Semua Bab The Billionaire Artist's Contract Stripper: Bab 11 - Bab 20

CAMILA . . .It was sometime past midnight when I made up my mind.The house was silent except for the soft ticking of the antique grandfather clock downstairs, each tick hammering at my nerves like a countdown to something I wasn’t ready for.I slipped out of bed quietly, pulling on a pair of socks to mute my steps against the marble floors.My heart was thundering so loud in my chest that I was sure someone could hear it through the walls.This was insane.This was stupid.But curiosity burned hotter than fear.I had to know.I crept up the main staircase, wincing at every tiny creak. As I came face to face with the door everyone has warned me not to open, my heart pounded even more louder.I hesitated, my hand hovering just inches from the brass doorknob.‘Don’t do it.’ The voice in my head screamed louder now, but Katherine’s words rang just as strong:“You want the truth? You’ll find it there.”I closed my eyes and sucked in a breath.Then, with trembling fingers, I gripped t

CAMILA...The fire was everywhere.Smoke choked my lungs, the walls cracked and blackened. I tried to find my way though the smoke to my mom or dad, but I could barely move because of the smoke and fire.I could hear Ella crying far from me and I struggled to breathe as I moved to her. The heat was unbearable, the roar of the flames louder than any scream I could muster.“Ella!” I screamed at the top of my voice. “Keep talking I’ll get to you!” I coughed in between words but luckily, my sister heard me as she kept screaming for me to locate her.I dragged her and hugged her when I got to her, keeping her close to me and trying so hard to see through the thick flame around us.Everything was burning, every freaking thing.“Mom! Dad!” I shouted, but the only answer was the creaking, crumbling groan of the house falling apart.I tried to run with my sister towards my parents room but something hot and heavy crashed down between us, cutting me off.The last thing I remembered was a pa

CAMILA...It had been half a month since I came to King’s house. Half a month since the night he almost kissed me, half a month since Katherine and her Leonard packed up and left the next morning with barely a word.Thank God to that because I couldn’t stand her for one more day.Half a month of living in this enormous, beautiful house with just myself, King and Claire.King wasn’t much better, he only appeared for breakfast or the painting sessions, and even then, it was like being near a ghost. He was always keeping a wall between us no matter how much I tried not to think about the moment in the art room.Sometimes I caught him staring when he thought I wasn’t looking, but the second my eyes found his, he would vanish into himself again.Claire had been my only true companion, her laughter and bubbly energy filling the emptiness I was beginning to feel in my heart, but even she had other places to be. Other friends. Other life even.I was going crazy with boredom, loneliness was

The night went one quickly with King talking to almost everyone. I didn’t know he was this popular. All the time he was talking, I stood beside him, trying not to shift in these ridiculous heels that made my feet scream.I felt like a misplaced puzzle piece. Everyone else gilded around like they belonged: laughter all around gatherings, women in beautiful dresses moving from one gentleman to another. And I was just… there. Wearing a dress King picked out and pretending I knew how to breathe in it.After a while, King excused himself from me. Work call. Of course, he had said.“Five minutes,” he said softly, his hand brushing the small of my back before disappearing into the crowd.It was probably meant to be reassuring, but his absence hit like a chill. I stood still, unsure of where to go, pretending to admire the chandelier like I understood anything about crystal.A table caught my eye, small pastries arranged on it like art. I drifted over and reached for something flaky and dus

CAMILA...The ride home was so painfully quiet that it felt like the tension between us could break glass. King sat on his side of the SUV, his phone sitting on his lap, his fingers were twitching like he wanted to say something but didn’t know how to begin. His jaw was clenched, sharp and unreadable as always, but this time I didn’t care to study him.Because I was seething.I was fucking mad as hell.I kept my eyes fixed on the window, watching the city lights blur into golden smudges as we sped past them. My chest felt too tight and my hands fisted in my lap. Every second in that car made me feel more and more like a fool.A damn fool.He had kissed me, held me like I meant something, painted me like I was his muse, whispered things that crawled beneath my skin and made me believe—just a little—that maybe I wasn’t just a contract to him.But tonight… the kiss. That… that woman. The way his mouth met hers like it belonged there.Fiancée.The word tasted bitter in my throat.“You