Chapter 5

Vincent’s POV:

(Five Years Later)

"Vincent, dear." My stepmother’s voice came through the line. "I’m just calling to give you a heads-up. The driver just picked up Camila from the airport, so she will be arriving at your corporate headquarters very soon."

I shifted in my chair, glancing up at my secretary Stanley, who remained perfectly composed. "She doesn't have to come to the company today, Beatrice. She can come in tomorrow morning instead.”

"Oh, absolutely not.” Beatrice sighed heavily on the other end. "You know how much she wanted to be there several days ago but the irregular weather in New York City completely wrecked the flight schedules that's why she doesn't want this postponed a second longer.”

“Fine.” I replied, conceding to the arrangement because refusing would only invite a hassle I didn't care to handle. Then I ended the call, tossed the phone back onto the desk and looked up at Stanley. "Notify me the exact moment Camila arrives on the administrative floor."

"Understood, sir." Stanley replied then he bowed and stepped out of the office.

Suddenly, there was a sharp knock on the wooden door and Stanley stepped inside again, holding the door open. “Sir, Miss Camila just arrived in the Administrative wing, Mr. Charles is conducting her onboarding orientation right now.”

"Right.” I said, adjusting the cuffs of my suit jacket then I stepped out of my executive suite, making my way down the long corridor toward the glass-walled administrative department. 

I didn't have any intention of making a grand entrance, so I stopped just short of the main threshold to observe from a distance. Through the clear glass, I watched Charles guide her toward the center of the room, introducing her to the core team.

Watching her smile made me realize that in all the weeks she had lived under the same roof as me in Los Angeles before fleeing to New York, I had never once seen her smile like that.

And for the longest time, I believed that she would never find joy again. I vividly remembered the night that she learnt that everything was set for her to relocate to New York.

That was the same night that she dropped the bombshell about her pregnancy and the fact that she was keeping it and was going to raise the child alone.

For months, I wanted to ask her what if it was.... nevermind.

Looking at her now, watching her interact with the staff, it was clear she had forcefully picked up the shattered pieces of her life.

Suddenly, a sound emitted from Stanley’s phone, cutting through the silence of the hallway and dragging me violently back to the present.

“Sir, we have a situation.” He said, glancing up from his phone. “The vehicle of senior representatives from Prime Ventures just arrived in the underground parking lot. They are heading up to the executive floor right now."

My brows furrowed deeply. "Our meeting isn't scheduled for another fifty minutes. Why the hell are they arriving now?"

"They didn't give a reason in the memo, sir.” Stanley replied quickly. "They just apologized for the early arrival."

“Fine, just tell Charles to personally escort the Prime Ventures team directly to the main conference room the moment they step off the elevator. And tell him to have his staff bring a full spread of beverages into the room immediately."

"On it, sir.” Stanley said, immediately rushing past me into the administrative office.

Through the glass, I watched him quickly relay the orders to Charles whose eyes widened, then he immediately turned around, and gestured toward Camila and two other junior employees. 

I could hear his muffled voice through the glass, ordering them to sprint down to the executive canteen to gather the refreshments and to be as quick as humanly possible.

So, the moment I noticed her and the two other staff members heading straight for the exit doors, I quickly stepped backward into a corner of the hallway, intentionally hiding myself from her line of sight.

They rushed past my hiding spot, completely oblivious to my presence while I stood frozen. ‘What the hell am I doing?’ I thought, a bitter scowl touching my lips. 

What had happened between us was a lifetime ago, a single, alcohol-fueled mistake before we even knew each other’s names. I was the CEO of a multi-billion dollar enterprise; I had absolutely no reason to feel weird or handle her like a ghost in my own building.

Clearing my throat and pulling myself together, I smoothed down the front of my shirt and returned to my office with Stanley to retrieve some files then we made a direct line to the boardroom. 

On arrival, Stanley pushed open the double doors, revealing the three representatives from Prime Ventures already seated at the massive glass table. 

I put on my best corporate smile, stepping forward to shake their hands. "Mr. Langston, please accept our sincerest apologies for the scheduling surprise.” The lead representative said, offering a sheepish, professional smile as we shook hands. 

I offered a chuckle, taking my seat at the head of the table. "It’s alright Mr. Carter, my team and I are always prepared.”

"Excellent " The man smiled, gesturing to the folders before him. "As you can see, our legal team has already fully reviewed and executed the final contract. We are ready to begin the structural implementation."

As the man began to speak, detailing their operational timeline, my attention completely drifted. My eyes kept flickering toward the closed boardroom doors, my wrist shifting slightly so I could glance at my watch. 

I was growing increasingly restless, wondering when the hell Camila was going to return with the refreshments. Right on cue, the doors were pushed open and two junior administrative assistants stepped into the room, carrying trays of silver carafes and crystal glassware. 

Directly behind them, was Camila, carrying a bucket of ice and bottled water.

She lifted her head to scan the room, and the exact moment her gaze swept over the table, her eyes locked onto mine. "Camila?" 

The sharp, high-pitched gasp shattered the silence of the room, and I turned my head toward the sound and saw that it was Mr. Carter's wife, Samantha the co-representative of Prime Ventures, who had spoken. 

Beside her, Mr. Carter's pen slipped from his fingers, clattering loudly against the glass table as his jaw dropped. I then turned my attention back to Camila whose fingers were gripping the handles of the ice bucket so tightly her knuckles were translucent.

“Do you three know each other?" I asked but before Daniel could open his mouth to offer an explanation, Samantha sharply reached out, placing her hand firmly over her husband’s arm to silence him. 

“All three of us went to the exact same university years ago... but we haven't seen or heard from each other in ages.” She replied, forcing out a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. 

Well…" I began, leaning back in my leather chair as I crossed my legs. “It seems this partnership was truly destined to happen then.”

But as I spoke, my eyes remained locked onto Camila. I had never cared enough to ask my father or Beatrice about the identities of the people who had shattered her life five years ago but seeing the fear in her eyes right now, I didn't need to be a genius to connect the dots.

But it was already too late because Prime Ventures, the massive firm that was currently managed by Samantha and her spineless husband, Daniel, had just signed the legally binding contract to handle the construction of our watch houses so from this exact moment onward, Camila’s role in the administrative department meant she would be forced to work closely with them. 

Perhaps this forced proximity would finally break her spirit enough to make her quit and flee Hills Inc entirely. Because if I had to keep breathing the same air as the only woman who had ever managed to completely possess my mind in the dark, it was going to destroy the rigid control I had maintained for five long years.