Camila's POV
Sleep was something that never came naturally unless I was accompanied by mamá.
Knowing that she was going to lay next to me and watch over me until I fell asleep was always what lulled me into a state of bliss.
And so it only made sense that I couldn't fall asleep in this new beautiful room. The anxiety of being in a new place was driving me insane and so when I realize sleep wasn't going to come I sit up in my bed.
I'd spent my day meeting some of the men and getting to know the staff. I'd lived a comfortable life with mamá, but we weren't wealthy enough to have maids, groundkeepers and others working on call.
This was a different type of wealth.
The rest of my night had been spent in my new room where I'd gotten ready for bed.
Knowing I was in the comfort of my room, I slipped on my favorite two piece sleepwear set. It was a white two piece number, a mixture of lace and silk which made me feel cute yet sexy at the same time.
It clung to my hourglass frame, the shirt cropping just below my breasts due to the size of them and the shorts a little on the smaller size but I was comfortable in them nonetheless.
I wasn't wearing a bra, nor did I ever when wearing sleep-wear because it was uncomfortable. Even thought my breasts were on the larger side I needed to let them breath.
Slipping on my pink fuzzy slippers, I walk out into the empty hallway. The cool air hits the bare skin of my arms, stomach and legs making me shiver and wish I wore my robe. But I just needed to quickly grab a glass of water from the kitchen.
The silence in the hallway is eerily unsettling, I glance down the hall towards the black double doors and briefly wonder when I'll meet Alejandro.
What would he be like?
I had yet to find out if the man was truly as great as mamá claimed him to be. Ethan had informed me Alejandro was a very busy man. Always working and on the go, so I highly doubted I would be seeing any of him anytime soon.
My slippers slap against the marble floors as I move down the hall, but I stop short as my head snaps towards the stairs where the sound of footfall echos through the dimly lit hallway.
No one was to be up here but a single glance at the stranger before me, makes me shut my mouth. There was no way I was going to be the one to tell him off.
The man was tall and broad, his dark hair on display as he looked down pulling at his black tie, his other hand undoing the button of his perfectly tailored blazer. His large calloused hands then moved to loosen the top buttons of the white dress shirt underneath, exposing the firm looking tan skin of his chest where a gold chain poked out.
It was only when he got to the top of the stairs and looked up that my eyes widened.
Wow.
Never had I seen a man so devilishly handsome.
He was strong, I could tell that much, and not just in the physical sense. Sure his broad frame and muscular physique was eye catching but his presence was utterly dominating and intimidating.
It was enough to have me sucking in a lung full of air in fear that his presence would swallow it all up.
He had beautiful tan skin, and high defined cheekbones that complimented his strong jaw, where hints of a five o-clock shadow peeked out. His features were so rugged yet angelic.
His striking dark brown eyes were cold and calculating, one of a powerful man who knew what he wanted and knew how to get it. And right now they were glaring at me.
Trapped by his gaze, I could nothing but watch as he took long strides towards me, and all I could think of was how alluring the way in which he walked was. He walked with pure dominance, like he knew the power he had yet never gave too much away.
There was no way this was a regular man.
I'm snapped from my thoughts at the sound of his sharp voice, a voice that's filled with malice. "Who's letting puttane into my house, up on my floor?" He snaps, the pent up rage and frustration clear in his voice. There's a slight hint of an Italian accent, making his booming voice all the more threatening. (Whores)
His tone sends alarm bells all throughout my body, so much so that I find myself taking a threatened step back.
He didn't even have the decency to look at me, instead, he spit the words into the air as if someone would magically appear and give him the answer.
My eyes widen as I stare up at him in horror. I look closely at the dark bags beneath his eyes, frustration and fatigue written all across his perfectly structured face. But it's still no excuse for the way in which he's treating me.
This is why I didn't like men like him. They made me feel small and weak and I couldn't even begin to explain the way fear would paralyze my body.
His large hand grips my forearm roughly and before I know it, he's dragging me towards the stairs, my steps barely able to keep up with his long strides.
I open my mouth, and push past the shock and fear at the sight of this complete stranger dragging me away. "Stop! Stop!" I breathe in complete horror.
I look up to find his jaw clenched and eyes glaring ahead. I try to yank my arm out of his grasp and he only tightens it. "There's been a mistake. Thats- that's my bedroom! I'm staying here." I say frantically biting down on my lower lip as tears gather in my eyes once the reality of who this man is settles in.
This vile man was nothing like mamá made him out to be. He was cruel, mean, abusive and arguably worse than my papá.
The man stops, his broad shoulders tenses before he lets go of my arm immediately spinning around to blink down at me.
I stare up at him, my lower lip wobbling as I take a step back away from the man who's face is now scrunched up in slight confusion mixed with disbelief. "Camila?" It's a deep breathless whisper, like he knows the answer but doesn't want it to be true.
I nod, wiping at the tears before wrapping my arms around myself, in an attempt to cover my body from him.
"Cazzo," I hear him curse, pinching his eyes shut and digging the palms of his hands into his eyes, rubbing profusely. (Fuck)
His eyes open and it's as if seeing me for the first time when he steps closer, his eyes immediately softening.
I take a step back.
"I'm so sorry, Principessa. Please forgive me I... I only thought you would be younger. You look so... so different from when I last heard of you." He mumbles, his eyes snapping down my body in bewilderment before he instantly snaps them away as if it's a sin to glance at me.
"You mean when I was thirteen? Five years ago?" I spit in frustration, my face scrunching up into one of outrage as I sneer at the man.
The man before me's shoulders slump, proving just how in need of a nap he is but I ignore my instincts telling me to help him.
He didn't deserve it.
"I don't know what I was thinking. Of course you would grow into a beautiful young lady." He shakes his head, his brows furrowing as he looks me right in the eye. "I'm truly sorry if I terrified you and came off as harsh. I won't ever touch you like that again, I promise." The words roll off his tongue in a deep murmur, his voice soft and soothing, a complete contrast from before.
Camila's POV The only perk to crying yourself to sleep is the blissful sleep that comes after you've drained your eyes of all the tears.It's like your mind has finally given out, your thoughts all poured out leaving you to sleep peacefully. Which was why when I woke the next morning with flushed cheeks, a puffy face, bloodshot eyes and a dry throat, I didn't complain for I had a delightful slumber. I was effectively knocked the fuck out - in the best way possible.I'd locked myself in my room after the screaming match I'd endured with Alejandro and refused to leave. It'd been two days. And I'd spent those two days locked in my bedroom, ignoring everyone's attempts at trying to get me to come out, eat, talk or anything. Ethan had spent a good amount of time profusely apologising the night of - drunk I might add. But I wasn't ready to forgive him. I'd told him beforehand to make sure Alejandro was coming, only to have him brush me off, telling me that 'he's got it'.Come to find
Camila's POV "Cosa mi hai appena detto?" His voice is low as he speaks calmly, but it's clear the calmness in his tone is masking the anger beneath. (What did you just say to me?)"Leave him alone." I spit glaring at his back. Alejandro turns around, his icy gaze finding mine, and his face scrunched up in a look of pure anger. One that I had yet to see, and had it not been for my anger towards him, I would've been frightened. I want to take a step back but I don't. I stay rooted to my spot as he takes a slow threatening step forward towards me. "I come home from a long day of chasing after a blonde lunatic-" another step and I start to feel his suffocatingly intimidating aura engulf me. "Only to find out that you left and still have yet to return-" His jaw ticks with each word and his gaze is so piercing, I'm surprised he hasn't drilled a hole straight through my skull. "And you're here, telling me to stop?" He spits the last sentence, his face scrunching up and it doesn't take a
Camila's POV My mind, still reeling from the adrenaline, barely registers my movements as I stand and take my bow. "Camila Rodriguez, the youngest opener the Opera House has ever had everyone!" The sound of applauds drawls me back into reality as I stare ahead at the thousands of standing ovations I'm given. My heart swells with pride. Mamá was like me in the sense that she'd always wanted to be a performer and oftentimes liked to live through me. She would have loved this. My eyes almost instantly drift away from the thousands of unfamiliar faces, in search for that devastatingly handsome smile and those whiskey coloured eyes, I don't find them. All I see is an empty seat.Alejandro's empty seat. He wasn't here. He didn't come. And like a bolder to a barely standing wall, I suddenly don't want to be here. Suddenly, I feel like this small victory is meaningless and suddenly, I feel like shit for investing my happiness in someone so disappointing.Yet I mask my disappointment an
Camila's POV I wasn't someone who got stage fright. Crowds didn't make me nervous, in fact- I liked the attention. Performances were just between my music and I. But I'd be lying if I said the thought of Alejandro watching didn't make me anxious. So anxious that I couldn't do any of my pre-performance rituals. Instead, I was glued to my dressing room chair, applying my lipstick and making sure I looked absolutely perfect for my performance. I was going to be doing a solo, which meant that I was going to have all his attention. Would he think I looked beautiful? Would he think I was any good? Would I lift my head and catch his eye mid performance? Would he then smile at me?I couldn't stop thinking about these scenarios. I'd think myself to be pathetic if I weren't so distracted by the excitement of him seeing me play. I hadn't talked to him after telling him I'd reserve him a seat, and when it was time to go home, he'd disappeared with Greta.Marco had mentioned how they were
Camila's POV The greeting is awkward, Alejandro isn't as friendly as Jacob is, but after a while when the conversation turns to money, business and other topics I couldn't be bothered with, he becomes more bearable. The conversations go on around me and I send small smiles and respond the best I can, but its difficult to pretend to be okay. The best I can muster up are short concise replies, making it obvious that I don't wish to talk. All the while my mind kept drifting off to tonight. I'm halfway into my meal when Jacob pokes my side, effectively snapping my attention to him. "You've been awfully quiet, is something the matter?"I look up from my food, feeling Alejandro's eyes on me as I hastily wipe the food from around my mouth. When I was sad or upset, I tended to eat and sometimes I got too carried away devouring my food to realize there were people around. I smile politely as I shake my head. "Sorry, my mind is just somewhere else." He nods as if remembering something. "A
Camila's POV My Alejandro smiles and opens his arms wide ushering her to run into them. Which she happily does.He catches her, lifts her off the ground and spins her around. And all I can do is stand there and watch. Watch as Alejandro's smile turns into a little smirk as he whispers something in Greta's ear discreetly. A move I wouldn't have caught had I not been watching them so closely. I would have also missed the way Greta's cheeks warm into a blush, the color tinting her pale cheeks beautifully."How are you, princess?" He smiles and places a peck on her lips.And that's when everything crumbles. My face drops and I find myself blinking back tears. I was his princess not her. And infront of me?An awful mix of sadness and rage seep into my pores but I let the latter take over, for I couldn't stand anymore sadness.Sadness was the only constant in my life these past few days. I had been feeling particularly alone and down and Alejandro's absence wasn't helping.Ethan's been