Chapter 05

Roderick’s black Bentley rolled smoothly into the villa’s courtyard. The chauffeur quickly stepped out and opened the door for him. 

Roderick emerged, adjusting his cufflinks, still carrying the faint scent of Taylor’s perfume on his skin. He expected silence and order, the way things always were.

Instead, a maid came running toward him the moment he stepped inside, her face pale with panic.

“Sir! Sir, please—”

“What is it?” he snapped.

“Madam Camille is gone.”

Roderick froze. “What do you mean, gone?”

“She’s missing from the east wing suite where she slept. All her things… her clothes, her jewelry box, even her personal documents — they’re gone from the master bedroom too.”

For a moment, the words didn’t register. Then rage, hot and blinding, surged through his chest. His jaw clenched so tightly it ached.

“Gather every single worker here,” He growled, voice low and dangerous. “Now.”

Within minutes, the entire staff — maids, cooks, gardeners, and security personnel stood lined up in the grand foyer, heads bowed. The air was thick with fear. They had never seen their employer like this.

Roderick paced in front of them like a predator, his eyes blazing.

“How?” He roared. “How the hell does one woman disappear from my own house in broad daylight without a single one of you noticing? You’re all useless!”

One of the senior security guards stepped forward hesitantly. 

“Sir, we… we didn’t expect her to try something like this. She has never left without permission before. The cameras.....”

“I don’t want excuses!” Roderick bellowed, cutting him off. “You all had one job to do and you still failed!!”

The staff trembled. This was not the cold, controlled Roderick King they knew. This was something feral.

He pulled out his phone and dialed Grey.

“Find Camille. I want her location in the next ten minutes. Text me the address once you do, ASAP.”

He didn’t wait for a reply. Roderick stormed back outside, slid into the driver’s seat of his car, and sped off himself, tires screeching against the driveway. His knuckles were white on the steering wheel.

Camille was his, and she had just made the biggest mistake of her life by thinking she could run away from him. 

----

Meanwhile, in a modest hotel at the heart of the city, Camille sat on the edge of the bed, heart still racing from her narrow escape.

 She had slipped out earlier that afternoon while the staff changed shifts, using a side service gate the security rarely monitored during the day. For the first time in three years, she felt something close to freedom.

She clutched the small bundle of cash she had secretly saved over the months — not much, but enough for a few nights here and to pay for a lawyer. Her wedding ring was gone. Left behind like the symbol of imprisonment it had become.

“I’m done,” She whispered to herself, a fierce smile touching her lips despite the fear. “He sees me as a tool, not a wife. A pretty doll he can lock away and ignore, but not anymore.”

She wasn’t naive. She knew getting a divorce from Roderick King wouldn’t be easy. He had power, money, and connections that could crush most people.

 But he wasn’t above the law. She would find a good lawyer, file the papers, and fight for her freedom and her future.

A sharp knock sounded on the door.

Camille’s stood up immediately, must be the room service. She walked over slowly and looked through the peephole. Her blood ran cold.

Roderick.

She opened the door just enough to face him, refusing to let him inside.

“What are you doing here, Roderick? How did you find me?”

Roderick pushed the door open fully and stepped in, forcing her to back up. His presence filled the small hotel room instantly, suffocating.

“What’s the meaning of this madness?” He demanded, voice dangerously low.

“Madness?” Camille laughed bitterly, anger rising hotter than her fear. “You know what’s real madness? The fact that you think you own me after treating me like I’m not worth your time for three whole years! That’s madness, Roderick!”

She stepped closer, eyes blazing with tears and fury.

“You give all your attention to Taylor! You celebrate her birthday while I wait for you on our anniversary like a fool. What use am I to you? Just a trophy wife? A body to warm your bed when you feel like it? I’m tired of being invisible in my own marriage!” She yelled furiously at him. 

“Camille-”

“Why can't you just look at me, Roderick! Why can't you just love me! Why? Tell me why?!!” She screamed at him in tears. 

Roderick’s eyes darkened seeing her precious tears running down her cheeks. In one swift movement, he grabbed her by the waist and yanked her against him, crashing his lips down on hers in a bruising, possessive kiss.

Camille struggled wildly, pushing at his chest. When that didn’t work, she bit down hard on his lower lip.

He pulled back with a hiss, but instead of anger, a dark chuckle escaped him. Blood trickled from his lip. He wiped it with his thumb, looking almost impressed.

“Did you forget our vow at the altar, Camille?” He grabbed her left hand and held it up between them, his grip like iron. “Till death do us part.”

He stared into her eyes with intensity, those eyes that she once fell in love with. 

“You’re going to put that ring back on because you're my wife wife. You're Camille King. We’ll go home, and I’ll forget this little madness ever happened.” His voice dropped to a menacing whisper.

Roderick’s expression hardened further. He cupped her chin roughly, forcing her to meet his gaze when she looked away.

 “Did I make myself clear, Camille?”

Tears streamed down her face, as she stared at the man in front of her, refusing to look away.