CHAPTER 10

Zayden sat behind his desk, his expression was a mix of exhaustion and determination. He watched as Charlotte flipped through the pages of the contract he had laid before her. Her manicured nails tapped against the pages as she read, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"A divorce agreement?" She finally said, looking up. She had believed she had successfully trapped Zayden with the pregnancy.

"Yes," Zayden replied firmly. "Once the child is born and turns one, we'll part ways. You'll have full financial support for the baby, but our marriage will end. That is non-negotiable.”

Charlotte let out a small, bitter laugh. "You think you can just dictate terms to me, Zayden?"

He leaned forward, his voice steady and cold. "This isn't a negotiation Charlotte. You forced my hands at your timing, but I won't let you control my life anymore. Sign it or we go to court. And you know me, I'm sure you won't like the outcome."

Her eyes flashed with anger, but after a tense moment, she grabbed the pen and signed the document. She slammed it back onto the desk, rising to her feet. “You’ll regret this,” she hissed before storming out.

Zayden exhaled rubbing his temples, his mind relaxed slightly, at least he had managed to retain some control over the situation. He grabbed his jacket and stormed out of the house, off to his office.

Across the country, Daisy Blackwood was already setting her plans into motion. She entered the hospital room, where Catherine, Cameilla's sister was recuperating. The sterile white wall and the faint smell of disinfectant didn't fade her. Her calculated gaze swept over Catherine, who was pale but alert.

"Such a shame," Daisy said with insincerity. "You've suffered so much. Haven't you, dear?"

Catherine's face flustered with confusion and unease. "Who are you?" 

Daisy ignored the question, leaning forward as her voice dropped into a chilling whisper. "It will be tragedy if your sister's choices brought more trouble to you. Don't you think?"

Catherine's breathing quickened as she sense the veiled threat. Before she could respond, Daisy straightened, her expression neutral once more. “Rest well, dear,” she said, turning to leave.

At the same time, Cameilla was at the club. The dim lighting and pulsating music provided a stark contrast to the storm brewing in her life. She moved gracefully across the stage, though her heart was somewhere else. Her thoughts were a chaotic swirl of Zayden—he missed him, but the hope of meeting with the chief judge later tonight kept her barely sane.

Her performance ended and an applause echoed through the room. She retreated to the dressing room only to be interrupted by a frantic call from the hospital.

"Miss Camelia, your sister is very agitated. She's throwing things and demanding to see you."

"Why?" Cameilla asked, alert.

"A woman was here earlier—she upset Catherine,” the nurse explained.

Camellia heart sank, as she quickly grabbed her bag and hurried out of the club, her heels clicking against the pavement as she flagged down a cab.

When she arrived at the hospital, she found Catherine trembling, her hands clutching the blanket tightly.

"Catherine, I'm here," Cameilla said softly, comforting her sister.

“She...she threatened me,” Catherine whispered, tears streaming down her face.

Camellia’s jaw tightened. “Who? What did she say?”

“A woman,” Catherine stammered. “She said...you would bring trouble to me.”

As Camellia comforted her sister, a nurse entered the room, looking hesitant. “Miss Camellia, the woman who was here earlier just left."

"Who is this woman?" Camellia asked, her voice low.

"Never seen her before," the nurse replied. "But from the way she's dressed, she looked like someone influential."

Camellia stood watching the nurse sedate Catherine, scanning her mind for anyone who could have visited. "Can I see the CCTV camera?"

The nurse hesitated, but the urgency in Camellia’s eyes won her over. “Alright” she said.

Together, they went into a small room filled with monitors displaying live feeds from various parts of the hospital.

"When was the visitor here?" The guard asked, typing into the screen.

"About an hour ago."

The guard scrolled the footage, fast forwarding until a familiar figure on the screen. Cameilla's breath hitched as she was Daisy Blackwood enter into Catherine's room. But it wasn't Daisy who made her stomach churn—it was the man walking closely behind her.

"There," Cameilla said, pointing into the screen with a trembling hand. "Zoom in on him."

The guard adjusted the footage, bringing the man into focus. His face was partially obscured by the camera angle, but the scar running down his left cheek was unmistakable.

Camellia’s heart pounded as memories of that fateful night resurfaced. She had seen this man before, standing in the shadows as their home burned to the ground.

"Can you get the audio from this feed?" She asked, her voice trembling.

The guard shook his head. "Sorry, this camera's doesn't generate sound."

Catherine bit her lips, her frustration bubbling to the surface. She watched them appeared back minutes later, Daisy looking smug while the man followed her with an air of quiet menace.

"Can I get a copy of this footage?" Cameilla asked, turned to the guard.

He hesistated. "I'd have to ask my supervisor first."

"Please," she said, her voice urgent. "It's very important."

Back in Catherine's room, Cameilla sat beside her sister, her mind racing with possibilities. Daisy had made her move and her visit to the hospital wasn't just a coincidence, but why? "

"Could she have known I was investigating her? Were those threats her doing?" Camellia had stopped digging into Nicholas's death, fearing she might meet the same fate.

The scarred man confirmed her suspicions that had lingered for years. Despite the chaos of that night, she could never forget his face. She had seen him smirking in the shadows, watching as their home was consumed by flames.

The answers seemed tantalizingly close. If only she could obtain an evidence to prove that to the authorities. 

As Catherine stirred in bed, murmuring in her sleep, Cameilla leaned over and whispered. "I'll protect you. Not matter what it takes."

Her resolve hardened as she replayed the CCTV footage in her mind. The Blackwoods had ruined her once, but she wouldn’t destroy Catherine. Not this time.