❝𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐄...❞

❝ 𝑳𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚'𝒔 𝒂𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑
𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕 𝑰'𝒎 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒅𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑. ❞

After Bella's water broke, she was rushed to the hospital. Both the families of Bella and Zayn went along with them, even the newly wedded couple. Charlotte refused to leave Bella's side at such an important and precious moment in her life. Justin trailed behind her while holding the long trail of his wife's wedding dress in his hands to stop the material from mopping all over the hospital floor.

While Bella was admitted into her VIP hospital room with Zayn, Pattie and Bella's mother, Lucia, by her side to keep the pregnant lady company, the rest of the family had to settle in the VIP waiting room.

Although, Justin wasn't the one wear his emotions on his face, making him a not so very expressive human, he stayed by Charlotte's side reminding her of the right decision she has made not a long while ago. Her sister was the one who opened her eyes to the truth. Sarah was the one who revealed to her elder sister how Justin was the one who had saved her and her family. Charlotte thought it was Sloan who saved her that night. But it turned out to be Justin. Nonetheless, she was thankful towards a Bieber.

The man had risked his life to save the lives of her family. He deserved a chance, didn't he? Her reason to marry him might be selfish but she knew Justin cared about her. She now knew he loved her. And she was ready to give him a chance. She was ready to take a step forward towards him.

After four long crucial hours, the baby was born. The entire waiting room roared with happiness at the glimpse of a little baby wrapped in blanket, adoring a small pink coloured hospital cap. She was named Leyla by her mother.

Leyla's appearance in their lives came with good luck and happiness. As days went by, their homes were filled with laughters and happiness. Justin's life as the new leader of the family started meanwhile Charlotte continued with her university and training under her grandfather's wings.

Three years ago, when Charlotte was brought back home from the hospital after her recovery, her grandfather vowed to train his granddaughters just like any upcoming mafia or an assassin has to do. He had already lost a grandchild, he refused to lose another. All these years, Charlotte, Sarah and Eliza were trained by the Nicholas De Luca himself. No matter how harsh the training was on them, they weren't the ones the quit.

Justin and Charlotte were getting closer and closer with every dawn and dusk that blessed their lives. Their friendship was blooming again, like a fresh bud of rose in the spring. Although, Justin was busy with the family business whereas Charlotte with her studies and university during the days, they managed to steal a few hours to themselves with the excuse of a lunchbox.

A lunchbox filled with new recipes every single time. A lunchbox with a new sticky note. A lunchbox filled with laughter, friendship and love.

Six months went by, the couple's inevitable closeness was now linked with physical affection. A few stolen kisses here and there with worshiping each other's body. Late nights filled with intimacy, with glimpses of the past striking the now twenty year old married girl. Love started to bloom into Charlotte's heart for Justin. She might have had been unaware of her love for him but she was certain she liked him.

"If there is light then there is darkness. The sun shines brightly because of the shadow. Even though they can't become one. The shadow is always there in the distance." That's what Justin told her once.

Just like that, the darkness knocked on their doorstep. And it came in the form of Gianna Lynn. Gianna was Justin's personal assistant. There was no doubt, she was good in her job. But along with the title of Justin's personal assistant, she was the owner of another one. Ex-fling.

Gianna and Justin had history together that went behind the closed doors. Something Charlotte was unaware of. She had no idea of what role Gianna had played in her husband's life other than being his personal assistant.

Gianna was good at her job.
But, she was obsessive.

In her head, Justin was in love with her and she was in love with him. She was so blinded by the desire and obsession of claiming him as hers that she forgot what she felt towards Justin was not love. It was her stubbornness. A stubbornness to claim a married man as hers.

That was when she saw an opportunity. The opportunity which came into the form of Luke Charles, one of Charlotte's dearest friend. A friend who was in love with her. Luke was unknown of Charlotte's marriage when he had came back home. How could he had known? He was in no contact with anyone. This was an order given by his father which he must obeyed. Nonetheless, it still came as a shock to him.

He was planning to propose Charlotte after his arrival. Everything was planned in his head. He had the ring awaiting for its owner. The news did more damage than it was supposed to do. He felt betrayed. He felt heartbroken.

Gianna saw this as an opportunity and snatched it away. She offered him something he greatly desired but didn't hold the courage to act on it. She offered him Charlotte. In return, she would get Justin. It was a win-win situation for them. At first, he refused. Sure, he was in love with her but he never wanted to take her happiness away to satisfy his own thirst and desire.

But Gianna somehow managed to convince or shall I say manipulate Luke to side with her. She involved him in her sinister plan. A plan to be executed two weeks later. During this small time period, Luke spent most of his time with Charlotte to get closer to her.

They went shopping together, went through told family albums, lunches and game days. He did everything he used to do with her and Eliza before he was sent away to work by his father, but more frequently now.

Then, the day arrived. The day which changed everything. After an important meeting which had "fortunately" gone wrong left Justin in distress and a headache. When he asked Gianna for a strong black coffee to ease the pain, she drugged him. He had no idea what had happened to him or what he was given to drink. He held no memory of what happened after the meeting went wrong.

The next day when he reached home, he was met with an empty house. The girl who turned his house into home was nowhere to be found, along with her belongings. His home, his wife was nowhere to be found. In worry, he rushed out of the house to his parents house, hoping to find her there. She wasn't there. He decided to check with the De Luca's, only to be met with silence from there too. She wasn't answering his phone calls or responding to his texts. The fear of losing her settled in. The fear which has entertained him for years.

He didn't shower. He didn't eat. How could he, when worry and fear of losing her was swallowing him as a whole.

Later, he got a call. A call from De Luca's lawyer asking him to meet them. He was confused but agreed to the arrangement.

If only he knew the real reason he was called for. His world came crashing down when a document was represented towards him to sign, along with his love who held a look of disgust in her eyes for him and her furious father.

Divorce papers.

He was confused. The confusion turned into anger as he teared away the piece of paper which could separate him from his love. Demanding to talk to Charlotte alone, he grabbed her arm and led her to a quiet place away from others. He needed answers.

Everything was going smoothly, wasn't it? Then what made Charlotte take this step?

Charlotte was furious at Justin over something he had no clue of. Things took turn and it turned into an argument. What was supposed to be a quiet talk to clear up the misunderstanding turned into an argument filled with yells and shouts. That was when Charlotte threw her phone at his face to show him the reason of her anger. It was a video of an intoxicated Justin making out with Gianna. Just as the clip of Justin nibbling Gianna's neck played, Justin threw the device away, claiming that the video was false. It was absurd. How was it possible? He was alone in his office when he had woken up in the morning with a strong headache hammering his head.

Charlotte laughed humourlessly at him. She could tolerate everything but she could not tolerate anyone trying to stain her self respect. Her self respect didn't allow her to be with a man who was nothing but a cheater.

That day, she left him standing alone after promising herself that she will make him sign the divorce papers one way or the another.

The couple were separated for almost a month now. De Luca's lawyers would send Justin the divorce papers to make him sign only for it to get burned or shred into pieces at their faces, along with curse words and gun aimed towards them. Luke took this as a chance to get even more closer to Charlotte. This time, he unintentionally blurted about Justin and Charlotte's past. A past long forgotten by Charlotte from the accident.

She was confused for days until it all came crashing down on her. She found the pictures of herself with Justin hidden at her parents' house. But the Justin in the pictures wasn't the Justin she recognised. She didn't remember metting with the ten year old Justin and growing up with him. The memories were blurred for a while until they became clear to her.

She remembered how her brother was murdered and how much she and her family suffered. Especially her mother. She remembered Justin taking the revenge for Roman's death with the De Lucas. She remembered Justin smiling at her whenever his gaze fell on her. She remembered cooking for Justin because that poor man couldn't even boil water by himself. She remembered getting kidnapped, how her kidnappers painted a false image of hers in Justin's head with invalid evidences claiming that Charlotte was helping them. She remembered Justin saving her from them despite his anger and distaste towards her at that moment. She remembered the look of betrayal on his face. She remembered sobbing and trying to make him see the actual truth. She remembered getting into the accident that night which turned Justin into a crying mess at the thought of losing her. She remembered telling him that she never betrayed him as her last words to him. She remembered not remembering him.

The memories brought her nostalgia and melancholy. How could Justin cheat on her after everything they had been through? Did he not love her as he claimed to do?

Just then, Sloan knocked at her doorstep like an guardian angel. He brought the truth to her. He showed her how Justin was drugged and had no idea of what he was doing. Now she knew how Gianna had taken advantage of her husband at such a vulnerable state. She knew how Luke played a part in this. She wanted to confront him but her top priority was Justin.

Her heart led her to her husband who was a mopping mess. His eyes were puffy from crying with dark circles. She embraced him into her arms, vowing to protect him from any harm. That day, they both cried into each other's arms confessing their love for each other. Justin found out his Charlotte remembered their history. He was on cloud 9 and a crying mess upon hearing the news. They spend the entire night catching up and talking about their history and present.

Charlotte cut ties with Luke. She refused to even acknowledge his presence. He felt defeated. The guilt and regret was drowning him too deep. He slowly started realising his mistake and wanted to reflect on it.

Justin almost killed Gianna for her actions. She received a slap from Charlotte which brought her humiliation. Justin's brothers and their wifes couldn't help themselves from calling her out for her disgusting actions which insulted her. Her pride couldn't handle so much humiliated.

Gianna was fired.
She was gone.

But was she really gone?

𝑩𝒊𝒆𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒊𝒃𝒆𝒔 💜

So, I've decided to publish the summary of Claimed into 3 parts. All three parts will hold the chapters of Charlotte and Justin's lives. This was the first part namely "Rose.."

I named it Rose for a reason because here we get to see Justin and Charlotte's friendship and love blooming like a rose bud. I mean not literally since this is a summary not bulks of chapters showing their moments today but it still counts, doesn't it?

Well, I tried to make the summary not boring for you all. Hopefully, I was successful. Left a cliff hanger in the end for you :)

Also, I am sorry if there are any mistakes, it's been a long while since I've been on wattpad. It feels foreign now.

And how's my profile looking now? I updated it👀
Ngl, I am very proud of it😭✋

I hope you liked this part.
Don't forget to vote & comment or ask questions if you have any.

1/3 done!

See you in the next one <3