Faking It Till Forever

Chapter Three

Charlotte.

Tuscany was nothing like I’d imagined, in passing—a small, picturesque town tucked away in the hills of Northern Italy—but standing here in the middle of it felt like stepping into a postcard. The cobbled streets wound their way through the town like veins, connecting pastel-colored buildings with flower boxes spilling over with bursts of geraniums and petunias. Everything about Tuscany felt alive, as if the town itself was breathing.

The air was crisp and fragrant, carrying the mingling scents of fresh herbs, baked bread, and faint traces of citrus. The locals moved at a pace I wasn’t used to—leisurely, almost indulgent—as if time was a luxury they refused to waste rushing. Shops lined the narrow streets, their doors open to reveal displays of handmade pottery, cured meats, and shelves of olive oil that glistened like liquid gold in the sunlight.

The heart of the town was the piazza, a sprawling square framed by towering cypress trees and overlooked by a centuries-old clock tower. People gathered here in the late afternoons, sipping espressos or glasses of deep red wine while laughing and chatting like they’d known one another forever. There was something intimate about it, as though Tuscany itself demanded closeness from everyone who entered.

But it wasn’t all beauty. Beneath the charm, I could sense a tension. Whispers of disruption in the supply chain lingered in the air, a shadow cast over the town’s otherwise warm facade. The farmers and vendors wore polite smiles, but there was a flicker of worry in their eyes. Even in the market stalls, where sun-drenched produce gleamed like jewels, I overheard murmurs—questions about missing deliveries and dwindling resources.

And then there was Adrian, who seemed entirely at ease here, even after bringing Mia. He spoke with the townsfolk in fluent Italian, his tone sharp yet respectful, like he was navigating an invisible battlefield. Watching him, I couldn’t help but feel out of place, like a stranger intruding on something sacred. Yet, at the same time, Tuscany’s beauty tugged at me, as if daring me to belong.

The contrast between the idyllic charm of the town and the undercurrent of unease was unsettling. Tuscany was breath-taking, yes—but it was also hiding something. And as I stood there, surrounded by its beauty, I realized I wasn’t just here to investigate a supply chain issue. I was here to uncover the truth, and somehow, I knew it wouldn’t come easy.

We went over to the supplier but he wasn’t present so we head to our respected hotels.

“Adrian, I need to talk to you, in private” I glance at Mia, with a curt smile. I am still fuming mad at him for dragging Mia along our trip.

“What are you doing?” I whisper-yell even though we’re out of earshot for Mia.

“what do you mean?” he raises both his brow innocently.

“Why would you bring Mia here, last I checked you don’t need a secretary to help deal with the supply chain disruption”

“You’re exaggerating—”

“Am I? Am I though?” I interrupt him jabbing my fingers on his chest.

“Yes! Yes you are” he whisper-yells back. I release a sigh rubbing my temple.

“Adrian, don’t you see, this was supposed to be our chance to fix our problem,—whatever it may be” he cups my face, stroking my cheek with his thumb.

“Nothing’s wrong in our relationship, everything’s fine" he assures.

“But—”

“Your rooms are ready” the clerk announces interrupting us. Adrian replies curtly.

“what the actual heck?” I look at the two room apartment we got. “Blake” I whisper to myself.

“How are we supposed to sleep now” Mia asks looking directly at Adrian.

“You and Mia are gonna have to share a room together” Adrian concluded.

“What?” he shrugs glancing at Mia before turning his attention to me.

“You have to, Mia cannot sleep alone, she’s afraid of the dark and being alone”

“How do you know that?” a pang of resentment hits me with the realisation that he knows of her fears and doesn’t know mine—we’ve been dating for two years.

“It’s in her resume” he said looking at me like I’m the dumbest person he knows.

I just ignore him walking into my said room and dropping on the bed. I picked up my phone to call Vi when an incoming call from her lights up my phone.

“Hey girl, how’s Tuscany?” she chirps, shuffling to sit down properly. “Hold on let me connect you with the rest.”

“hey!” Aria chirps clearly in her office.

“What’s up? I only got fifteen minutes—hey Char, how’s Tuscany?” Freya beams also in her office.

“Its really eye catching” I whispered with a goofy smile on my face.

“I knew you’d like it—you’re born for Italy” she releases a sad smile probably remembering her dad.

Freya’s father’s Italian and her mother’s British. It was an ill-fated love and she doesn’t talk about it much.

“how’s Adrian?” Vi asks after a beat. I got a lot of s**t from her when I volunteered to go to Tuscany, and i can bet my million dollars —which i don’t have that she’s just asking to bug me.

“He’s fine” I muttered under my breath suddenly finding interest in my hair.

“Well that’s a first —you couldn’t stop gushing over him even when you tried not to, so what changed?”

“He brought Mia with us, and personally paid for her tickets” I inform them, the other end was dead silent,—and frozen as three eyes glance at me.

“What?!” Vi as always breaks the silence still frozen—pretty much all of them are except for Freya’s knowing smile, she just already uncovered the truth i keep telling myself it’s wrong.

Freya releases a sigh, types something on her business phone —probably postponing a meeting or whatever.

“Look Char, I’m going to speak and I want you to listen” Vi, and Aria keep shut already knowing what’s happening.

“Since when we meet in university, you have always strike me for the soft, kind yet hard when important kind of person. I want you to start acting like one, you have buried yourself for so long that you don’t know who’s looking back at you when you see your reflection. Adrian has moulded you to what he wants you to be...him. don’t you see,—all the strange activities and stuffs he’s been doing? It’s all because he’s tired of dating himself. When was the last time you wore a pink dress or do anything pink and you? You want to be a badass? Know your worth and boundaries.” She smiles her genuine smile flashing her golden teeth that she got recently.

“Cazzo, I’m late guys, gotta go—bye love you all” she immediately hangs up leaving the ghost of her voice.

“She’s right tho, you’ve done everything for Adrian, don’t you think it’s time to do something for yourself?” Aria mumbles softly giving me her smile—it immediately falls at the sound of her office door opening.

“Talk to you guys later” she also leaves without giving much as a goodbye. “And then there were two” Vi winks at me, I slump on the bed my hair spiralling across the sheets.

We chatted away about anything mainly to strike away from me but also cause I’m interested. Vi is thinking of leaving aurora foods and going for her passion, being a fashion designer although her taste is quite—and my lack of words bashful, I think it would be a great success.