Chapter 2; The will

Camila.

The warmth vanished from his hand. His smile didn't fade—it shattered, replaced by furrowed brows and utter confusion.

“How did this happen?” He leaned closer, concern lacing his voice.

‘Phew! What a relief.’ I’d braced for anger, for rejection—not this tenderness.

I steadied my breath and explained everything to him, as he listened with rapt attention.

To my surprise, he held me fiercely tight."We fight this. Together. You're not alone, Camila," he whispered, his voice thick.

Tears welled as I smiled—a fragile, disbelieving curve of my lips. "I never expected... this," I choked out. I turned to Sia, whose jaws hung slack. She’d expected him to rage, to walk out, to shatter the night. That’s why she begged me not to tell him.

“Woah!” Sia exclaimed. “Leo, you’re really one of a kind…”

She clearly hadn’t seen that response coming. Leo and I burst into laughter at her outburst. “Told you my man was different,”I bragged, shrugging playfully as they chuckled.

The night unfolded with so much food and drinks. Sia stood abruptly, serving generous portions onto our plates. I leaned over, inhaling the rich aroma wafting from the dishes.

“You didn’t make this, did you?” I asked, already digging in. A moan escaped me as flavors exploded on my tongue. This tastes incredible.

Leo chuckled—he knew exactly where this was headed.

Sia froze mid-serve, fixing me with a playful glare.“And what if I did?” she retorted, hand on hip.

I shook with suppressed laughter. “Doubt it,” I mumbled through a mouthful of chicken.“My kitchen would be ashes otherwise. Yet here it stands, untouched by your culinary chaos.”

She threw down the serving spoon. “Are you saying I can’t cook one meal?” She whined, jutting out her lip and crossing her arms.

I finally released the laugh I’d been holding.“You know the answer,” I teased, waggling my brows.

She scoffed. “Just. Eat. Your. Food.” Her eyes rolled skyward.

I backed off—we all knew her kitchen phobia. Since childhood, Miss Abigail had tried relentlessly to teach her, but Sia treated recipes like grenades. So she trained me instead—a fact I now weaponize with glee and I never miss an opportunity to tease her.

After a long silence, while we focused on our meal, Sia suddenly cleared her throat. She took a sip of water glass before meeting my gaze. "Ahem... Mila, what are your plans..." she began hesitantly.

"About what?" I replied instantly, wiping my lips with the napkin beside my plate as I turned toward her.

Her lips stretched into a strained smile. "I know I shouldn't ask this, but... your apartment, savings... If you..." She trailed off, unable to finish, but I understood.

‘I should make plans.’

"She's not going anywhere," Leo snapped, visibly angered by Sia's question. That reaction alone proved how deeply he cares for me – how desperately he wishes I could stay.

My lips stretched into a faint smile as Sia’s words replayed in my head. That thought had never crossed my mind before, yet there was truth to her words; I should be making plans about my apartment and savings. Who knows? Anything could happen at any time.

Sia is the only family I have left in the world. She should rightfully own everything I have, especially my apartment. Miss Abigail left me this apartment and some money before she died. Unknown to us, she had secretly arranged everything—even buying the apartment under my name.

Sia had refused to move in with me, citing that we grew up together and she’d never had her own privacy. Though Miss Abigail insisted we live together as one family and support each other, Sia preferred staying in her rented apartment instead.

I rested my hand on Leo’s arm, and he turned to me, his gaze instantly softening. I shook my head. “She’s right. I need to make preparations,” I murmured.

“There’s still time, babe,” he interjected, turning to face me fully, his eyes glistening with tears.

‘God, what have I done to deserve such a man? I don’t want to die. I don’t want to leave him.’ My heart ached for him.

A long silence stretched between us. Sia shifted uncomfortably in her seat, then tugged at my sleeve. I turned to meet her gaze.

“I’m sorry for what I…” she began.

I flashed her a small smile. "I've already given it thought. I'll leave everything to you."

Her eyes widened. "Wait, what?!" She shook her head vigorously. "Camila, you can't do that!"

I held my resolve. "You're the only family I have left, Sia..."

She kept shaking her head, her voice strained. "Miss Abigail bought this house for you—under your name. I could never accept it." She insisted, declining.

I hesitated for a while as my gaze shifted to Leo. A new possibility surfaced, I considered him my family too. "What if I willed it to you, Leo?"