Chapter 114
Instinctively, Camila stepped in front of Connor, nervously guarding the painting he was holding. She was worried that someone might accidentally bump into him and damage the precious artwork.
They stood face to face. Their proximity was such that they could clearly feel each other’s breath and heartbeat.
Connor looked down at her. Feeling his gaze, Camila lifted her head and met his intense eyes. At that moment, it seemed as if the entire world had vanished, leaving only the two of them.
The air seemed to stand shill, the surrounding noises fading away. Camila felt her blood rushing to her heart, which was pounding wildly. She blinked frantically, overwhelmed by this unfamiliar sensation. She quickly lowered her head, unable to meet his gaze any
longer.
The elevator ride down felt unbearably long, each second stretching like half a century. Finally, they reached the ground floor. As the bustling crowd flowed out of the elevator, Camila held the door open until Connor stepped out, and she sighed in relief.
The drive home was unusually silent, filled only with the sound of soft music playing in the car. As usual, the driver dropped Camila off at Cedarhill Estate first.
“Mr. Connor, here we are,” Camila said, her head slightly bowed.
Connor handed her the painting without a word, merely giving her a brief glance.
“Thank you, Mr. Connor. Goodbye,” Camila said cautiously as she took it.
“Uh–huh,” Connor responded.
23 8 F 5 5 5 2 5 9 8 9 £ 5 :
After closing the car door, the vehicle slowly disappeared from Camila’s view. She stood there, clutching the painting tightly, her mind in turmoil.
“Ms. Camila, heading home?” the passing security guard greeted her. Camila’s thoughts were pulled back, and she nodded with a slight smile. “Yeah.*
“Do you need help carrying that upstairs?” the guard asked, noticing the painting.
Camila smiled and shook her head, “No, thank you. I’m heading up now. Bye.”
“Goodbye.”
That night, Camila lay in bed, eyes closed, trying to clear her mind, but the more she tried, the more her thoughts raced.
She touched her now calm heart, wondering if there was something wrong with it.
“I need to make a doctor’s appointment this weekend!”
She needed to make a lot of money to ensure her mother could enjoy her later years worry–free.
“My heart, you need to stay healthy, absolutely no getting sick!” Camila firmly told herself.
She tossed and turned with her plushie bear. It took ages before she finally drifted off to sleep.
The chirping of birds outside the window woke her abruptly, and she quickly grabbed her phone to check the time. It was 6:05 AM. Her alarm hadn’t even gone off. She slapped her forehead and lay back down.
When the alarm finally rang, Camila got up, got ready, and walked to Cedarhill Estate.
It’s workout time. As usual, Camila stepped onto the treadmill and began her daily routine.
However, today, her demeanor was exceptionally serious, a stark contrast to her usual self. Her eyes sparkled with determination, silently telling herself, “Camila, you need to be healthy.”
Connor glanced at Camila, surprised by her unusual seriousness today. Normally, Camila would be panting and complaining treadmill. But today, she seemed like a different person, not uttering a single complaint and running with even more vigor…