𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃─𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

𝙨𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙮.

─☼☼☼─

𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙍𝙇𝙊𝙏𝙏𝙀 𝙉𝙀𝙍𝙑𝙊𝙐𝙎𝙇𝙔 𝘼𝘿𝙅𝙐𝙎𝙏𝙀𝘿 her dressed as she looked around the extravagant mansion. Even on the Figure 8, nothing was quite like this.

After her and Rafe had arrived in Bridgetown, they'd changed out of their casual clothes into something more put-together. Charlotte wore a dress Rafe had purchased for her. It was beautiful, she couldn't deny that. The colour was a pale orange, the same colour her eighth grade homecoming dress had been. She couldn't tell if it was a coincidence or if Rafe had done it on purpose. She was leaning toward the latter.

They now stood in the house of the potential buyer, and the nerves were coursing through Charlotte. Upon their arrival, they had been shuttled through a huge property, more akin to a compound than anything. Whoever this was, he was extremely wealthy, extremely influential.

"You okay?" Rafe wondered, carefully watching Charlotte. He was preparing them drinks, not seeming to have a worry in the world.

"Yeah." Charlotte answered quietly, her eyes straying to one of the guards who stood by the doorway. "I just feel like—I don't know."

"You are right to be weary, you know." Came a voice from the adjacent sitting room. It was coated in a thick Caribbean accent, sure and strong.

Charlotte and Rafe shared a look as he stepped in front of her, shielding her from whoever was in the next room.

"Who are you?" Rafe demanded, his voice tilting slightly, giving way to some hesitancy that had seeped in.

The man who had spoken turned from where he had been facing the window.

He was middle aged, perhaps slightly younger than Charlotte's parents. His skin was tanned, a thick beard covering his face. He was dressed pristinely, oozing wealth.

"Me?" He wondered, pointing to himself as if they should have known who he was. "My name is Carlos Singh."

He waved his finger in the air, pointing to Rafe first. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cameron." Then looking to Charlotte, he smiled. "And you, Miss. Carrera." He paused for a moment, eyes snagging on the rings that sat on Charlotte's left hand. "Or is it Mrs. Cameron now? I'm sorry, I must have missed the news of your marriage."

The worry Charlotte had been feeling was all encompassing now. Her brows furrowed as she looked to Rafe, searching for any sign of apprehension on his features.

This man should not have know Charlotte's surname. She was only ever introduced to Michel and Julia with her given name.

"Please, come. Sit down." Singh proposed, nodding toward the room behind him. "Come now, I don't bite."

As he turned his back to the pair, Charlotte grabbed onto Rafe's hand, preventing him from following right away. "I don't like this." She whispered, keeping a watchful eye on their less-than trustworthy host.

Rafe's eyes flickered toward her, "It's okay." He assured confidently. "I've got you."

Working her bottom lip between her teeth, Charlotte gave a small nod in Rafe's direction before taking a step into the sitting room. "What is this?" She demanded, deciding to forgo any tiptoeing around what was happening.