A trip to the past, and boutique break.

CAMILA

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It had been half a month since I came to King’s house. Half a month since the night he almost kissed me, half a month since Katherine and her Leonard packed up and left the next morning with barely a word.

Thank God to that because I couldn’t stand her for one more day.

Half a month of living in this enormous, beautiful house with just myself, King and Claire.

King wasn’t much better, he only appeared for breakfast or the painting sessions, and even then, it was like being near a ghost. He was always keeping a wall between us no matter how much I tried not to think about the moment in the art room.

Sometimes I caught him staring when he thought I wasn’t looking, but the second my eyes found his, he would vanish into himself again.

Claire had been my only true companion, her laughter and bubbly energy filling the emptiness I was beginning to feel in my heart, but even she had other places to be. Other friends. Other life even.

I was going crazy with boredom, loneliness was gnawing at my chest worse than anything I had felt before. And today? Today, I couldn’t take it anymore.

After pacing my room like a trapped animal, I finally decided that I needed to do something, I needed to get out. And more importantly… I needed to get something back from my old life. Something I couldn’t leave behind with Nick, something I was sure he still had.

The last memories of my old life.

After the fire that took my parents lives, the firemen were able to recover just one thing from it, a gold of every picture, picnic, party or even moments we shared as a family. And that was the only important thing in my life at this point.

It was like a proof of everything my parents left for Ella and me. The one thing he didn’t know the value of, but I did.

I freshened up quickly, pulling on a simple white sundress that floated around my knees, brushing my hair into a low, loose ponytail. My heart hammered in my chest as I left my room and made my way to the study where King usually hid when he wasn’t ignoring me.

I hesitated at the heavy wooden door for a second, gathering my courage, then I knocked.

“Come in,” came the deep, cool voice from inside.

I pushed the door open.

King sat behind a massive oak desk, shirt sleeves rolled up, dark hair messy in a way that shouldn’t have looked as good as it did. He lifted his gaze to me, with an expression unreadable as always.

I swallowed hard. “Can I talk to you?” I asked softly.

He set his pen down and leaned back, studying me. “Go on…”

I gripped the hem of my dress nervously. “It’s about… my past. I left something important at Nick’s apartment.” I exhaled shakily. “I need to get it back, it’s the only thing I have of my childhood and my parents.”

A muscle ticked in King’s jaw at the mention of Nick’s name. “That’s dangerous,” he said flatly.

“I know. But it’s important to me, really really important.” I pouted.

He said nothing, eyes narrowing slightly as though he could see through my dress.

I twisted my fingers together. “I won’t go alone,” I said quickly. “You can send people with me. Or come yourself if you want. But I need it. Please.”

Silence stretched between us, and with each counting second, my heart hammered even more. Finally, King sighed and stood up. “Fine,” he said roughly. “We go now.”

A glint of relief flickered through me, and I nodded quickly before he could change his mind.

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The drive to Nick’s old apartment felt like it stretched forever. I stared out the window, feeling every bump in the road rattle my bones. King was silent beside me, his fingers were drumming absently against the side of his seat.

He didn’t even find the leisure to drive himself, what a proud man.

When we finally pulled up to the run-down building, my stomach twisted with old fear. The painful and ugly memories came back as fast as I could imagined.

I stepped out cautiously, feeling the two bodyguards King brought trailing behind me like the world revolved around them.

Nick’s door was on the third floor so I moved immediately towards the hallway that smelled like cigarette smoke and mildew.

Noticing the guards still following me when I got to the door, I sighed and said, “Uhm, can you wait outside atleast? I’ll just grab what I need and be out in a giffy.” I said.

“We have strict instructions to follow you inside until you get what you came here for, Miss Frost.” One of the guard spoke, standing firmly behind and not moving an inch.

“I know,” I mentally rolled my eyes, “I just need to do this alone. You both can stand out the door, I promise nothing will happen.”

The both of them looked at themselves, before signaling and stepping back for me to keep on. I nodded and moved toward the door. I took a deep breath, lifted my hand, and knocked.

It opened almost immediately and there, Nick stood. For a second, he just stared — as if seeing a ghost.

“Camila…” he breathed.

I kept my face cold and emotionless. “I’m here for my things,” I said sharply, stepping past him before he could say anything else.

Inside, the place looked worse than I remembered. Filthy dishes piled high, beer bottles scattered everywhere. I moved fast, heading straight for the hidden spot behind the loose floorboard where I knew I had stashed the file.

Nick followed behind me, muttering. “You look… good,” he said awkwardly. “Really good. Better than ever.”

I ignored him, yanking up the floorboard and retrieving the dusty manila envelope.

“I—“ he stuttered, “I tried calling you after that night but I couldn’t reach you, your never wasn’t going through and King won’t even let me talk to him talk less of seeing you.”

I rolled my eyes, choosing to ignore his blabbering and focusing on gathering my stuff.

“Camila, just look at me at least.” He said softly behind and I ignored again.

“I’m leaving,” I said, turning to go, but then his hand shot out, grabbing my wrist hard.

“Camila, wait. I’m sorry. I was stupid, okay? I shouldn’t have treated you like that. I shouldn’t have just sold you off like that, I’m sorry. You belong with me.”

I yanked my arm free. “I’m not yours,” I snapped.

His face darkened instantly. “You little whore,” he hissed. Before I could react, his hand came crashing into my face — the old, familiar sting exploding across my cheek.

I staggered back, the file slipping from my hands and scattering on the ground. Nick advanced, his hand raised again—

But before he could touch me, the door burst open and King’s bodyguards stormed in. Without hesitation, they grabbed Nick, throwing him across the room like he weighed nothing. Blow after blow landed on him as Nick cried out in pain.

“Stop!” I screamed, running forward. “Please! Stop, that’s enough!”

It took everything to make the bodyguards back off, leaving Nick a crumpled, groaning mess on the floor.

King arrived a second later, his presence filling the entire apartment with the usual intimidation. He walked straight up to Nick and leaned down.

His voice was low and lethal. “If you ever come near her again, I will kill you myself.”

Nick whimpered something incoherent as King turned back to me, his hand sliding protectively to my back. “Let’s go.”

I didn’t argue, I just grabbed the file and followed him out of that nightmare forever.

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The car ride back was silent.

I stared out the window, cradling the file against my chest like a lifeline. King didn’t speak either, but every few minutes, I felt his eyes flick toward me — checking, watching to make sure I was any better.

“I—“ I finally spoke, “I need to see my sister.” My voice came out hoarse but I didn’t care. “I need to know she’s okay, I need to see her—“

I felt a cold, stiff hand meet my lap, and that gush on calm went through my nerve. His touch has a way of soothing me and somehow, I liked it.

“She’s safe,”

“But how do you know that?” I cut, grazing his eyes with my wet ones. “Nick could have hurt her, God I’m such a fucking loser. I literally haven’t heard or seen her for weeks and— and—“

I cold finger crossed my lips at this point, “Camila, she’s safe. I have men watch over her since the day you came to my house.” King’s calm voice sang through my whole shuttered body, “I assure you, she’s safe.”

I didn’t know, I hadn’t even thought he’d do such a thing for me or my sister.

I nodded, taking my gaze back to the window and he removed his hand from my lap. And the ride became silent again.

Finally, as we neared the house, he said quietly,

“You’re safe now.”

I didn’t trust my voice to answer, so I just nodded.

But then, without warning, the car made a sharp turn and pulled into the entrance of a massive, glittering shopping mall.

I blinked at him.

“What—?”

“We have a ball to attend tonight,” he said, dropping the tab he was working on. “You’re my plus one.”

My mouth fell open.

“A ball?”

He smirked slightly. “You’ll need something to wear.”

Still in a daze, I followed him inside. The boutique he led me to was outrageously elegant — all crystal chandeliers and racks of designer dresses.

The shop assistant greeted King like he was royalty, immediately ushering us toward the best selections. He picked dress after dress, tossing them over his arm until I was drowning in silk and lace.

I tried them on one after another, but nothing felt quite right to king as he kept finding reasons to reject them.

Finally, I stepped out in a simple black gown that hugged my curves with a deep slit at the side, and shimmered subtly under the lights. King’s gaze darkened instantly when he saw me.

“That one,” he said immediately.

My cheeks flamed. I turned back toward the changing room, fumbling with the zipper at the back.

“Um… hello?” I called awkwardly.

No answer. The assistant must have vanished somewhere. Before I could even think, the curtain rustled, and King stepped inside.

My breath caught. “Huh—“

“I’ll do it,” he said, his voice low and rough.

I froze as his fingers brushed my back, slowly zipping the dress up, his knuckles grazing my bare skin with every slow, torturous movement. The tension between us was too thick, too freaking thick that I thought I could explode.

When he finished, his hands stayed at my waist for a moment too long. I turned slightly, and we were suddenly so close, his breath warm against my cheek.

His hand came up to brush a stray strand of hair from my face, his thumb grazing my jaw. Our eyes locked. The world faded away.

Slowly, achingly, he leaned in… Just as our lips were about to touch—

KNOCK KNOCK.

A voice from outside called. “Miss, are you done?”

I jerked back, my heart hammering against my ribs.

King’s eyes burned into mine for a heartbeat longer before he stepped away, his jaw tight. “Get changed,” he said gruffly, stepping out of the changing room.

I leaned against the wall, trying to catch my breath.

God, what was happening to me?