Charlie! Come one!" I silently muttered to myself before he could say anything else.

I even hushed to myself as I inhaled deeply and looked him square in the eyes as I took a deep breath. I was anxious, but it didn't really matter because this was just a dream.

This whole thing was just a fantasy. I'm not sure what prompted me to approach him and place my hand on his chest, but I did so slowly after making my way toward him.

“Yes, self! This was nothing more than a dream, albeit a very pleasant one. What a nice…” I was about to caress him in his chest but he suddenly grabbed my hands.

He leaned closer to my face, and said, "Charlie? Are you sleepwalking? You are not dreaming. This is not a dream, Charlotte."

The instant that I caught a whiff of his freshly brushed teeth and felt his hand on mine, it became my turning point.

My pupils dilated, and I beseeched each and every god and goddess in the universe to tear a hole in the earth and simply take me away. ‘What s mess you are, Charlie!’

"Charlotte, I am real. I'm sorry, I know that the fact that I took you to my place has left you in a state of disbelief. But I didn't mean to hurt you in any way…" I was unable to hear the other words he had said, nor utter a word or move.

"I drove to your house last night, but..." He hesitated, uncertain whether to continue. As he released his grip on my hand, a strange sensation lingered.

"There was a 'For Sale' sign on your front yard. So I thought you had moved and I don’t know where to send you back," he said, and I continued to stare blankly at him. Still, I am speechless.

"I tried to wake you up last night, but you were too drunk. So, I thought it would be safer to bring you here," he explained.

"Don't worry, we took Avery home safely. I considered taking you to her place, but she was more intoxicated than you. I thought she had fallen asleep and you both wouldn't be able to take care of each other." I nodded in response and sat on the bed.

"Thank you, but what happened after that? Did we–" I was at a loss for the appropriate expression to use.

Just the thought that something might have taken place between Julius and I brought on a flush of feverish feeling throughout my body.

"I-I mean… Ah, was there something that took place… b-between us like–"

"No, we didn't. I mean –" The awkwardness that he felt was evident in his voice. After a moment of pause, he continued with a smile.

"There's absolutely nothing for you to be concerned about, Charlie. I went to another room to sleep. Although my home is large, I offered you the use of the bed in mine because I believe it to be the most comfortable of all the beds in this house.”

"O-Okay… B-But... how come my clothes… how did I change them?" I made an effort to look at him, but he seemed more interested in looking away than I was.

"I asked a housemaid to change your clothes, Charlie," He paused for a moment before drawing nearer to the enormous matte wardrobe.

"I didn't see anything. Don't think about it too much. You don’t have to feel embarrassed."

As he uttered those words, I felt an even deeper sense of shame.

Why did I imagine that Julius would do anything unkind? Was I trembling with fear or shyness? Perhaps I was lost in a delusion that I could captivate him. That we slept together and made passionate love. My imagination ran wild, and I blushed, feeling as if Julius could hear my thoughts.

Julius was standing in front of his enormous closet when he reached inside and took a fancy paper bag out.

"Here," he said, handing the bag to me. Before continuing, he paused for a moment so that we could look each other in the eye for a split second before demanding that I inspect the bag. “Open it!”

"Brand new clothes? Why? I mean what for?” I asked, puzzled.

"I bought them because you threw up on your dress last night so I asked the housemaid to wash it and it was still wet," he replied, flashing a reassuring smile.

"You didn't have to, but thank you," I said, returning his smile. "I really need to take a shower now."

"Sure, please feel free to use my bathroom to take a relaxing shower. I'll just wait for you in the basement for now.” Again, there was that very alluring quality to his tone of voice.

When Julius left the room, it gave me the biggest grin I could muster. I eagerly emptied the paper bag containing the new clothes onto his bed, where I then selected the item that I thought would look the best on me.

I chose a simple dress with a beautiful iridescent color, and after that I went to his bathroom, which smelled strongly of mint.

My body was gently massaged by the warm water from the shower as a plethora of random thoughts raced through my head at the same time. I found myself asking a lot of "what if" questions.

My voice could be heard reverberating throughout the roomy bathroom as I wished to myself that I could recall everything that had taken place.

What would happen if I turned down Avery's invitation to attend the party? What if I hadn't met Julius? What if we had made love last night? Would it be the best experience of my life?

“What if…”

Right after I got out of the shower, I fixed myself and have a bit of makeover. I couldn't wait to get downstairs.

Due to the fact that Julius’ home was so sizable, it took me a few minutes before I finally located him preparing food in the well-organized and spacious kitchen.

I stood in the threshold of the kitchen and observed him as he flipped some eggs and bacon in the pan.

“Wow!” I silently muttered.

Lost in a daydream, I tilted my head, admiring him. I envisioned him as my husband, experiencing these romantic moments every day.

CHARLIE

"Charlie, you’re done. Are you feeling all right now? Are you hungry?” The sound of Julius's voice brought me back to reality.

He was holding a plate in one hand and a pan in the other as he made his way towards the counter.

"Don't worry, I am almost done in cooking the breakfast,” He stated and I simply nodded.

It's not that I didn't want to talk to him; I just couldn't find the time. I was so embarrassed that I just knew without a doubt that I would stutter.

Because of this, I just took a deep breath and followed him into the dining room after clearing my throat.

After a while, Julius decided to ask me about my work while we were eating together, so in order to avoid any awkwardness, I simply answered every question he asked.

"Did you like the clothes that I bought?"

"Yes, and once more, thank you," I replied with sincerity. When I said that to him, he flashed a warm smile.

"You don’t have to mind about it, it’s nothing big. By the way, I was just wondering if you miss your work today," he said, and relief washed over me.

"No, it's my day off," I said. Thank God, or I'd be in trouble.

"You work at Aventagio Network, right?"

"Yes, as a journalist."

"A journalist. It sounds exciting while also challenging at the same time." When he said those words, he did not have a smile on his face, and I could sense the sincerity in his voice.

Throughout breakfast, we continued to discuss a variety of unrelated topics.

"Let me help you with that,” I insisted on assisting him with the dishes.

I didn't know if he was used to doing these things, and even though I knew he had a lot of maids, I didn't see even a single one of them around.

When I queried him earlier about the reason why I can’t see one, he simply responded by saying, "I just asked them to have a day off, so that I could have you all to myself. I mean… I wished to serve you on my own.” Those words alone made it abundantly clear.

“Okay, but let me clean the dishes as you already cooked for us earlier,” I stated and offered him a smile.

He muttered, "If you insist," as a response.

There was that adorable smile once more, and it caused my vivid imagination to leap into action. My imagination ran wild again.

Julius and I… as a happy family, a happy couple doing chores, living together, married with kids waiting in the playroom.

After I was done cleaning up the dishes, Julius offered to give me a ride home, I accepted his offer and immediately thought to myself that my imaginations will never be real.

I brought myself out of this daydreaming state and I focused on giving him directions to my apartment.

“Charlie, if I may, can I ask why you moved out of the house you used to own in Avery's neighborhood? I was about to drop you off there the other night…” out of nowhere, Julius asked.

I couldn't think of the right words to answer his inquiry. Because my mother had never really explained the reason why we moved out from our old house, the truthful response was, I also don't know.

"Would it be appropriate for me to respond to you by saying, I don't know?" The only thing he did was cast a fleeting glance in my direction before deftly navigating a turn at an intersection.

"But it’s fine, as it turned out all right!" I tried to sound optimistic. “Living on my own has not only been a lot of fun for me, but it has also been quite educational for me.”

"I see, but what about your mom?" He asked.

"She was staying in the 'Koala Hugs'. An orphanage in a distant area, where she works as well," I explained and after that I told him a bit more about myself, which was honestly unusual for me because I hardly ever felt comfortable around other people besides Avery.

Finally, we arrived at my apartment. I looked into Julius' eyes and thanked him sincerely. "Thank you for everything, Julius." I wanted him to understand my gratitude.

"Just stay safe," he said as I was about to leave, and I thanked him.

"Charlie!" He called my name again.

"Yes?" My stomach churned with anticipation.

"Can I have your number? Just to stay in touch and make sure you're safe always," he asked, and I blushed.

Was this his way of getting my number after dropping me off? Or was I mistaken?

I gave him my number, trying to hide my racing heart. Just as I thought he was done speaking, he said something that sent my heart soaring.

"Rest assured, this won’t be the last time, Charlie. When we both have some free time, let's meet again. Shall we?" His smile was captivating. It was probably the most handsome smile he wore since last night.

“Yes, sure!” I agreed, and as he drove away, I rushed into my apartment.

It was the first time I went home with such a big smile on my face and felt my heart beating faster than usual.

….

Someone’s Point of View

I was just standing here calmly waiting for her to arrive. A couple of hours later, while hiding in the bushes, I noticed her exit a luxurious automobile The car was surrounded by a large entourage.

The vehicle stopped directly in front of her apartment. She communicated with whoever was driving the car in a manner that could not be heard by the passersby.

I couldn't help but notice the unsettling smile plastered across her face, but I shrugged it off and made a phone call to the boss as soon as the car pulled away.

"Tell me some good news," he asked as soon as he picked up the phone.

"Yes, boss. She finally had arrived back to her flat. I suppose that she slept somewhere last night,” I explained.

“It's possible that she slept with the guy who send her home just now.”

“Alright, then. Keep watching and give me update," The boss ended the call as soon as I completed the task, he had given me.

After which, I gazed again at the house where the woman I was asked to watch out had entered.

GIDEON

On the opposite side of Woodsford, in the vast military administrative headquarters, there was an eerie silence that pervaded the entire building.

Even though a mission had just been completed, there were still traces of fear and the taste of dismay that could be felt all around, and it was as unpleasant as the smell of rotten fruit.

The expressions of fear and disillusionment that were present on the faces of my men, as well as in their eyes, showed that a combination of the two emotions had taken hold.

The atmosphere had the appearance and sensation of being so dense that it could be touched directly. The air had become extremely thick.

To take a breath felt like pulling weights; to put it another way, it was as if you could literally feel the tension on it.

Already fifteen minutes had passed since I issued the order and called my men over to the field to line up in formation.

I was at a loss for the appropriate language to express my frustration over the fact that despite our best efforts, we were unable to complete the mission.

Everyone was aware that we had been unable to complete the mission, but it was a challenge to be the one to take charge and admit defeat in front of the group.

Before I spoke, I took a few deep breaths and looked around the playing field to compose myself. And when I finally felt like I was ready, I swallowed hard and started to talk.

I stood tall in front of them as I shouted, "My men, my great men," and then I began to march in a circle around them.

"Everyone is aware that we did everything in our power to make our mission a success, but alas, it still failed. Indeed! We are very close to being able to apprehend these nefarious members of the mafia and ensure that they are held accountable for any wrongdoing they have committed in our society –"

I was in deep anger, like I was about to begin to lose myself. I was beginning to become engulfed in such a great sense of frustration, overthinking, and dismay about the manner in which the mission had failed.

"The mafia groups… They are responsible for so many awful things that have happened in our society that had affected most of our lives! So heinous that only a wicked person could conceive of and carry it out!” I stated once more.

“But I wanted everyone to know that despite everything, it was still an honor to work with such a great, brave-hearted army and strong forces like you!”

"Those who are suffering right now in their beds and for those who are standing here, you are all great! You chose to continue on despite the fact that you could have been killed, shot, or injured. Therefore, I continue to feel a great deal of pride for everyone!” I continued.

“Prepare to brace yourself! As we would attempt once more very soon! The servants of justice shouldn't ever give up so easily! Never!"

“Never! Never!”

My heart was pounding so hard, and I had the distinct impression that I was going to pass out any second now. I had been doing everything in my power to maintain a level of professionalism throughout the situation.

I made a concerted effort to be attentive of keeping superfluous emotions at away, and to do it in a professional and courteous manner... This mission is still under my command, and I am the captain in charge.

As soon as I got back to my office, I started babbling my rants and frustrations.

"Bloody hell! Damn these mafias!" I didn't think twice before kicking my office chair and aggressively throwing everything that was on my desk, from pens to papers to my laptop. I didn't even stop to consider the consequences of my actions.

“Seriously?! This is not possible!" I exclaimed with a hiss. I was aware that my teeth and knuckles had already begun to clench, and I could feel my knuckles tightening.

Taking some long, slow breaths was no longer helpful. It wasn't just a wave of anger or disappointment about the mission; rather, it felt more like I was mourning for something else.

I could feel the fire in my heart. It yearned for fairness and justice in all aspects of life.

“Fuck!” I had the urge to scream, punch the wall, bang my head against something, or fire the gun at myself or at anybody else, just like someone who had lost their mind would do.

But like said… I couldn't, I couldn't do that here, and I couldn't just forget that I am still their captain.

More than that, I was a brother holding grudges, but I was still and should be a strong leader and role model to the army of men that I lead. I can't, I couldn't do that here. I couldn't just forget that I am still their captain.

Simply put, I was feeling extremely frustrated because this mission was not like any other mission; rather, it was a significant one, and we were so close to completing it.

I was so close to catching him, “That man!”

I was unable to put out of my mind the instance in which I came so close to physically possessing him. However, they claimed that nearly would never truly be enough, therefore it was still a failed one.

A failed one and a genuinely big punch of dismay, not just to my pride, but also to the justice that I've been pursuing for my sister, Gwyneth.