INICIAR SESIÓN~ Camelia POV ~"Hm, this is good, Lina," I mumbled as I took another sip of the soup Lina had made. The creamy texture slid down my throat with a flavor that was much better than I had expected from her. "Good job.""Thank you, Chef," she said with a bright smile.I moved down the line to taste the dishes prepared by the rest of the kitchen team. Even as I focused on the food, I could not push what Mr. Donna had said out of my mind. It sat in my chest like a heavy weight, bringing up a wave of worry I could not shake off. It felt like the universe was pushing me toward a truth I had been trying to ignore for years. Whether I liked it or not, I was going to see Luke or Asher again sooner or later.I pulled off my disposable gloves and tossed them into the trash bin. "You all did a great job today. I really appreciate your hard work. Andrew should have already passed along the menu list for Mr. Donna's event, so let's keep this same energy going."They all smiled and nodded. I gave the
~ Asher POV ~I leaned against my car as I pulled out a cigarette and lit it, bringing it to my lips to take a long drag. The cool late afternoon air blew against my face, blowing the grey smoke right back at me.My eyes drifted to the doors of the school, expecting to see Gwen coming out with Cami. But it had been almost an hour since she went inside. I hated waiting like this. She should have just taken Cami home and come over to my apartment like she usually did.I puffed another trail of smoke into the air and looked away from the school gate. Pushing myself off the side of the car, I reached for the door handle to head inside.Just then, I felt a small tug at the bottom of my pants. I let out a light laugh, thinking it was Cami. She did this all the time, and the way she looked at me, especially when Luke was around, always gave me the feeling that she liked me more than him.I couldn't blame her. Luke was useless for years before Cami was born, crying over Camelia like she was d
~ Camelia POV ~"Thank you so much, Nora, for looking after Vicky," I said, holding the phone close to my ear. "Sorry I couldn't come home last night. Joe wanted me to spend the night with him.""Oh, it is no problem at all, Camelia," Nora answered through the speaker. "I figured as much when Joe called to ask me to pick up Vicky from school."I looked over at Joe, who glanced at me briefly before turning his eyes back to the road, his hands resting on the steering wheel. My gaze drifted down to the sparkling ring on my finger, and a sweet smile curled up on my lips."I have something important to tell you," I said, my voice full of excitement. "I will tell you the moment I see you."Nora must have noticed the tone in my voice. "Wow, what is it?" she asked curiously."I'll tell you when I see you. I am coming home now," I told her, but then I heard Vicky's voice in the background, calling out to Nora."Actually, you might miss me," Nora said. "I am taking Vicky to school in the next f
~ Luke POV ~I looked at the watch on my wrist with a deep sigh. Where could Gwen be at this time? She was running late, and that was unlike her."Daddy, is Mommy going to come home soon?" Cami called out, pulling my attention away from my watch.I leaned down close to her bed, pulling the blanket up to her chest. "Yes, honey. Your mom will be home soon."Cami scowled, looking down at her blanket. "But she is taking so much time. She promised to read me a bedtime story."I smiled softly, brushing my hand over her hair and tucking a loose strand behind her ear. "How about we do it like this? I will read you a story now, and then Mommy can read you another one tomorrow when she puts you to bed."A little smile curled up on Cami's lips, and she gave a small nod. "Okay, Daddy."I stood up and walked over to the other side of the room, where a small bookshelf stood against the wall. I pulled out a picture book, walked back to the bed, and sat down on the chair beside her."Looks like this
~ Camelia POV ~My fingers curled around the hem of his shirt, and I pulled it up. Joe held my hand, stopping me as he met my gaze."Are you sure about this?" he asked, his voice raspy and full of hunger just like mine."Yes," I mumbled, leaning in once more to lift the shirt right over his head before tossing it onto the floor.I ran my fingers along his broad chest, feeling the heat of his skin against my palm as I reached down to unbuckle his belt. He did the same with my clothes, taking them off piece by piece until we were both standing completely naked in the middle of the room.Joe leaned in and captured my lips in a deep kiss, wrapping his arms around my waist. He lifted me off the floor into his arms and carried me over to the soft mattress. He laid me down gently, climbing over me as his hands began to trace every curve of my body. His mouth moved down from my lips to my jaw, then down to my neck as I let out a soft moan, breathing in his warm scent.He moved his hand slowly
~ Camelia POV ~I rested my back against the leather seat as I stared at the city blur past outside the window. It was just a few days away from Mr. Donna's wedding. Even though Joe had promised that I would not come across Luke or Asher at the party, I knew deep down that the chances were slim. The mere thought of seeing Luke once again made a cold chill run right down my spine."Are you still thinking about Luke?" Joe asked, glancing over at me briefly before focusing his eyes back on the road."No, I'm not," I said, forcing a soft smile onto my face. "I am just trying to put together the schedule of dishes I need to prepare for Mr. Donna's party.""You're going to do great, Camelia," Joe said, looking toward my direction with a reassuring nod. "I mean, you are one of the best chefs in Paris, and I am sure Mr. Donna thought of that first when he hired you."I let out a little laugh, shaking my head. "I know you are just saying that to make me feel good, aren't you?""No, I'm really
~Camelia POV~*One Week Later*I took in a deep breath, exhaling softly the moment I came out of the cab, my fingers tightening slightly around my bag as I stared at the building in front of me.It was tall, all glass and steel, gleaming in the morning sun, its sleek lines towering over the street
~Camelia POV~The rest of the drive to Becca’s house was in silence. I rested my head against the window, trying not to think about everything.But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Every second felt like I was caught in a bad nightmare as my mind replayed all the moments. The fact Peter had stood
~Camelia POV~I didn't know how long I had spent crying and hating myself for not seeing my sister's true color until today.My body felt so weak that I could barely hold myself up from the floor, and the sting in my eyes clearly told me that I had cried out all the tears left in me. But I couldn't
~Camelia POV~“Enough with the pretense,” Peter said, his eyes filled with so much hate toward me that I never thought he was capable of it. “What do you think? That I’m a fool you can lie to and I’ll just believe you and act like nothing happened?”“No, please, Peter, that’s not what this is about







