Chapter 66
"Am I wrong?"
Her lips curled into a faint, mocking smile. Albert still had the nerve to play innocent in front of her?
"Only a few people at our company knew about my detention. How did you find out?" She stepped closer, pressing him.
"Fiona would never spill, and Willie barely knows you. You timed my release perfectly to corner me here. Albert, are you really gonna say you had nothing to do with this?"
As her gaze swept over his still-handsome face, Camila felt a visceral repulsion, her eyes filled with disgust.
"Emily was taken away by someone you arranged. You wanted to frame me. What's your real motive?"
"No..."
Albert's Adam's apple bobbed nervously, and he instinctively took a half-step back, his fingers curling. His voice carried a barely noticeable tremor.
"I didn't send anyone to hurt Emily! I was the one who called the police, and I pressured them to lock you up. But those false testimonies weren't my doing. I don't know why they said what they did!"
Camila let out a short, cold laugh from her throat and turned to leave. "Albert, you make me sick."
"Camila!"
He suddenly stepped forward, his knuckles gripping her wrist with such force it felt like they were digging into her bones. "You're only safe with me! Your friends and colleagues can't protect you. Clifford is in trouble now."
"What are you talking about? What happened to Clifford?"
Camila's eyes narrowed sharply. What else had this man been hiding from her?
Albert saw the undisguised worry in her eyes and a bitter smile tugged at his lips.
His voice carried a hint of grievance. "All you care about is Clifford, right? Do you even listen to anything I say?"
"Yes."
She answered without hesitation and tried to break free. But the next second, a cold sensation hit the back of her neck.
Camila's vision went black, and her body collapsed uncontrollably, falling into someone's arms.
When she woke up, the sunlight pierced through the heavy curtains like a scorching iron, making her eyelids ache.
Camila forced her eyes open, her vision blurry. She instinctively raised her hand to shield her forehead.
Suddenly, she remembered everything. She sat up abruptly, warily scanning her surroundings, realizing she was in an unfamiliar place.
Where was she? She glanced at the phone on the nightstand, realizing she had slept for an entire day and night.
The unfamiliar foreign chandelier, the dark brown wooden furniture, and the faint scent of the same fragrance Albert often used filled the air.
She tried to open the door, but it unexpectedly opened on its own.
A man in a suit walked in, bowing slightly.
"Ms. Wilson, you're awake?"
His attitude was humble and sincere.
"Where's Albert? I want to see him." Camila's voice was icy, her gaze cold as ice.
The man didn't speak, only gestured for her to follow.
Camila followed him in silence.
They stopped in front of a door. The man knocked three times gently, then pushed the door open a crack, signaling her to enter.
Camila took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
Albert was slouched in a deep brown leather sofa, one leg curled on the armrest, the other hanging loosely.
He held a dark brown cigar between his fingers, the lighter's flame just touching the cigar when he heard footsteps and looked up sharply.
Seeing Camila, Albert quickly tossed the cigar into a crystal ashtray, the sparks dying out instantly.
He stumbled to his feet, his suit jacket brushing against a glass on the coffee table, making a crisp clinking sound.
He wobbled over to her.
"I remember you don't like the smell of this brand of cigar."
He approached her, his voice soft and almost pleading, his fingers still carrying the scent of the cigar, which he rubbed on his pants. "I won't smoke it anymore."
Camila didn't want to face him and turned to leave.
"Don't go."
Albert blocked her path, his palm pressed against the door, trapping her in his arms. "You can't go anywhere now. We've left Majestic City. You don't have any ID or passport. You can't leave here."
Camila paused at his words.
Albert moved in front of her and suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace.
His warm breath brushed her face, and the next second, his scorching lips forcefully covered hers, his tongue prying open her teeth, uncontrollably sucking.
She didn't react at all, letting him kiss her.
Finally, after an unknown amount of time, Albert released her, his forehead resting against hers, panting heavily, his arms still tightly around her waist.
"Camila, come back to me. I can forgive everything that happened before."
He actually said he could forgive.
The words were laughable.
Camila was about to speak when soft footsteps sounded outside the door. A woman in a white maid's uniform stood at the door, holding a baby, sweat beading on her forehead.
Her voice was apologetic. "Mr. Garcia, I'm sorry. The baby started crying as soon as he woke up, and we couldn't calm him down. We had to bother you."
The swaddle was off-white, wrapping a pink, chubby baby. The little one was only three or four months old, his face red, his tiny fists clenched tightly, crying loudly.
Albert's gaze softened instantly.
He carefully reached out, his fingertips first touching the baby's soft cheek before taking the swaddle, his movements clumsy yet gentle, one arm supporting the baby's waist and hips, the other gently patting his back, his voice even softer than before. "Shh, don't cry."
Soon, the baby's cries quieted, his round eyes staring at Albert, his little mouth pursing before breaking into a toothless smile, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth.
Camila's gaze fell on the baby's face, her expression complex. After a long while, she said softly, "He looks a lot like you."
"I really like him." Albert played with the baby in his arms, then looked up, his gaze turning back to its previous obsession.
"But I won't give you up for him. Camila, if you agree, I can pay to send Emily and the baby away. The Garcia family can publicly disown them."
Camila's expression didn't change. She looked at Albert's face, suddenly feeling incredibly ironic. Even his coldness and selfishness were inherited perfectly.
"Do you still think I only care about their existence?" Camila leaned against the door, exhausted, lacking the strength to even pretend.
"Albert, let me tell you, from the beginning, it was all a scam."
She paused, each word squeezed out through clenched teeth, her gaze calm and unruffled. "I never liked you."