Her beating heart 1

Chapter 14

"Judging from your expression, I take it you’re not aware. Well, Roderick was invited to a party. I’m not too knowledgeable about the details, but from what I’ve heard, it’s going to be spectacular," Mr. Clastu said with a smile.

I nodded, signaling I understood. "Please excuse me. I'd like to take this to Roderick’s room. I’ll be back shortly," I said, exhausted.

"Oh, that reminds me, Camila," Mr. Clastu said as though something had just occurred to him. "Sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but those friends of mine had a very important meeting they had to attend, so maybe another time. You look exhausted. Please, you can stay in Roderick’s room for the night, okay?"

His words instantly replaced my fatigue with panic.

"Wait, what? What do you mean stay in Roderick’s room for the night?" I asked, clearly confused.

"Well, I think it’s a great idea. You two will soon get married, and plus, you look drained, Camila. Why not stay? I’d like to stay too," Grandpa said, lifting his glass again.

I walked up to him and gently took the drink from his hand, setting it back on the table.

"Well... I don't know if that’s a good idea, Mr. Clastu. I mean, Roderick loves his privacy, and I’m strong enough to go home. If I must stay, why not in the guest room?" I asked, trying to be polite while not agreeing outright.

I’d already had my fair share of trauma—first from Adrian, and now Roderick. No, I couldn’t. I hadn’t even recovered from what happened with Adrian, and now they wanted to put me in a room with Roderick?

“Come on, Camila. You’ll feel better if you stay, and I’m sure Roderick won’t mind. You’re going to be his wife soon, so there’s no excuse, right?” Mr. Clastu said, smiling. Grandpa nodded along, clearly pleased with the idea.

"Plus," Grandpa added, chuckling, "I wouldn’t even mind having an early grandchild. So please, Camila, stay—okay?"

I wondered if he was drunk. But I knew there was no convincing them otherwise, so I nodded and headed upstairs, silently praying not to run into Adrian. I planned to negotiate with Roderick—maybe he’d let me stay in another room—or worst case, I’d just sleep on the couch.

As I climbed the stairs, I heard Mr. Clastu and Grandpa continue talking about business. I took a deep breath and slowly turned the doorknob. To my surprise, the door opened with ease.

“Does he really leave his door unlocked?” I whispered to myself as I stepped inside.

The room welcomed me with the sweet scent of Roderick’s cologne. It was calming—opposite of Adrian’s wild scent. I walked over to the soft, luxurious-looking bed and sat down cautiously, half-expecting a shock. But once my body sank into the mattress, all the tension melted away. I laid back and rested my head. For a moment, all the stress vanished.

Then slowly, like a shadow creeping into the light, thoughts of Adrian returned. The way he held me had made me completely lose control. His face—handsome, intense—flashed in my mind again.

“What if we had kissed? Then what?” I wondered aloud, imagining things that only made sense in my mind.

Priscilla’s words echoed like a revelation: “A girl you’ve always been in love with, huh?”

“I wonder… do you mean me, Adrian?” I murmured as sleep slowly overtook me.

When I woke up, I felt better. The headache was gone. I reached for my phone to check the time—11:00 PM.

“Is it really eleven already?” I said softly, getting up.

“I wonder where Roderick is. Maybe he already knows I’m here and decided to sleep somewhere else…” I whispered, feeling a little disheartened. “Does he really find me that disgusting?” I asked myself, staring at my legs.

“Well then... we’ll see,” I said, heading to the bathroom.

I took a quick shower and used one of Roderick’s towels to dry off. Opening his closet, I was stunned.

“Is he a celebrity?” I said aloud. “These clothes are incredible.”

Most of them were far too large for me, but eventually, I found one of his oversized shirts and slipped it on like a gown. My legs were bare, covered only by my underwear.

“I mean, it’s not like he’s coming back tonight, so he won’t find out, right?” I giggled, admiring myself in the mirror. “I wonder what Adrian’s expression would be if he saw me like this. I look so cute,” I whispered, remembering how he looked at me when I tried on those dresses.

I was just about to scroll through my phone before bed when I remembered—I hadn’t told Grandpa goodnight. I walked toward the door and opened it—

—and there he was.

Standing in front of me.

Roderick.

His eyes were slightly red, like he had just come out of a long shower. He looked straight into my eyes, scanning the shirt on my body slowly. I froze.

For a moment, I felt… nothing. Like dying would be the only way out of this. I tried to shut the door, pretending I hadn’t seen him, but then his hand slipped through the crack, stopping it from closing.

He opened the door slowly.

My heart began to race. All the anxiety and emotions I’d felt with Adrian returned, stronger this time.

We stood there in silence, just staring at each other. Then, Roderick stepped forward. I stepped back.

We only moved a little before he stumbled—landing against my shoulder. I instinctively supported him, and the scent of his body filled my nose—intense and unforgettable.