Chapter 6

Camila's POV

I couldn't believe my luck.

After starting over and even going to another country for years, on the day that I came back home and started work, I came face to face with the two people that started it all.

Daniel stared at me for the longest, while Samantha glared between the two of us.

And if that wasn't all, there was Vincent.

It's as if someone up there was playing with my fate.

Weaving everything that could have sent me into psychosis, into one destructive package.

“Let's start then, shall we?" Vincent said, finally breaking the silence as I finished serving the refreshments.

I was already thinking of leaving the room, when Vicent looked over to me and said,

“Camila, I'd like you to join us."

It wasn't a request, but more of a statement.

I didn't have any other choice.

As the other staff left the room, Vincent gestured to me to take a seat next to him as we all sat around the table.

I couldn't bring myself to lift my head and even look up at them, and most of what was already being said was flying over my head.

It felt like I was trying to listen, with my head sticking outside a plane.

On the other hand, Vincent was handling things very professionally.

Within minutes, it all seemed like the tension in the room was placed to the side, as Vincent and Samantha were actively talking about the role that their company was playing.

That was until I lifted my eyes, and found Daniel still looking at me.

His face was still pale, you'd think he'd seen a ghost.

But that's exactly what had happened. And it was happening to me, not him.

I was looking at the ghosts of my past, seated across from me and in the office of my family's company.

“Daniel? What do you think?" Samantha asked, turning her attention and Vincent's to him.

I don't think he even knew what was happening, as he snapped out of the look that he had been giving me.

He licked his lips, and when he opened his mouth to speak, he started by stuttering.

Vincent jumped in, summarizing what they had been talking about, and then asked for his feedback again.

This time, Daniel was finally able to grow some balls and give the answers they were looking for.

Not that I knew what that was, but I could see Vincent nodding his head in agreement.

As he continued talking and had Vincent's attention, it seemed like the best time for that conniving, backstabbing, piece of shit, of a person that I once considered my sister to shift her attention to me.

We locked eyes for a split second, but I couldn't hold it.

I wanted so badly to jump over that table and slap the wig off her head, like I should have probably done when I found her with Daniel.

But I held my own, knowing that if I were to act, I'd ruin things for the company even before I finished my first day there.

Swallowing that thought, I stopped even looking at them, seeing how ‘good’ they had prospered.

I mean, Daniel and Samantha were literally in a business meeting to work hand in hand with the company.

Karma really didn't give me my lick back, and this irritated me even more.

The thought of just getting up and leaving the room crossed my mind so many times.

But I couldn't do it.

Not after Vincent personally asked me to stay behind.

After like ten more minutes of the talks between Vincent and Prime Ventures, he finally brought the meeting to an end.

Once I was certain that I could finally leave, I looked at Vincent and excused myself.

Without waiting, I was already out of the room with my head down, and rushing to the restroom.

The moment I walked up to the restroom mirror, it became impossible to hold it all in.

Not after seeing the woman that ruined my marriage and my life, standing in front of me with the man I had given everything to.

The tears flowed down my cheeks like waterfalls, and no matter how much I tried to hold it together, it became impossible.

After about a minute of sobbing and feeling sorry for myself, the tears and sadness turned into something else.

Anger.

Looking at myself in the mirror, I couldn't believe that even after five years, Daniel and Samantha still had the power to shake me.

I couldn't look them in the eyes and hold my head high, even for a minute.

“How pathetic are you?” I questioned the reflection that was looking back at me.

"They did their big one and…you couldn't even show them that things have changed!

Fucking hell!" I cursed, wiping away the tears from my eyes.

I was lucky that there was no one else in the restroom with me, because lord knows how I would have explained what I was doing and saying to myself.

Once I was certain that I had cried enough, I opened the tap, scooped up some water and splashed it on my face.

After doing this around three times, I closed it, reached for a paper towel to dry my face and reached into my small purse.

I proceeded to pad my face a few times so that no one could have noticed what happened.

And once I was done, I looked at the woman in the reflection, and vowed to myself that it was going to be the last time that I would let Daniel and Samantha see me as weak.

It was also going to be the last time that I was going to have a breakdown because of them.

With everything restored, I finally walked out and went back to my desk, ready to get to work.

And for the better part of the next hour or so, I was able to shake it all off and get some work done.

I was in the middle of one of the projects that had been sent to me, when I noticed that Charles was approaching my desk.

I tried my best to look like I didn't see him and to look busy, but this didn't work.

He walked over to me and leaned over my desk with a warm smile, to which I looked away from my computer and into his eyes.

“Maya?"

“Yes."

“I see you're quite busy, but the CEO wants to see you for a minute."

My heart literally dropped to my ass.

Vincent wanted to see me?

Did I do something wrong?

Or was it because I immediately stepped out the moment the meeting was over.

Those questions weren't going to get any answers if I remained seated in my station.

"Right now?” I asked Charles, to which he immediately shook his head.

Having no other choice, I got up from my chair and started walking towards Vincent's office.

He welcomed me in when I knocked on the door, and I tried my best to read the room once inside.

Vincent wasn't giving anything that would have implied he was angry.

And even after I sat down, he didn't hesitate to begin the conversation.

“Are you okay?"

This question caught me off guard, because he didn't beat around the bush.

"I'm fine,” I answered, trying my best to be casual about it.

His eyes peered into mine for a few seconds, while I was trying my best on the other hand to figure out what he was looking for.

"You don't have to lie to me.

I can tell that you, Daniel and Samantha didn't go to the same university.

And even if you did, that's not the reason you were all exchanging glances throughout the meeting."

For someone that I never thought talked so much, he was pretty blunt with his choice of words.

“We're going to be working with Prime Ventures for a while, which means that they'll be coming around here more often.

I need to know if that is going to cause any problems.”

I immediately shook my head, not wanting him to see that I was going to intertwine my personal life and work.

“It's just that I haven't seen them in so long.

That's why it came as a shock when I saw them."

I was trying my best to clear the air without having to tell him any of my business.

The last thing I wanted was for him to be involved with my personal life.

Especially since the two of us never addressed what happened five years earlier.

“My nerves were simply acting up. Besides, it's also the first time I'm actually employed," I added with a chuckle.

Vincent smiled, and I could tell that he wasn't fully convinced.

However, to my surprise, he didn't push any further.

“Cam, your personal matters are your own to handle.

And as long as they won't interfere with work, I won't have any reasons to be asking you anything,”

Hearing this gave me some relief. However, I felt a bit disappointed, to which I didn't know why.

"You can leave,” he added as he gave me a nod.

When I got up and was about to leave, he surprised me when he called out.

"Camila?”

I quickly turned, expecting him to say something else.

But he looked a bit confused and deep in thought.

His lips parted, but he didn't say anything for a few seconds.

And when he finally did, he simply said,

“Nevermind. That's all."