Chapter 80
“Mr. Campbell,” Turner began, “Ms. Jackson and I were on our way back from the hospital today when we got into a car accident. Someone was shouting her name, so I checked. It turns out the other driver was her old childhood friend
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“The cops took him away. Nobody was hurt, and the damage was minor, so legally, it’s not serious. He’ll probably just get a fine, and maybe up to 15 days in jail. They’ll also take his license.
“Do we need to do anything about this, Mr. Campbell?”
Giovani sat at his desk in the study, one leg crossed over the other, looking calm. His fingers tapped lightly on the wood, creating a quiet, steady rhythm.
Turner stood nearby, waiting for his boss’s orders.
Giovani’s tapping stopped. His voice was cool and firm. “Make sure he gets the maximum punishment.”
Turner nodded. “Understood. If that’s all, I’ll take care of it now.”
“Go ahead,” Giovani said, waving him off.
Turner was nearly at the door when Giovani’s voice stopped him. He turned back, eyebrows raised. “Yes, sir?”
Giovani was furious about how Owen had framed Camila. She’d spent five years in prison and lost a leg and a kidney. The thought made his eyes turn cold. He figured Owen should suffer more than only getting a short detention.
Turner glanced at Giovani, whose mood was as unpredictable as a storm. After a pause, he asked carefully, “Mr. Campbell, is there anything else you need me to do?”
“Make sure he pays for what he did in the jail,” Giovani said, his voice icy. “I don’t want to see him walking away unharmed.”
Turner understood immediately–his boss was defending Camila. ‘If Mr. Campbell is already this protective during the pursuit, how much more will he be if they get married?‘ he thought.
A small smile crossed Turner’s face. He was sure when Camila found out everything Giovani had done for her, she’d be greatly moved. “Don’t worry, Mr. Campbell,” he said, nodding. “I’ll handle it perfectly.” Then he left the room.
Giovani lit a cigarette, holding it between his fingers. He took a slow drag, the tip glowing red in the dim light.
Giovani’s eyes tightened just a little, a flicker of coldness in his gaze. Smoke curled from his lips, forming a small white cloud that spread into the air. It kind of made him look mysterious and a little dangerous.
He leaned back in his chair, legs crossed, one hand on the armrest and the other tapping ash off his cigarette every now and then. He seemed totally chill, like he was in his own world.
Just as he was about to finish the cigarette, Keira’s voice came from outside the door. “Mr. Campbell, dinner’s ready.”
“Alright,” he replied.
He flicked the cigarette into the ashtray, then went to open the window instead of directly going downstairs.
After fresh air poured in, clearing out the smoke, he straightened his clothes and headed downstairs.
When he walked down, he saw Lindsey, Keira, and Hazel all hanging out with Camila. The room felt cozy and peaceful, like a warm family scene.
Lindsey took Camila’s hand gently, just as she had done years ago with a young Giovani. Her eyes softened with love. “Camila, this is your home now. Make yourself comfortable. If you want anything to eat, I’ll ask Keira to make it for you.”
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Chapter 80
Keira came out of the kitchen with a plate of freshly made pork meatballs. “Ms. Jackson, I wasn’t sure what you like, so I made some of my specialties. Give them a try.”
Hazel’s smile brightened even more when she saw the meatballs. “Keira, she loves pork meatballs.”
“Really? Well, then dig in,” Lindsey said, putting a piece on Camila’s plate. She looked at Camila expectantly. “Camila, try Keira’s cooking. It’s delicious.”
Camila had never felt this kind of care in her 23 years. Being treated like a precious treasure made her feel overwhelmed and deeply moved. Her nose tingled, and tears threatened to spill.
She tried to hold back her emotions and said, “Lindsey, Mr. Campbell isn’t here yet. Let’s wait for him.”
Lindsey waved her hand casually. “No need to wait for him. If you’re hungry, Camila, let’s eat first.”
Giovani gave a wry smile. “Looks like I’m not the favorite in your book anymore, Grandma”
Lindsey rolled her eyes and shot back playfully, “Took you long enough to get down here. I thought you were skipping dinner.”
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Giovani just wanted to make sure the smell of smoke was gone. Camila’s health was fragile, and she couldn’t stand that smell.
“Alright, my fault,” Giovani said, shrugging it off. As he moved to sit across from Camila, Lindsey grabbed his arm and pulled him down next to Camila.
Giovani and Camila were both a little surprised.
“Alright, let’s eat,” Lindsey said. Trying to make sure Camila didn’t feel shy about digging in, she started piling food onto Camila’s plate.
Keira and Hazel pitched in, loading up Camila’s plate too. By the time Camila was ready to eat, her plate was overflowing like a mini mountain.
Camila was so shy that she didn’t know how to refuse. Giovani noticed and teased, “Grandma, if you keep loading up her plate like that, she’ll be too full for dinner.”
As he said, he reached over and took half the food off Camila’s plate. She looked at him, surprised.
Giovani smiled softly. “Come on, eat more. You’re too fragile.”
Lindsey laughed so hard that her eyes were just slits. “Oh my, my grandson finally knows how to take care of someone.”
Keira and Hazel covered their mouths, trying to stifle their laughter. Camila’s face turned bright red, like a ripe apple. She lowered her head and quietly continued eating.
The dinner table felt cozy and warm. Lindsey sat at the head, with Camila next to her and Giovani beside Camila. Keira and Hazel sat across, constantly offering Camila more food, their faces full of kindness.
Camila felt a bit shy with all the fuss, but inside, she was super happy and touched. This meal was the best she’d ever had— delicious, joyful, and so heartwarming. It felt like a real home.
After dinner, Camila tried to clear the plates, but Keira and Hazel stopped her.
Keira smiled and said, “Ms. Jackson, you just got out of the hospital. You’re not fully back to normal yet. Let us take care of
this.”
Hazel chimed in, “Yeah, we’ve got this. Go chill in the living room.”
Lindsey gave Camila a gentle nudge toward Giovani and smiled. “You two have more in common. Take your time and chat.”
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With that, Lindsey pulled Keira and Hazel into the kitchen. In the living room, it was just Giovani and Camila. They sat on the couch, and the air felt a little awkward, but in a quiet, almost comfortable way.
Giovani’s deep, gentle voice broke the silence. “Embroidery needs good tools and materials. I know a store with tons of thread colors and great hoops. How about I take you there later?”
Camila’s eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly. “Thank you, Mr. Campbell.”
Giovani glanced at Camila and smiled.
Normally, he looked so serious and intense that people felt like they were being judged. But when he smiled, it was like a cold winter day turning into a warm spring morning. Camila felt herself getting lost in it for a moment.
In the kitchen, Lindsey, Keira, and Hazel were pretending to be busy, but they kept sneaking peeks at Giovani and Camila. Lindsey smiled warmly and whispered, “Look at them. They’re such a perfect match. Giovani really cares about Camila.” Keira nodded. “You’re right. Mr. Campbell is usually so serious, but he’s so much gentler around Ms. Jackson.”
