Chapter 51 She Is a Person, Not an Object
"I know you're in there. Come on, open up! Let's chat."
"Camilla! You hear me or what?"
"Nice move, Camilla, real nice! You think I can't get in if you don't open the door?"
Leopold's tone shifted from pleading to calm, then to downright pissed. His patience was wearing thin.
Just as he was about to give up and leave, he was caught off guard by a pair of cold, sharp eyes.
Leopold froze, frowning hard.
In the cramped stairwell, under the dim lights, Sebastian stood on the steps, looking like he just got there.
At this time, in this place, it was pretty clear why Leopold was here.
After the drama Marcus stirred up the other day, and now with Sebastian showing up, Leopold was ticked off and finally realized the guys around Camilla weren't just any dudes.
So, after cooling down, he had someone dig into Sebastian's background.
Turned out, he was from the Russell family. No wonder even Marcus backed off a bit.
Leopold spoke up, "Here to see Camilla?"
Sebastian replied coolly, "What if I am? What if I'm not? You know what she means to me, right?"
"So?"
Leopold's eyes narrowed. "If you know what's good for you, you'll stay away from her."
"Sorry, I'm not great at knowing what's good for me."
"Camilla is mine! She was before, and now she's just throwing a fit. She'll always be mine."
Sebastian frowned. "She's a person, not an object. She doesn't belong to anyone. If she belongs to anyone, it's herself."
Leopold sneered. "You read a lot, but you don't get women. She hates me because she loves me. Camilla's acting out because she loves me too much. Don't believe me? Knock on the door yourself; she won't open it for you either. So, don't go after what's not yours; it's pointless."
With that, Leopold walked past him and headed downstairs.
Sebastian watched him leave, then glanced at Camilla's door, frowning in confusion.
Of course, he knew Camilla wouldn't open the door for him. To be precise, she wouldn't open the door for anyone.
Because she wasn't home at all.
Reefhaven Isles, blue skies, white clouds, the sound of waves.
The clear water showed fish swimming below.
The sun was warm, the breeze gentle, and the waves were rolling.
Three days ago, Camilla got a call from Juniper.
Juniper's project was finally done. She'd been sleeping at home for two days, bored out of her mind, so she invited Camilla on a trip.
"As for the place," Juniper said, resting her chin on her hand, "let's hit up Reefhaven Isles."
Camilla thought for two seconds and agreed, "Sure."
On one hand, it was to dodge the mess caused by Marcus and Leopold, and on the other, she really needed a break.
Though Camilla loved reading and researching, she knew being too wound up wasn't good. Relaxation and work-life balance were key to staying sane.
Right now, looking at the blue sea and the clear sky, Camilla lay on a beach chair, listening to the waves hitting the rocks, enjoying a warm sunbath. She felt more and more that this trip was the right call.
Camilla picked up the mango juice beside her and took a sip. It was perfect, not too sweet or too bland.
Not far away, Juniper, rocking a sexy outfit and beach sandals, strolled over. Seeing Camilla all chilled out, she plopped down on the chair next to her. "Ah, this is the life! You really know how to kick back."
She threw on some sunglasses, took a sip of coconut juice like Camilla, and smiled, looking totally content.
Camilla crossed her long legs and lazily turned over. "Weren't you supposed to be on a date?"
Juniper pouted, looking unimpressed. "That guy was all brawn, no brains. Thought he was something special, but he was a total dud. Not even close to my little fling."
Camilla chuckled. "The one named Keven we met last time?"
"I've already moved on. This time it's a Moore, sunny guy. He's cute, has a great personality, smells amazing, and can cook!"
"And you?" Juniper peeked over her sunglasses, teasing, "Not thinking about finding someone new?"
She thought, 'Dating around is the best part!'
Camilla gazed at the sea. "Not interested. No time, no energy, and no need."
"True," Juniper smacked her lips, "Men just slow you down and mess with your groove."
Juniper stretched lazily, her eyes wandering. "I just spotted a hottie. I'm gonna go chat him up. You hold down the fort, bye~"
Camilla raised her glass. "Have fun."
"Got the info?" Leopold stood in front of the office's window, his sharp gaze on his assistant John Long. "This time, no screw-ups, right?"
John was sweating bullets. "Sorry, Mr. Wipere, last time was my bad. But now it's clear, Ms. Learmond went to Reefhaven Isles."
"Are you sure?"
"Here's the boarding info. Ms. Learmond's name is on the passenger list."
Leopold didn't need to look closely; he trusted there wouldn't be a mistake this time.
The last screw-up wasn't entirely John's fault. Marcus had swapped Camilla's info with another passenger's, throwing off the investigation and giving them the wrong lead.
Leopold said, "Book me the earliest flight."
John checked his phone. "Mr. Wipere, the earliest flight is at 7 a.m. tomorrow."
"Then book it."
"Got it. Anything else?"
Leopold waved him off.
John turned to leave, closing the door behind him.
"John, why are you sweating? Did Mr. Wipere chew you out?"
John waved it off. "Let's not dwell on it. By the way, book Mr. Wipere a ticket for the 7 a.m. flight to Reefhaven Isles. I'm in a rush, gotta go."
"Okay, don't worry, I got this!"
John laughed. "You've only been here a few days. Don't get cocky, it's easy to mess up."
"Relax, booking a ticket is a piece of cake. You're underestimating me."
"Alright, get to it. I'm really running late."
The female assistant immediately pulled out her work phone and started booking the ticket.
The phone was already linked to the traveler's info, and when checking out, it showed that two tickets were about to be successfully booked.
Her first reaction was to call John to clarify whether to book just for Leopold or to include the other traveler, Amara.
But the phone rang twice before John hung up.
She didn't dare ask Leopold directly, and given John's urgency, she figured it was important. After a moment of hesitation, she booked two tickets.
She thought, 'Makes sense.
'Leopold wouldn't be going to Reefhaven Isles for business, right?
'Since it's a trip, he'll definitely bring his girlfriend.
'Yeah, two tickets should be right!'
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
