”Why did you brake so suddenly?
What if someone rear-ended us?” I protested, gripping my seatbelt, trying to steady myself from the shock of the sudden stop.
Javier remained motionless.
He simply stared straight at me for several seconds before finally letting out a slow breath.
Then he pressed down on the gas pedal again, steering the car through the congested city streets.
I couldn’t help but wonder what was truly going on inside that man’s head.
Why was his mood always shifting like this?
One moment he was protective and kind, and the next he transformed into a complete stranger, cold as ice.
For the rest of the drive, silence reclaimed the cabin.
Not a single word passed between us.
I chose to stay quiet as well, still stewing over Javier’s reckless behavior.
What had he even meant by slamming on the brakes like that?
What if something terrible had happened?
At last, the black car came to a stop right in front of the Valerie family’s main residence.
“Go inside and rest,” Javier said coldly, without so much as glancing my way.
“Where are you going? Aren’t you coming inside too?” The moment the words left my mouth, I squeezed my eyes shut, cursing myself for blurting out such a foolish question on reflex. This story is hosted at novelping.com.
Of course Javier would be heading back to the resort to see Adriana.
“It’s none of your business,” Javier replied flatly.
I nodded slowly.
He was right—it wasn’t my business.
I chose to step out of the car without saying another word.
I dragged my feet toward the grand house, my chest heavy with a tangle of uncertain feelings.
Truly, utterly uncertain.
But the moment I crossed the front threshold, I was met by Mama, standing rigid in the middle of the living room.
Her eyes, usually so calm and gentle, now blazed at me with an unfamiliar fury.
“Mama…” I greeted her, trying to muster the politest, warmest smile I could manage.
But there was no warm sparkle, no answering smile on the lips of the woman who had brought me into this home when I was ten years old.
“You, of all people, should know how to respect Adriana, Camila! You know very well she’s the bride Grandfather chose, from a fine, respectable family. If this family unites with hers through this marriage, we’ll become the wealthiest family in this entire city! So don’t you dare make Adriana upset or cause a scene that nearly ruins this wedding!”
The barrage of accusations left me stunned.
“Ma, but I didn’t—”
”Don’t you dare deny it, Camila!
“She meant well, trying to introduce you to one of her guy friends so you wouldn’t be lonely, so you’d finally have a boyfriend.
But you?
You threw a fit, made a cheap little scene, and slandered her right in front of Javier!”
”I—” My throat suddenly closed up.
Tears began welling in my eyes.
“Remember this—Mama does not want you causing any more trouble or wrecking your brother’s relationship again!
Do you understand?!”
”I understand, Ma,” I answered quietly, my voice trembling.
I never imagined that the middle-aged woman I had always considered my own mother would speak to me so cruelly, without even wanting to hear my side of the story first.
My chest felt as though it had been struck by a massive stone, the pain unmistakably real as I realized my place in this house would never be equal to that of their chosen daughter-in-law.
Meanwhile, in the corner of a private bar within the resort, Adriana was laughing with satisfaction.
She swirled the glass of liquor in her hand, a cunning glint blazing in her eyes.
The woman felt immensely pleased with herself for having successfully manipulated and steered Javier’s mother’s thinking, all through a single phone call.
Her strategy was unfolding flawlessly.
Deliberately allowing Javier to drive Camila home that night had merely been part of her tactic—a way to show everyone that she was the picture of a patient, angelic bride-to-be.
Yet behind her deceptively sweet smile, Adriana had already begun plotting something far more ruthless—a scheme to remove Camila from Javier’s life once and for all.