Chapter 17
Camila woke up in Harry’s room–again.
The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Hazel sitting by the bed, gently dabbing medicine onto her swollen face with a cotton swab. Her eyes were full of sorrow,
Noticing she was awake, Hazel immediately leaned in with concern. “Miss Jackson, are you feeling unwell anywhere?”
Camila stared at her moving lips, her vision blurring as silent tears rolled down her cheeks.
Hazel’s eyes turned red with worry. “Miss Jackson, what’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”
Camila could barely hear her. Her right ear, already weak, had taken the full force of Arthur’s slap, making her hearing even worse. Now, all she could pick up were muffled, distant sounds.
But she could read lips. Before prison, she had never needed to. But after losing the hearing in her left ear, she often struggled to catch the orders barked at her. That only led to harsher beatings
To avoid more punishment, she forced herself to learn lip reading. Even if she couldn’t hear, she could still understand Swallowing the bitterness rising in her throat, Camila forced a small smile. “Hazel, Tm fine. Just… really hungry.”
As she thought back to what had happened that morning. Hazel’s heart ached. She thought, Miss Jackson is such a kind and sensible girl. Why can’t the they see that?”
“What would you like to eat? Hazel asked.
“Pasta.” Camila answered
“Alright, I’ll make some right away.”
Camila nodded and sat up slowly, leaning against the headboard. She gazed out the window, her eyes unfocused.
She had no idea how much time had passed before the door opened again. Thinking it was Hazel, she turned her head- only to see Belinda
Their eyes met. Camila’s expression was distant, indifferent.
Something tightened in Belinda’s chest, but she didn’t hesitate. Instead, she walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.
“Camila, I made you some pasta myself. Try it“. She reached out, as if to feed her.
Camila instinctively pulled away. Tll do it myself.” She took the plate and fork from her hands. Lowering her gaze, she looked at the pasta
It is a vibrant swirl of golden fettuccine, glistening with a light sheen of olive oil, its delicate curves twisting elegantly in a perfectly arranged spiral. No heavy seasonings, just a simple, delicate aroma.
She picked up a bite of pasta and placed it in her mouth, chewing slowly. The familiar taste spread across her tongue, sending warmth through her cold, exhausted body.
Belinda watched her expectantly. “How is it
Camila’s hand paused. “You made this?”
“Yes. Even Agnes has never had my homemade pasta before. You’re the first Her tone suggested this was some grand gesture of love, an exclusive display of motherly care.
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Chapter 17
But instead of feeling moved, Camila let out a quiet, mocking laugh. She said nothing and continued eating.
Belinda likely had no idea what pasta meant to her. A simple plate of pasta had once saved her from a winter of loneliness. Even after all these years, she still remembered the first time Hazel had made her pasta. It was the winter of her first year in high school.
That night was pitch black. She had pedaled through the freezing wind and snow, arriving home with numb fingers and trembling limbs. The entire villa was dark–no one had left a light on for her.
The Jackson family had already eaten their fill and gone to bed. She was left alone in the cold, shivering as she forced down icy, tasteless leftovers.
night, her stomach twisted in unbearable pain. She curled up in agony, vomiting until there was nothing left.
That same nigh
It was Hazel who found her that night. She had woken up in the middle of the night, discovered Camila curled up in pain, and immediately took care of her, making her a steaming plate of pasta.
From that night on, Hazel always left a light on for her. She would wait for Camila to come home from school and simple, stomach–friendly meals–pasta, ravioli, oatmeal–things that were easy to digest.
prepare
Everyone in the Jackson family knew that Harry had a weak stomach. But no one seemed to notice that ever since Camila had come back, she had developed stomach problems too.
She never had gastric issues at the orphanage. But in her own home, she had been forced to endure hunger from time to time until her stomach was ruined. She thought, ‘How ironic.
She could never forget the taste of Hazel’s pasta. So she certainly could tell who had actually made the plate in front of her. She ate every last bite.
Belinda’s face lit up with delight. “Was it good?”
Camila set her fork down and met her gaze. “Just say what you came here to say. No need to dance around it
A single cold sentence widened the already vast distance between them.
Belinda’s smile faltered. Her brows knit together in displeasure. “Camila, I truly care about you. Why do you refuse to let go. of the past?”
Camila didn’t answer. She simply looked at her, her sharp gaze cutting through every ounce of pretense.
Under that stare, Belinda’s confidence wavered. She sighed. “Tell me, Camila–what do I have to do for you to accept
Still, Camila said nothing. Because she knew–even if she told her, it wouldn’t change anything, Belinda wouldn’t do it. So she wondered, ‘Why waste my breath?‘
Belinda spoke gently, trying to coax her, but all she got in return was cold indifference.
In the end, she sighed heavily and said, “I know you’re angry, but you can’t just turn your back on the Jackson Group.
“If Jackson Group doesn’t resume its partnership with the Connor Group, our losses will only grow. You’re a member of the Jackson family–you have a responsibility to help.
Camila had once thought Belinda wasn’t as bad as the rest of them. But today, she realized just how naive she had been. They were all cut from the same cloth
If she wanted to fake concern, she could have at least tried to make it convincing. But she hadn’t even bothered. She had the audacity to serve her Hazel’s pasta while preaching about duty and family loyalty.
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Chapter 17
At that moment, Camila felt nothing but deep disgust for the blood that ran in her veins.
“Get out,” Camila said.
Belinda frowned. “What?”
“Either you leave, or I will” Camila threw off the blanket, ready to get
t out of bed.
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Belinda’s chest rose and fell sharply with anger. “How did you become so unreasonable in just five years?”
Camila let out a cold laugh. “You got to live freely out here, so of course, five years felt short to you. But I spent those years in prison–being beaten, being humiliated
“That sentence should have been Agnes’s to serve. You deleted the surveillance footage that could have cleared my name. You made sure I took the fall. You branded me a criminal for life.
“And this is your so–called genuine love for me?” She scoffed. “Then I beg you–don’t love me. I can’t afford it.”
“You… you’re impossible!”
“That’s right. I am impossible. So do us both a favor–stay out of my life.”
Belinda turned sharply on her heel, too ashamed to face her any longer.
That entire day, Camila remained in Harry’s room.
That night, Arthur barged in, finger pointed in her face, cursing her out. The reason? Jackson Group had lost another 300 million dollars in just one day. As long as they didn’t get Connor Group back on their side, the losses would keep piling up. Camila only smiled at him the entire time, calm and unbothered. Her indifference nearly sent Arthur into a stroke.
Just before leaving, Harry gave her a long, unreadable look. At the time, Camila didn’t understand what it meant. Not until the next morning.
When she woke up, she realized something–her right ear had recovered slightly. As she walked downstairs, she overheard two maids chatting.
“Where’s Hazel today?”
“Something happened with her daughter. I heard the school is considering expelling her.”
Camila’s head snapped toward the living room.
There, sitting on the sofa, casually flipping through a newspaper, was Harry. As if sensing her gaze, he slowly looked up- then gave her a small, knowing smile.
AD
