Chapter 275: We Are Doing This For Her
Chapter 275: We Are Doing This For Her
Gregorio
"We will be having this entire building guarded at every entrance at all times from now onwards. Anything that seems off will be reported to me instantly and that includes everything you do from the minutes I leave." I said, hoping Jacob reads the threat in my voice that he is to never bring harm to the love of my life.
Even if Camilla decides starting completely fresh tomorrow is what is best for her, she will always own every piece of me I am strong enough to give.
"What are you doing, Gregorio?" Jacob shook his head slightly like he barely even heard what I just said, my walls already up and acceptance rushing through me.
Even though each step away from her killed me just a little more, I pictured a future where she was able to smile again. Not through the pain but because she was so happy she couldn't even imagine doing anything else. I wanted to be the man to do that for her, I just thought that walking away was going to be how I did it.
"I don't want to be selfish when it comes to her." I smiled sadly, letting just a sliver of my vulnerability slip through my mask of unaffectedness, adjusting the cuffs of my throat with every intention to leave it at that so I could let the full weight of this decision sink in in private.
My feet were already carrying me unapologetically towards the door but it turned out Jacob's silence was a mere pause in the air, not disinterest in what I had to say.
"Gregorio, if you leave now then maybe you three really weren't worth all of the fight she spent trying to get back to you after all." He said with a calm sort of authority I often heard in Adriano when he spoke in front of large crowds, reminding me that while his character may come weak or lazy, Jacob was raised to be a leader.
"What did you just say?" I turned to look back as I found him in the exact same position as before, his arms stretched out along the back of Camilla's couch in such a casual way that I missed the intensity in his eyes at first glance.
I am not the kind of person to be caught off guard but Jacob seemed to care about this in a way I hadn't expected. He didn't bothered to hide his interest in Camilla and his disgust for us during previous encounter, so I had figured he would have no opposition with this decision at all. In fact, the second I saw him sleeping here, I had prepared myself for him to gloat at the fact Camilla just simply wasn't happy with us anymore. Staring back at him now though, I could just tell that wasn't the case.
"I don't know how much Camilla had told you about the last year of her life and while it isn't my place to have the discussion with you. I also never thought you three would be moronic enough to let her go again." He said almost calculatingly as he met my gaze and I could feel him trying to assert dominance over me even while being seated in a lower position.
For just a second, I felt a pang of jealousy hit my chest at the reminder of how he knew everything about my girl that I so desperately wanted to know but that feeling very quickly dissolved as I was reminded of who he was and the fact he had bargained to marry her for a fucking business agreement. Even though he denied knowing anything about it. Honestly, with how much of a manipulative bastard Raphael was, I could believe it was all just a lie constructed to fúck with Adriano's head and make him show his cards, but there was still that essence of doubt that made me distrusting.
If it weren't for the fact that he seemed inclined to be helpful right now, I probably would have let that percentage of doubt win and walk right back out before I had the urge to scoop Camilla back into my arms and bring her back home where I could see that she was safe. However, if my childhood taught me anything, being safe and being happy were two completely separate things. That knowledge was the only reason I didn't resist the call to sit down in the small armchair across from the same asshole I was tempted to hurt at the same time.
"We are doing this for her." I said slowly like I too needed the reminder that this decision would have to work because I don't know if I could handle the helpless feeling I experienced to see my love so broken within herself.
"To help her," I added at the end because believe me, if there wasn't the ounces of belief that this idea could actually work, I never would have even considered letting her go in the first place.
The pit in my stomach only grew though as he simply ran a finger along his jaw in response to my words, a humorless smirk forming across his lips that had me on edge and wondering why I was even encouraging this conversation in the first place.
"You know what is funny?" He asked almost resentfully as his eyes traveled over to the closest sliding door that separated Camilla's room from us, not even questioning the fact that she might hear us as he continued.
I simply stayed silent and raised an eyebrow to indicate I was waiting for a response not revealing just how much I feared how unfunny I am sure his next words were about to be.
"Mabel and Lucas had the exact same reasoning when they slipped drugs into her food that turned her into a numbed robot, you know, to help her take away pain." He said as he stared unhappily at the door across from him, my heart stopping as I saw that my suspected resentment within him was so much stronger than expected.
I observed wordlessly as dark brown eyes slowly returned back to me where I sat, taking in the information he just offered and having everything inside me become consumed by pain. Camilla had hinted earlier tonight that they had kept her drugged while she was there but I had figured it had just been for the first week until they were able to earn her cooperation. Our conversation had been cut so short that I hadn't even had time to consider how long or how serious it had been.
"What were they giving her?" I forced out as my hands clenched at my sides while the sound of her damaged voice replayed in my head, my mind spinning with a thousand thoughts I could barely manage to sort through.
"If it is something that is putting her health at risk, she needs to go to a hospital and…"
"It didn't harm her in that way." He cut me off before I could voice all of the concern I was batting with right now.
"Honestly, in some sick way, I genuinely think Lucas did it from a place of love and concern for her." He shook his head, for once being agreeable in the fact that it was clear he thought it was bullshit too.
"What was it?" I asked again, slightly irritated this time and knowing that if he didn't stop beating around the bush then I would just have to get the information straight from the source.
I have never been the violent one out of the three of us but while I may not have shown it, there wasn't a single type of person I wouldn't become if it meant gaining revenge over the ones who hurt what I love.
"Primarily prozac I believe." He responded as though he could sense the increasingly negative change inu demeanor along with the fact I would do whatever it takes to gain the answers I was seeking.
I listened as he continued to explain the drug's other names and how it was given to her once a day but I didn't need the explanation to know what it was. Prozac was the kind of antidepressant doctors only gave you if they thought the negative symptoms of it outweighed the experience of the person without them. Most commonly given to people experiencing depression and excessive panic, two things I imagine being kidnapped would evoke. I felt like I couldn't breathe as I realized this was something force fed to Camilla everyday on top of the trauma and gaslighting I know she had to endure.
For a few minutes, Jacob quieted to allow me to take this in but it probably wasn't in the ways he was expecting. I felt hatred for myself for not realizing this sooner. It started with random vomiting then dizziness and insomnia. The withdrawal had hit her harder than any of us had been prepared for, the distancing and anger and aggressive mood swings lasting for mother making me recount every moment of these last weeks since we got Camilla back.
She has been suffering from the side effects of those stupid drugs they were given her and it shattered my heart into a million pieces seeing my woman in such a state.
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