“Madam, dinner is ready,” one of the maids called out as she knocked politely on Camille’s bedroom door. “Mr. Callahan says that he wants to dine together with you.”Camille felt an instant wave of irritation. “Tell him that I’m not hungry and that I’ll be going straight to sleep,” she snapped.“Oh, but Madam!” the maid exclaimed, sounding startled. “You can’t just… I mean, forgive my rudeness, but you cannot skip meals—”“Then please bring me a tray here, Harrietta,” Camille said, making her voice softer this time. After all, the maid did nothing wrong, and she wasn’t the one provoking her ire. “I’ll eat here in my bedroom instead of the dining room.”“I… Understood, Madam. I will bring it up for you right away.”Camille listened to the sound of footsteps fade away before letting out a heavy groan. That stuck-up creep was really getting on her nerves!He even dared to ask her to have dinner with him when he hardly ever did that before. He only did something like that after ordering h
The morning after, Camille woke up feeling like she just had a nightmare.‘If you could call Christian Callahan a living nightmare, that is,’ she thought venomously.‘That snake is planning something. I just know it!’The rest of the day went on as usual. She went to the company, did her secretarial work, ignored Christian’s unnecessarily flirtatious and obnoxious remarks, and left work in the late afternoon.‘Good thing that he has an important meeting later,’ Camille thought gleefully as she started packing her things. ‘I hope it finishes at midnight so that when he comes home, I’ll already be fast asleep.”The only reason they were able to live together all this time was because of their busy schedules. Sometimes Camille had to work overtime while Christian left early. Sometimes Christian had late-night meetings and extended business trips, leaving Camille alone in the apartment.It was the perfect arrangement for her because she could not bear to see Christian’s infuriating mug ev
As Camille entered the shop, the air was immediately filled with the delicate and soothing scent of flowers. The place was bathed in a soft, warm glow from the sunlight filtering through the windows.Wooden shelves adorned with potted plants lined the walls. The countertops displayed an array of bouquets and arrangements, each a carefully curated mix of colors and textures.The sound of trickling water echoed softly from a corner where a quaint tabletop fountain sat. There was also a hand-painted chalkboard on the wall that listed the daily specials.Overall, the interior was homey and quite comfortable.The clerk, a pretty young girl with honey-brown eyes, greeted Camille with a smile.“Hello, ma’am,” she said politely. “What kind of flowers would you like?”Camille smiled back. “I’d like to take a look around first if you don’t mind.”“Of course not. Feel free to do so.”‘Where is he?’ she thought as she went further into the shop.When she rounded the corner to go to the next aisle
They arrived at their old high school within fifteen minutes. The walking distance from the company wasn’t that long, so they decided that it was best to enjoy the scenery instead of taking a cab.Along the way, Camille worried about a few things. Even though she was in disguise and there was no way anyone could possibly recognize her, she still felt a little embarrassed when she noticed people sending her curious glances from time to time.There was no doubt that it was because of the flowers she was holding.‘Why did he have to give me such bright flowers in the first place?’ Camille complained internally.Though she had an inkling why he did.It wasn’t like she didn’t appreciate the gesture. She did, and it warmed her heart.It had been a long time since she was treated like a real woman. It wasn’t like Christian gave her flowers like this that often. In fact, he only ever did on rare occasions whenever he needed something from her, or when he felt the need to use her for situation
Camille stared at him, feeling another surge of conflict in her heart.How was it that he always knew the right words to say?More importantly, how could he say something like that despite his busy lifestyle?“Is that even possible?” she whispered. “Realistically, you can’t always be there for me, Noah. You have such an important career and a bright future ahead of you. I’m just someone from your past, an ordinary woman who’s not of any use to you whatsoever.”Michael frowned. “That’s not true.”‘I haven’t stopped searching for you for years,’ was what he wanted to say.‘You’re the only one who kept me going even when there had been so many times when I just wanted to give up.’‘You’re the woman that I—’Michael’s thoughts stopped right there.She was…The only woman that he had ever loved.And the only one that he would ever love in the future.He knew that he should just say this to her. To make her realize the depth of his feelings for her.But something held him back. Maybe it was
“I am not,” she answered firmly. “You have nothing to worry about, Mr. Callahan. I assure you that I am just having a very bad week.”She tried hard not to let the sarcasm show in her tone.Christian smirked in satisfaction. “That’s good to know, my cute little secretary.”“Don’t call me that,” she snarled before finally storming off towards her room. She was practically fuming.That man was insufferable!But terrifying at the same time, she had to admit.She could never really know what was going on inside of Christian’s crazy mind. He could be psychotic the next moment, and then mischievous the next.But she knew that behind that arrogant, playful demeanor was a cold, calculative man. He was not someone to be trifled with. He was a demon who loved to play with people and make them feel like idiots.She knew that she had to be extra careful now. Christian was bound to find more ammunition to blackmail her with.She really had no idea why he would go through such lengths to keep her,
One week later, it was the beginning of a new season. Everyone in Callahan Group was busy with the upcoming major project, including Camille. Being a diligent worker, Camille liked to stay organized and make sure that things were going in order so far.Since her boss, Christian, was also meticulous, they worked well together.But that was the only harmony that they had. They had good teamwork at the company whenever it was about their career. Otherwise, Christian liked to play around while Camille just wanted to live a peaceful life.Today was one of those days where Camille needed to work overtime. Christian’s schedule was packed for the entire month, so she needed to double-check everything on her list. Things had to be perfectly carried out, otherwise the company’s reputation would be at risk. It was Camille’s job to ensure that her boss’ tasks ran smoothly.As she typed away on her keyboard, her eyes glued to the monitor screen, she failed to hear the sound of Christian’s office d
“You can’t be serious,” Camille blurted out, and she could feel herself bristling at this point. “What are you really planning? Why are you so dead-set on tormenting me? What did I ever do to you?”“Ssshh,” Christian suddenly said, pressing a finger against his lips. “Don’t be so loud. We’re at the lobby now.”He was right.When Camille cast her gaze ahead, she could see several employees staring at them from afar, wondering why they still weren’t exiting the elevator even though the doors were already open.Camille could feel her cheeks flushing from both fury and embarrassment.This jerk!“I am not going there,” she said in a tone of finality as she walked off before the doors could automatically close, not even waiting for Christian to match her pace.“Oh, come on, Miss Parker. Why the hostility?” Christian said lightly, and she suspected that he was dying of laughter on the inside. “L’Art Culinaire is one of the greatest restaurants in the city. I already booked a table there. You
At first, Christian hadn’t planned to kiss her.He wasn’t an impulsive man, but in this particular situation, he found that the urge to do something reckless was quite strong.Not exactly a reckless move, per se, but one that came along with his irritation.It was just that, as he watched Camille’s expression and heard the subtle change in tone in her voice when it came to Michael, Christian felt a growing urgency inside of him that he couldn’t bear to ignore.He could feel it, that her heart was drifting towards another man, that her feelings were growing until they became a big part of her.He felt that time was running out and that if he didn’t act now, she might belong to him physically, but not emotionally.And he would never be able to make her heart waver in the slightest.And oddly enough, despite his pride in the fact that he was not the kind of man who would be carried away by his emotions, the thought of Camille never being able to be completely his unsettled him greatly.S
Camille gritted her teeth. “Isn’t that a given?! No woman in the world would be able to put up with a snake like you!” she snapped.“Oh, but you’re still with me now even after all these years, aren’t you, Hailey?” he taunted.She bit her lower lip, trying to restrain her rage from overflowing like a dam. “I told you to stop calling me that!”She could never understand why he seemed to take such pleasure in calling her by her former name. He knew how painful it was for her to remember those memories, as well as the regret that lingered inside of her from her impulsive decision to leave the family that loved her.Yet he continued to torment and mock her at every opportunity that he had.Ignoring her words, Christian stepped forward and pinned her against the wall, his expression frosty and intimidating.She flinched slightly, but made sure not to show any fear or discomfort on her face.“But you’re okay with Michael McGregor calling you by that name,” he remarked icily.“Of course,” sh
Camille’s breathing quickened slightly, and she could feel her blood slowly turning to ice.To be honest, she already had an inkling in her mind, but she pushed it away, refusing to even acknowledge the possibility.She did not want to believe or accept that it was Christian who had made the effort to get her father on Dr. Colmen’s priority list.If she did, he would think that she owed him for it, and he would definitely hold it over her head for a long time.Camille felt a knot of anxiety tighten in her stomach. It was getting harder and harder to maintain her calm facade.“Hmm… you don’t look so good,” Christian remarked, drinking in her silent reaction. “If it were anyone else but you, I would be offended, but this kind of reaction is within my expectations. Believe it or not, Miss Parker, but I think I’ve grown fond of you.”She scowled at him, but her dark gaze must have been weak, because he only looked more amused.“I’m still waiting for your expression of gratitude, Miss Park
Camille felt the blood drain from her face, and her palms felt cold and clammy all of a sudden. For a brief moment, she felt lightheaded, as if the room was spinning and she was struggling to keep her balance.With Christian still being this close and still cupping her face, she couldn’t even move much.However, that wasn’t her problem right now.Right now, her mind was racing, analyzing his words in the span of a few seconds in her head.“…Excuse me?” she said in a hardened voice.What did he just say?‘He hasn’t yet died from his illness’?The… The nerve…!‘Calm down,’ she told herself. ‘Let’s think about this for a bit more.’For starters, how did he know about this?She had never mentioned her father’s condition to him before. No way in hell was she going to bring that up with him, of all people.Plus, the only times when they talked about her adoptive family was whenever he wanted to threaten her and blackmail her over their safety.Christian’s smile didn’t fade even as he slowly
‘Teach me a lesson?’ His words echoed in Camille’s head, and her irritation flared. ‘Who the hell does he think he is?’But despite her anger, she couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy.There was something different about his words this time.Was he planning something?When she didn’t answer, Christian’s tone became dangerous. “I think I need to keep you locked as tight as possible in this little birdcage that you’re trapped in,” he said in a low voice. “Perhaps I have left the gate a little loose for a while.”His words made no sense. “Stop calling me a caged bird, you psycho,” she snapped. “You may have successfully entangled me in your life for your own selfish benefit, but I’m free to say and do whatever I want, especially if it’s in response to injustice. Who are you to punish me and teach me a lesson? I have done nothing wrong to you!”That last part was said on impulse, out of the anger and defensiveness in her heart, and it increased her hesitation even as the words left her
It was one of those moments when Camille was glad for Christian’s cold, authoritative nature, because at least with the strict rules he enforced, she didn’t feel too stressed about working at the company, and no one would dare bother her or make her feel alienated.Then again, she never really had any friends here, even though she desperately wanted to. Everyone here seemed to have at least one friend they could count on, while she had none.Michael didn’t count because one, he was the CEO of his own company, which was a competitor of Christian’s, and two, she wasn’t motivated enough to rely on him and get closer to him for obvious reasons, since Christian would only take advantage of it.Due to the busy season, she even forgot that she needed to gather more information about Michael and learn more about his other connections so that she could report back to Christian. The industry gala was going to be held next month anyway, and Christian had made sure to give her the opportunity.Ca
Camille could detect a hint of teasing in his newest message. Knowing that Grady talked about her that way made her heart swell, too.It was always nice to get compliments on her hard work. She was always diligent and did her best at everything, so when someone acknowledged that and did not take her for granted, it made her feel appreciated.Christian rarely did that. Whenever he did, it was just a perfunctory compliment, nothing of substance. It meant more coming from Grady because he was experienced and capable in his own right. He was also known to be quick and resourceful in his work.No wonder Christian either wanted him gone or wanted him to work for him. The latter would not be a good decision however, because there was a good chance that Grady would betray him.If there was one word that best described Grady, it was “loyal”. He was very loyal to the McGregor family and had worked faithfully under them for several years.Needless to say, for him to work for another family would
Christian Callahan shook his head as he looked at her sorry state. This was why he always thought that emotions were a waste. They simply brought you down and distracted you from your goals.‘Such a waste of time,’ he thought.But he shrugged off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders with a gentleness that was unlike him.The air conditioning was on, and it was raining heavily outside. If she caught a cold or got sick from overwork, she would be useless at her job, and he couldn’t let that happen.He reached out and brushed his fingers lightly across her skin. She was indeed cold to the touch.When he looked at her face again, she looked even more tired than before. He could also tell that she had been crying earlier.‘Indeed, what a waste of emotions.’He sighed internally.She was going to hate him for this, but he had to do it. It was getting more and more annoying to have to deal with her constant irritation towards him, but he supposed that he couldn’t blame her.With all t
Camille snatched her wrist away from his grasp and stormed into the elevator, not even waiting for him to enter.Christian watched blankly as the doors closed, and then she was out of his sight.The sound of the dinging elevator rang in his ears for a few seconds until he realized that he was just standing there like a fool.When he returned to their home later on, Camille had already locked herself inside her bedroom and refused to come out, not even to eat dinner. Even Harrietta tried to deliver a tray to her room, but Camille did not even acknowledge her or open the door.Christian went to his room and thought about what had happened. Of course, there had been times before when her patience had finally reached its limit and she had lashed out at him. Things like that weren’t new to him.Usually, he would correct her behavior and either threaten her not to do it again or tease her and make her even angrier.But this time, it seemed different. That pained look in her eyes kept naggin