Camille held her breath as she waited for him to respond. She continued to glare at him from behind her mask, gripping his shoulder so tightly as though giving him a warning.She knew that she was being reckless by challenging him and possibly provoking him, but it was either that or become his lifeless little doll for the rest of her life. As a matter of fact, she was still going to be his contract wife. She wasn’t going to break their agreement.All she wanted was for that little bit of freedom not to be taken away from her. It was hard enough to be around him all the time. She didn’t want to have to pretend that he was pleasant enough to be her ‘friend’. It was ridiculous.“…” Christian gripped her waist and continued to dance, his brown eyes studying her face intently. Camille followed his steps, but continued to stare back at him stubbornly.“Hmm,” he said softly. “You have a point.”That was all he said. He continued to dance with her, paying attention to the beats of the melody
Michael knew that it was Hailey the moment she went into his arms.How could he not? She was the woman that he loved. It would be impossible for him not to know that it was her.She looked so beautiful that his heart skipped a beat. It was the first time he had seen her so radiant. When she was a teenager, she never cared about makeup and beautiful clothes. She was so simple in her tastes that it was endearing.He could still remember the day she went to the prom barefaced and wearing the most gaudy, obnoxious dress he had ever seen.At that time, he wished that he could erase the horrifying sight from his memory, but it was perfect to use that time to tease her about it. Sometimes she would get annoyed with him, and sometimes she would laugh along with him. It was so refreshing to be around someone like her. There was no pretense, no unnecessary drama, and no prejudice.Now, that same young girl was now a mature woman. A woman so beautiful that it took his breath away.He thought abo
Both of them didn’t know what to say at first.They just stood there, gazes averted, with an awkward tension hovering in the air. Neither of them were inclined to speak first. They simply distracted themselves with the endless chatter of the other guests in the background, trying to rack their brains for something to say.Camille felt as if she had been hypnotized by this man for the last few minutes. It was as if she had been transported to another world the moment she walked into his arms. His scent was intoxicating to her now, and their proximity made her nervous.She had never felt this way about him before. She had always considered him only as a friend. There was attraction, sure, but only slight in physical appearance. Never anything remotely romantic.But now she was starting to wonder…Was she the only one who felt this way? What did Michael really feel about her in the past and also in the present?He had never stated it explicitly, so she was a little confused.“How have yo
Camille was lost.Not exactly, since this was not a city or even a theme park. But the hall was large enough to hold a large number of people, and it was hard to distinguish faces in this room. The lavish costumes confused her eyes, and the sparkles from their masks blinded her for a moment when the lights shone on them.The band was still playing romantic music, but it took on a more seductive tone, an instrumental that sang temptation in the air. The couples on the dance floor were dancing much closer and more intimately, and the atmosphere was charged with a different kind of energy than before.Camille supposed that this kind of thing was inevitable. It was a party, after all.She stared at her phone screen, waiting for Christian to message her back. When a minute passed by and there was none, she placed it back inside her pocket, feeling frustrated.At that moment, a new song began to play. The sound was soft and gentle, a seductive lullaby that enticed everyone to sway to the be
A stunned silence filled the small space between them.The words that came out of her mouth the next second were automatic. She didn’t think twice. She just spat them out before she could think any further.“You’re joking,” she said in disbelief.Christian raised an eyebrow. “Do I look like I’m joking to you?”“Do you think you’re even a trustworthy individual in the first place?” she snapped. “You’ve been manipulating people half your life. What makes you think that I can even trust that this ‘truth’ isn’t a deception on your part?”He expelled a long-suffering sigh, as though she was the one who was being unreasonable. The nerve. “I can’t do anything about it if you don’t believe me,” he stated. “However, you must know. Deep inside your heart… you already had an inkling, didn’t you?”“What?” She stared at him in shock. “What are you talking about? No, I—”“Why such a hasty denial? Think about it thoroughly, Miss Parker.” His smile grew wider. He looked like he was enjoying this. “Ho
As expected, he blushed, as he usually did when he was caught unintentionally complimenting her.Maybe it was his male ego, but he usually liked to play it cool, never telling her outright how he felt about her. He rarely praised her and only did so by accident, but maybe that was because she hadn’t managed to get him to open his heart to her yet.Hailey had to admit that Michael was a fascinating character. Usually, when she scolded the male students at school, they would get offended and avoid her at all costs. None of them approached her or wanted to be friends with her. They probably all thought she was like a nosy mother.Hailey had no doubt that many students at this school would gossip about her from time to time, but she never really let it affect her. After all, it was just words, and mostly false rumors. She couldn’t bring herself to care about something that was obviously false.Unless they confronted her with it directly, or if the situation got out of hand somehow, she wo
[Present Time]-When he was young, Michael tended to joke around most of the time. His humor was a little different, but that was probably because he expressed it in a strange, somewhat dark way.Camille had thought he was just joking back then, since it was so dramatic and all…And Michael even agreed with her afterwards. “Just kidding” was what he said after saying those words. He didn’t say anything more and just let her chuckle it away.But even then, Camille had sharp eyes. She hadn’t missed the way the dark look had never left his eyes that day.She knew that he had been serious.But she forced herself to forget. To think it was just her own wild imagination.But as the days passed, she couldn’t help but notice the signs. It was as if this small incident had opened the door to a startling revelation.He had been subtle about it. But he was indeed protective of her and especially observant. Whenever he heard people gossiping about her and murmuring complaints during class, he wo
It wasn’t difficult to do an investigation on Hailey at that time. With the power and wealth of the Callahan family, it was relatively easy to get everything he needed to know.Not only that, but his father even helped him with some crucial events.-[Thirteen years ago…]-“You were… what now?” Christian said blankly.Gregory Callahan sat in his leather chair in front of a majestic mahogany desk strategically placed before a floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the gardens below. Warm afternoon sunlight filtered through the silk curtains, casting a soft glow on the room’s polished oak floor.He leaned back in his chair and took a long drag from the smoldering cigar tucked between his fingers. “I was one of the major investors for their hotel business a long time ago. That girl hadn’t been born during that time. I should know.” He gave a lopsided smile. “After all, both their wives were still pregnant before things got awry.”That caught Christian’s interest. “What do you mean ‘bef
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