Is this destiny?

~ Los Angeles, Charlie\'s villa ~

Charlie\'s car pulled into the circular driveway of his villa. The driver stopped the car and waited for the passengers to alight.

Emma and Charlie are on the back seat.

Emma gave a side-glance to Charlie. "When you said that we are going home, I thought that you will drop me off at my home, not yours."

Charlie sighed. "Emma, this is OUR home. I hope you accept this soon. Also… It\'s late, and this is closer. If I drop you off first, it will be midnight by the time I\'m back. And tonight was stressful, I don\'t want to be by myself…"

Emma pressed her lips on top of his to prevent him from talking further. "Stop with excuses. We are already here, so I will let it slide now. But the next time, please tell me in advance instead of kidnapping me to spend the night at your place."

Charlie smiled. "Sure."

Internally, he gave himself a high-five. One more night he got Emma to stay at his place! No rush… he will take it one night at a time. So far, he has two out of two… Two more evenings of craftiness until the weekend when he does not need to come up with reasons why she should stay. Ah, he looks forward to it: three nights and two days of the two of them. There are no planned events… maybe they can go somewhere? It needs to be a place which provides privacy.

"Tell me, honestly…", Emma scrutinized Charlie while they walked inside. "Since when are you planning to have me stay the night?"

Charlie gave her the most innocent look he could produce. "It was the spur of the moment. Really. I didn\'t know that we will stay with Whites for so long…"

Emma paused at the sight of a chilled Sauvignon blanc, her favorite wine, and two empty glasses on the table in the living room, waiting for them. "Spur of the moment, a?"

Charlie looked at her guiltily. "OK. Maybe I planned a little bit…"

Emma narrowed her eyes. It\'s not that she minds, but she can\'t let Charlie get away with this. The man is getting too cheeky!

Emma was about to say something but was interrupted by a maid who announced that Dylan Davis is here, requesting to see Charlie.

"He probably waited in front and came in after we arrived.", Charlie thought at loud.

"Let him in.", he told the maid.

Dylan entered the room and paused when he saw Emma. His expression showed that he is not pleased to see her present.

"She can hear whatever you have to say.", Charlie told Dylan.

Dylan hesitated for few seconds, but then started talking: "Charlie, are you going to abandon us like that?"

"I don\'t know what you are talking about."

Dylan was irritated by Charlie\'s behavior. It\'s not that they are good friends, but still… Charlie should not look the other way when they are in trouble. "I\'m talking about Whites."

"Do you think that I can influence them?"

"It all started because of your nurse.", Dylan gestured toward Emma. "She can make it stop."

"She is my fiancée.", Charlie corrected Dylan. "Chelsea offended Madam White. Emma can\'t stop what is coming."

"Fiancée?", Dylan\'s shock was obvious.

As much as Emma wanted to correct Charlie how she is NOT his fiancée, she didn\'t want to say that in front of Dylan. After seeing Dylan\'s reaction, Emma wondered why is he so shocked about that? Is there something she does not know?

Dylan scrutinized Emma for few seconds before turning to Charlie. "What about Chelsea? Did you forget everything that happened between the two of you? Are you casting her aside for this… nurse?"

Emma did her best to stay calm, at least on the outside. It\'s not that she believed that Charlie never had a woman in his life before her, but… Chelsea? What exactly happened between the two of them? Or is there something going on right now? Why does Dylan act like he expected that Charlie is going to marry Chelsea? Emma felt that there is a lack of oxygen in the room.

Charlie\'s expression darkened. "Whatever happened between me and Chelsea ended a long time ago. Anything after that was only her imagination. I never made any promise to her or to anyone else. And if you don\'t show respect to my fiancée, I will ask you to leave."

"I see…", Dylan sneered. "Now you are a dog on a leash held by Whites, so you are acting all arrogant."

Charlie was irritated. Dylan came here late, interrupted his time with Emma and… why did he mention Chelsea? Charlie can\'t imagine how Emma feels and how many questions she has about the relationship he had with Chelsea. And did Dylan call him a dog on a leash?

"Dylan, Chelsea made a mess and dragged your family down. I can\'t help you. Is there anything else you want?"

"You will just watch us go down? You don\'t have any feelings left for Chelsea?"

"Dylan…" Charlie gritted his teeth. "I will appreciate if you stop talking about your sister."

"She still loves you!"

"Love? What does she know about love? If I\'m not Smith, Chelsea would not bother with me at all. Your whole family is only about status and money. Honestly, I think that you are deserving whatever is coming your way."

Charlie didn\'t want to talk to Dylan anymore. "Let yourself out."

He turned to Emma and extended his arm toward her. "Let\'s go. It\'s late. There is no point staying here."

Charlie can see that Emma\'s mood is off and he wants to go with her to another room and have a good sit-down and answer any questions she might have. He does not want her to have any doubts about him or his feelings toward her.

Dylan was furious that Charlie ignored him, and he even turned his back on him!

Emma glanced at Dylan who glared at Charlie with a crazed expression.

To Emma, it appeared like she is watching the scene in front of her in slow motion: Dylan was holding a knife and he jumped toward Charlie who was not looking at Dylan at all.

Emma reflexively grabbed the bottle of chilled Sauvignon blanc which was by her side and swung it toward Dylan\'s head. The bottle crashed just above Dylan\'s nose and he plopped on the ground without moving.

Emma looked at Dylan while struggling to inhale. When she came around, she realized that she is trembling, and that Charlie is holding her.

"It\'s OK.", Charlie murmured while kissing her forehead and cheeks.

"I saw him with a knife…", Emma said with a shaky voice. "And… I thought that I\'m going to lose you."

"I\'m right here.", Charlie said and hugged her tightly.

Emma sank in Charlie\'s embrace and felt that she is calming down. She leaned her ear on his chest and enjoyed the rhythmical beat of his heart. He is alive, holding her. She did her best to shake off the thoughts which projected: what would happen if Dylan managed to stab Charlie? What if he killed him? What would she do without Charlie? After that thought, all Chelseas in the world were not important. The only thing important is that Charlie is holding her. And that he is hers. Right now… and forever.

She was so consumed in her thoughts, that she didn\'t notice security dragging unconscious Dylan out of the living room… or the maids cleaning up the glass from the broken wine bottle.

"I love you, Charlie.", Emma whispered.

He paused. "What did you say?"

Emma moved to look him in the eyes. "I love you, Charlie.", she repeated clearly.

Charlie smiled and lifted her off the ground. He twirled them both few times while his laughter filled the living room and echoed down the hallways.

Charlie carried Emma to the bedroom, princes style, while his lips didn\'t part from hers. 

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