ANMELDENHe loved her.
Didn't he? She rushed toward the reception desk. "Excuse me," she said anxiously. "Have you seen Adrian Morgan?" The receptionist's expression changed instantly. "You... you're Miss Camella? "Yes." "I'm sorry, but Mr. Morgan checked out early this morning." Her heart skipped. "Checked out? Where did he go?" "I'm afraid I can't disclose that information." Camella's stomach tightened. Before she could ask another question, a familiar voice echoed across the lobby. "So... you finally decided to show up." Camella turned. Adrian stood several feet away. His tailored suit from the previous evening was slightly rumpled, and his usually warm eyes were now cold. Beside him stood Serena. She looked concerned. Too concerned. "Adrian!" Relief flooded Camella as she hurried toward him. "I've been looking everywhere for you!" She reached for his hand. He stepped back. The movement was subtle. But it shattered her heart. "Adrian..." "Where were you?" he asked quietly. His voice held no warmth. "I... I don't know." His jaw tightened. "What do you mean you don't know?" "I wasn't feeling well after drinking champagne. Everything became blurry. I woke up this morning in a place I've never seen before." Serena let out a small gasp. "You spent the whole night with another man?" Camella whipped around. "No! That's not what happened!" "Then explain it," Adrian demanded. "I wish I could." Her voice cracked. "I honestly can't remember." Serena slowly lowered her eyes. "I tried looking for you last night. We all did. But you were nowhere to be found." She sighed dramatically. "I never imagined you'd run away with someone else." "I didn't!" Camella cried. "I would never betray Adrian." Serena gently touched Adrian's arm. "You don't have to listen if this is hurting you." "I'm telling the truth!" Camella pleaded, tears streaming freely. "I think someone drugged my drink." then Silence filled the room for a moment. Adrian stared at her. Then he laughed. It wasn't a laugh of amusement. It was disappointment. "Drugged?" "Yes!" "And somehow you ended up spending the night with another man?" "I don't remember anything!" "You expect me to believe that?" Camella desperately searched his face. The man who once promised to trust her no matter what was gone. In his place stood a stranger. "I love you, Adrian." "So did I." Those three words pierced deeper than any knife. He removed the engagement ring from his finger. Camella's breathing stopped. "Adrian..." "This engagement is over." "No..." "I can't marry someone who spent our engagement night in another man's bed." Her knees weakened and she dropped to the flow in pain. She shook her head over and over. "Please... don't do this." He looked at her one final time. His eyes held sadness. But not belief. "Goodbye, Camella." He turned and walked away. Serena followed him. Just before disappearing through the revolving doors, Serena glanced back. A tiny smile curved her lips. So quick... So cruel... Camella almost wondered if she'd imagined it. Left standing alone in the center of the hotel lobby, she clutched the engagement ring against her chest as tears blurred her vision. Within a single night... She had lost the man she loved. And somehow, deep inside her heart... She feared she was about to lose much more. Camella stood motionless in the middle of the hotel lobby long after Adrian had disappeared. The engagement ring lay in her trembling palm. Cold. Lifeless. Just like the future she had spent years dreaming about. "Miss... are you alright?" A hotel attendant approached cautiously. Camella forced a weak smile and closed her fingers around the ring. "I'm... fine." Even she didn't believe those words. With heavy steps, she walked out of the hotel. The bright morning sun mocked her misery as she hailed another taxi. "Home," she whispered. The ride felt endless. She stared blankly through the window while tears silently rolled down her cheeks. How would she explain this to her father? To her stepmother? Would they believe her? Or would they look at her the same way Adrian had? No... Her father knew her. He had raised her to be honest. He would understand. He had to. The black iron gates of the Harrison Mansion slowly opened. Camella stepped out of the taxi, taking a deep breath before walking toward the front door. Before she could knock, it swung open. Her stepmother, Vivian Harrison, stood there with folded arms. Her face was darker than a storm cloud. "So you finally remembered where you live." Camella lowered her head. "Mom... I can explain." "Don't call me that." Vivian's icy voice sent chills through her body. "I should have known you would disgrace this family one day." Camella looked at her in confusion. "What are you talking about?" Vivian laughed bitterly. "The entire Morgan family called this morning. Adrian has already canceled the engagement." Camella's heart sank. "He didn't even let me explain." "Oh, enough with your lies!" Vivian snapped. "What explanation could possibly justify spending your engagement night with another man?" "I didn't choose this!" Camella cried. "I was drugged." "Drugged?" Vivian scoffed. "That's the best excuse you could come up with?" At that moment, another voice interrupted. "Camella." She turned immediately. Her father, Richard Harrison, walked into the foyer. Hope lit up her tear-filled eyes. "Dad!" She rushed toward him. "I swear I'm telling the truth. Someone drugged my drink. I don't remember anything after leaving the ballroom." Richard remained silent. His face revealed nothing. Camella grabbed his hands. "You believe me... don't you?" Before Richard could answer, Serena slowly walked downstairs. She wore a simple white dress, looking every bit the innocent younger sister. Her eyes were red as though she had been crying. "I'm so relieved you're safe, Sister." Camella frowned. "Serena..." "I looked for you everywhere last night." Serena wiped away imaginary tears. "When I couldn't find you, I became so worried." "You know that's not true." Serena looked startled. "What do you mean?"Alexander didn't speak.The phone remained pressed against his ear."What did you say?"Herald repeated himself."The weapon used to shoot Edward belongs to your mother."Alexander's eyes hardened."That's impossible.""I know.""My mother has been dead for twenty years.""That's exactly why I wanted to speak to you before releasing the information."Alexander looked toward Camella.She was staring at him, trying to understand what was happening."Where did you find the weapon?""It was recovered from the suspect's abandoned vehicle.""Fingerprints?""None.""Serial number?""Scratched off."Alexander's jaw tightened."Then how do you know it belonged to my mother?""We traced the original registration.""To her?""Yes."Alexander ended the call.Camella immediately approached him."What happened?"He looked at her."The weapon used to shoot my father belonged to my mother."Camella's eyes widened."But your mother is dead.""That's what I was told."Neither of them spoke.The same th
"Father!"Alexander dropped to his knees beside Edward.Blood was spreading across Edward's shirt."Call an ambulance!"Herald immediately pulled out his phone."Already doing it."Camella stood frozen.She had seen violence before.She had experienced betrayal.But watching Alexander kneel beside his dying father made something inside her ache."Alexander..."He didn't respond.He pressed his hand against the wound."Stay with me, Dad."Edward's eyes opened slightly."Alexander...""I'm here.""There isn't... much time.""Don't talk.""I have to."Edward struggled to breathe."The account...""What account?""The one... in Camella's name."Alexander leaned closer."What about it?""Don't let them... get it.""Who?"Edward's eyes moved toward Camella."The child..."His voice became weaker."The child is the key."Alexander froze."What does that mean?"Edward tried to speak again.But his eyes closed."Father!"The ambulance sirens could be heard approaching.---At the HospitalEdwa
The room was completely dark.Richard froze behind his desk.He could hear someone breathing.Slowly.Calmly.As though whoever had entered knew there was nowhere for him to run."Who's there?"No answer.Richard reached for the drawer where he kept his gun.Before his fingers touched it, a hand grabbed his shoulder.He turned sharply.A cloth was pressed over his mouth.The smell was strong.His vision blurred.The last thing Richard saw before everything went black was the wooden box sitting open on his desk.And the document inside it.---Earlier That EveningCamella couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen.She sat beside Alexander in the living room while Herald continued searching through the old records."There's something strange," Herald said.Alexander looked up."What?""The documents connected to Camella's mother's death have been altered.""Altered how?""Several original pages are missing."Camella frowned."Who removed them?""We don't kno
Alexander stared at his father.Neither of them spoke.The warehouse suddenly felt unbearably cold."My mother is dead," Alexander finally said.Richard lowered his phone."I know.""Then who just called you?""I don't know.""You expect me to believe that?"Edward looked at him."Alexander, there are things about your mother's death that you were never told."Alexander's expression hardened."What things?"Edward hesitated."She didn't die the way you were told."Alexander froze."What?""Your mother was involved in the same conflict that eventually destroyed Camella's family."Alexander stepped closer."Stop speaking in riddles.""I wish I could.""Then tell me the truth."Edward looked exhausted."Your mother discovered that someone had been stealing money from our company. When she confronted the person responsible, she disappeared.""And?""Three days later, we were told she'd been killed in a car accident."Alexander stared at him."You said she died in an accident.""I believed
The reporters' questions came from every direction."Camella, is Adrian the father of your baby?""Did you betray Alexander?""Why were you meeting your former fiancé secretly?""Is Alexander being deceived?"Camella stood frozen.The photograph in the reporter's hand kept replaying in her mind.It showed her standing beside Adrian.But she knew she had never taken that photograph."I didn't—"Her voice disappeared beneath the noise.Alexander stepped in front of her."Enough."His voice was calm, but there was something dangerous beneath it.One reporter pushed forward."Mr. Kingston, are you saying the photograph is fake?"Alexander looked at him."I'm saying you should be careful what you publish."Another reporter raised a microphone."But the photograph appears genuine.""Appearances aren't evidence.""Then is Camella still your fiancée?"Alexander glanced at her.Camella's eyes were filled with fear.He turned back to the reporters."Yes."The crowd erupted."Even after the phot
Camella couldn't stop staring at Alexander."My father?"The word barely left her lips.Alexander didn't answer immediately.He could see the disbelief written all over her face."Adrian said my father ordered the entire thing?" she asked again."That's what Herald told me."Camella shook her head."No.""Camella—""No."She stood abruptly."My father left years ago. He barely speaks to me. He wouldn't..."Her voice broke."He wouldn't do something like that."Alexander moved toward her."We don't know that he did.""But Adrian said it.""Adrian could be lying."Camella looked at him."Why would he?""Because he has his own reasons."She wrapped her arms around herself.Everything was happening too quickly.The photographs.The fake DNA report.The hospital records.The threat against her baby.And now her father.It felt as though someone was slowly tearing apart every part of her life."I need to see Adrian."Alexander immediately shook his head."Not yet.""Why?""Because we don't







