Chapter 96
After finishing all the tea and snacks in front of me, lunchtime was almost over.
Athena came to my side and asked, "Ma'am, are you still having lunch today?"
Only then did I slap my forehead and invite Camilla to have lunch with me.
Although our stomachs were almost full from the desserts, I believed Camilla could still eat more.
Camilla nodded shyly.
When we arrived at the dining room, surprise flickered in her eyes. "You eat all this by yourself?"
I smiled and shook my head. "I can't eat this much, but according to the rules, this much has to be prepared. I've gotten used to it these days."
However, Camilla, who was used to hard times, swallowed hard.
She seemed to think of something and asked me softly, "Can I take some of this home later?"
I looked at Camilla and said, "Don't you want to stay and keep me company?"
Camilla shook her head gently. "It's not that I don't want to stay with you, but my daughter and son are still at home, and they probably haven't eaten yet."
I didn't expect Camilla to have a daughter and a son.
Thinking of this, I felt even more guilty.
She was already struggling so hard raising her children, yet she still sent money to Luca for me.
My heart was full of guilt, and I made a firm decision.
If all this were true, I would definitely return all the money to her, arrange for her retirement, and take care of her children's education and living expenses.
"Camilla, you should try this red wine braised lamb leg. It tastes really good, no gamey smell at all, and it's very tender."
I took the initiative to pull over my favorite dish and placed it in front of Camilla.
I figured with her personality, even if she really wanted to eat it, she'd be too embarrassed to reach that far.
Then I looked at Athena and said, "Get some takeout boxes now and pack three portions of everything on the table for Camilla to take home."
Athena nodded. Her movements were elegant and quick, and soon she had packed all the food on the table.
Camilla looked at the takeout boxes piled up like a small mountain and waved her hand gently. "You don't need this much. You only have one sister and one brother; they can't eat all this."
I held her hand and said softly, "Boys naturally eat more than girls, and if it's your sister, she's still growing and needs these nutritious things even more."
"This..."
The joy in Camilla's heart was about to overflow.
My nose felt inexplicably sour.
She was just like my mother, always thinking of her children when she had something good.
Without realizing it, I felt even closer to Camilla.
I moved closer to Camilla and urged her to eat more. Even with all this packed up, I couldn't finish the rest anyway, and it would be wasted.
Camilla nodded, and her movements were no longer restrained.
Her table manners weren't great, but mine weren't much better.
I still remember the first time I had dinner at the manor - I looked just like a hungry wolf.
To make Camilla feel less awkward, I sped up my movements considerably.
Abandoning the dining etiquette I'd developed during this time, my movements also looked quite rough, so Camilla wouldn't feel embarrassed.
This lunch was eaten quickly. There wasn't much left on the table, and I felt so full I wanted to throw up.
I looked at Camilla and asked if she wanted to walk in the garden together.
But Camilla shook her head. "I already took the morning off. I can't take the afternoon off, either, or my boss will definitely fire me."
A light flashed in my eyes, and I asked Camilla where she worked.
Camilla said, "I work as a cashier at a bakery near home. This job barely keeps the family fed."
I knew this well because I had done plenty of these odd jobs too.
Although I worked part-time back then, I still had a good idea of how much full-time employees could earn.
Hearing Camilla talk about her work, I asked hesitantly, "So how did you manage to support your family and send money to Luca?"
Camilla's smile became somewhat bitter. She said, "Before, when my husband was still alive, he supported the family. Now, after my cashier shift ends, I do some more exhausting work."
Looking at Camilla's calloused hands, my heart ached. I held her hand and said, "As my aunt, I won't let you suffer like this anymore. First of all, I will definitely return the money you gave to Luca."
But Camilla waved her hand.
"Your current life didn't come easy. Just taking care of yourself is enough. I only came to return your father's money to you because I knew you were with Mr. Moretti now and had escaped from Luca's clutches."
Camilla's words really moved me.
I realized that since my mother left, it had been a long time since anyone had thought of me so genuinely.
Camilla glanced at the time and seemed a bit anxious. "Oh no, only an hour left. I might be late and probably won't earn any money today."
With that, Camilla stood up and bowed deeply to me. "Let's end things here for today. I need to get back to work."
I quickly stopped Camilla. "How are you getting to work?"
Camilla pointed to the road outside the manor and said, "I'll walk down from here. It takes half an hour to get to the bus stop, then I'll take the bus."
I immediately turned to Athena and said, "Can you arrange a car to take Camilla to her workplace?"
Athena nodded and turned to make the arrangements.
Camilla looked at me, joy showing in her eyes. "My goodness, I don't know how to thank you."
I shook my head and said softly to Camilla, "Compared to what you've done for my mother and me, what I'm doing is nothing. I hope your days ahead will be happier."
I saw Camilla's eyes sparkling with light - she looked happy enough already.
I hesitated for a moment, and when I stood up to see Camilla off, I quietly slipped all the cash I had on me into her large bag.
No matter what, the care and warmth she brought me at this moment were real.
After seeing Camilla off, I returned to the sofa and sat quietly.
Athena came up to me. I looked up at her and asked, "What's wrong?"
Athena asked, "Do you need me to help you check her identity?"
I didn't expect Athena could do these things, too.
I blinked, hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "That would be great, thank you."
Athena showed a gentle smile and said, "It's what I should do."
With that, she turned and left.
At that moment, my phone suddenly rang. It was a message from Luca.
I frowned. How did Luca message me right after Camilla left?
Could this really all be a conspiracy?
I opened Luca's message.
[Want to see Camilla? Give me fifty thousand, and I'll let you see her right away.]
A cold smile appeared on my lips, but I suddenly felt relieved. It seemed Luca didn't know about Camilla coming to see me.
Otherwise, Luca wouldn't be talking to me in such a smug tone.
I replied coldly, "Besides the monthly living expenses, I won't give you anything extra. And you better send me a photo of my mother's urn every three days to prove it's in your hands, or you won't get another cent from me."
After sending this message, I blocked Luca directly.
I could almost imagine how furious he was on the other end, but that had nothing to do with me.
I stood up and stretched.
I didn't bring Kane lunch today, so I couldn't miss dinner tonight.