Chapter 4

Charlotte POV:

Alberto's hand, warm and possessive, guided me out of the building.

He practically pushed me into the back seat of his sleek black sedan, then quickly moved around to the driver's side.

"Daniella, darling, you take the passenger seat," he said, his voice dripping with affection, a stark contrast to the rough handling he'd just given me. "You must be exhausted."

She giggled, a sweet, innocent sound that grated on my nerves.

She leaned over and kissed his cheek before settling into the front.

"You're always so thoughtful, Alberto," she cooed.

I stared out the window, the city lights a blur of color, my heart a raw, bleeding wound.

Every inch of this car, I knew.

The subtle scent of his expensive cologne mixed with hers, now.

My scarf, the red silk one he' d bought me in Paris, used to hang draped over the passenger seat.

My favorite CDs, meticulously alphabetized, used to fill the center console.

My emergency kit, with a spare charger and a hair tie, was always tucked into the side pocket.

I glanced at the center console.

A different set of CDs. Pop, R&B. Not his usual classical or jazz. Not mine.

The side pocket. Empty.

The scarf. Gone.

My breath hitched.

He hadn't just replaced me in his life. He had systematically, meticulously erased every single trace of me from his car, from his world.

It wasn't just a breakup. It was an extermination.

Tears welled up, a burning sensation behind my eyes.

I squeezed them shut, fighting them back.

Don't you dare cry, Charlotte. Not now. Not in front of him.

The drive was silent, punctuated only by Daniella's occasional small talk and Alberto's clipped, polite responses.

He paid me no mind.

As we pulled up to my apartment building, Alberto cut the engine.

He quickly got out, a practiced chivalry in his movements.

He opened my door, his hand extended.

"I'll walk you up," he offered, his voice devoid of warmth.

Daniella smiled.

"Goodnight, Charlotte! See you at the office on Monday!"

I ignored her, stepping out of the car, my eyes fixed on the pavement.

"No need, Alberto," I said, my voice flat. "I can manage."

He didn't argue. He simply closed the car door, then followed me, a silent shadow.

The streetlights cast long, distorted shadows as we walked.

My shadow, his shadow. Trailing behind me, always.

We reached my door.

He leaned against the frame, his arms crossed, a strange intensity in his gaze.

"Your things," he began, his voice low, almost a whisper. "I had them packed. They're at a storage unit downtown."

My heart pounded.

My things. My books, my clothes, the little trinkets we'd collected together.

"Why?" I asked, my voice barely audible.

"It was just easier, Charlotte," he said, his eyes avoiding mine. "Less messy. Daniella... she's moving in."

The words hit me like a fresh wave of ice water.

My home. Our home.

He'd replaced me there too.

He'd cleansed his life of me, leaving no trace.

My mind replayed scenes of us in his apartment-cooking together, laughing, waking up tangled in his sheets.

Now, she would be doing all of that.

In my place.