Charlotte stroked Marco's hair calmly as he tried to control his breathing. She hadn't imagined her first time with him would be so intense. She had imagined many times that it would be a romantic night, after all Marco was romantic as far as she remembered. This Marco now seemed to be anything but a lover of romance. But it hadn't been bad, on the contrary, it was delicious and as much as she had dreamed of something different, she wouldn't trade it for what really happened. Marco, his head resting between Charlotte's breasts, thought about how he should act now that he'd had sex with her. The whole thing had been very good, but one sentence of hers wouldn't leave his mind. I take the pill. He knew he had no right to demand anything from her, after all they weren't boyfriends, but that didn't make him any less furious. He wanted to ask if she was taking it regularly for some medical reason or if it was because she had a very active sex life, but he didn't know how to do that

Charlotte woke up feeling extremely tired. Memories of the past didn't let her sleep properly. Everything came back like a nightmare. Her brother's death, her breakup with Ken and her betrayal of Marco. She couldn't forget Marco's face of anger and disappointment when she'd walked out of her room the morning she hadn't been strong enough to face her parents and impose her will. He had become a bitter man and she couldn't even blame him. She had been an idiot, thinking that maybe he'd forgotten everything, or that if they talked or had a one-night stand, all would be forgiven. But it was clear from his behavior from the night before that all he wanted was to hurt her. Looking listlessly at the clock on the bedside table, she picked up her cell phone and called Craig, yawning loudly as she waited for him to answer. “Good morning, Charlotte, my love. - I need your help. - She said almost moaning, noticing that her voice was still weak and that she was on the verge of tears aga

Finally, the plane landed. Charlotte was completely exhausted after sixteen hours of travel. So it took a while to get off the plane with Craig, as she wanted to touch up her makeup before being seen by the public who, of course, were waiting for her at the airport. It didn't take long and soon, she was ready to go. “Welcome to the Philippines, Miss McKeena. Mabuhay! - Said the flight attendant. — Salamat. Salamat. said Charlotte. Craig taught her a few words in the language of the country that she might use often: thank you, please, see you later... And some basic greetings: good morning, good afternoon, and good night. The Miss Universe pageant was to be held in Manila, and both Charlotte and this year's 126 nominees arrived two weeks early. There was a list of itineraries they had to follow before the contest and that was sure to keep Charlotte's mind busy. That way, she wouldn't have to think about her last encounter with Marco, although she still felt deliciously sor

Charlotte took a deep breath. The conversation she'd had with Ken two days earlier over dinner was still going back and forth in her mind. He wasn't upset when she told him about Marco, but he made it clear that he still had feelings for her and would wait. “I'm hurt, Ken. And I don't want to hurt you either. 'This Marco guy must be an imbecile, doesn't he?' Who does such a thing to a girl like you? “He doesn't know about my past. I never told you. - Even though. You don't treat a woman that way. I'm sorry to say, but he treated you like you were a whore. I would like to draw blood from him to teach him a lesson. Charlotte laughed a little. Ken was strong and athletic, but he was clearly no match for Marco. The years had done him a lot of good and now the slightly skinny boy she'd once known was a real brute. If there was, for some reason of fate, a fight between them, it was clear that Ken would be knocked out. But she didn't have the heart to say it out loud and bre

“Charlotte, there are a lot of roses for you out there. Fiona said. — The delivery man asked where to put them. - Which? From who? "From Mr..." Fiona examined the note. "Marco Villa-Lobos." Charlotte was instantly angry. “Tell the delivery man to take it all back. I will not accept this. - Charlotte smiled with arrogance and a little bit of humor - Or better yet, have it taken to the cemetery. Surely the people there need it more than I do. - What a waste. The roses are beautiful and look very expensive. Of course they are expensive, Charlotte thought. He was Marco Owner Do Mundo Villa-Lobos, he could buy all the damn flowers he wanted, but she wouldn't take it. She wouldn't give him the taste. - Okay then. I'll tell the delivery guy that you won't accept. Charlotte leaned back in her chair and stared at Fiona long enough for her to know that she should send the flowers exactly where she had said. Her assistant blushed a little and confirmed with a nod that she had