mi

e wall, my heart po

ad left him alone, facing the wrath of Stefano Maddens. H

th in the hallway. I shouldn't have run off, I told

thing to worry about. I mean, there was no way he could tell it was me. I was a completely different person now. I was no longe

hat Stefano would never find me here. But dee

th. I had to calm down. I had to thin

at monster is here," whis

was just my imagination, I told myself. Stefano

He was a strikingly memorabl

rsisted. "He's h

n down my spine. T

g, I had to re

a how he would react to me running away. I had been so scared, so pa

tomach screamed, and my legs were constantly threatening t

ce. They were deeper than I remembered, as if he had aged ten years since I'd last seen him. H

smile. "Elvis," I said, my v

oring into mine. Then, he finally spoke. "Cam

ike this before. He was usually so warm

right?" I asked, my voice trembling. "I'm so

I couldn't tell what he was thinking. Was he angry?

e the silent treatment. I had heard stories about people who had been ostracized by

panic. I needed to know what was going on. I needed

ed. My mind raced with a thousand different th

aunting me, whispering in my ear, "Oh, Camilla, he hate

just upset about something else. Maybe he was tired. But as the se

ove a whisper. I was so scar

e, he cut me off. "I lost it," h

I asked, my heart pounding in my chest. I wa

tephano," I continued, trying to lighten the

. I knew immediately that I had said the wrong thing. My stoma

red, my voice shaking

was too

s attempt humor at the

vis' silence was a deaf

s voice filled with despair. "

of words that had just come out of his mou

early. Yet, my eyes screamed of nothing but bewilderment. "I lost

deeply. It was as if he were speaking in a foreign language. "I had lost t

ds, and yet I had ref

ered, my voice

m was Elvis' life, his baby. It was everything

oice trembling. "How

round, his shoulders slumped. I could see the pain in his

d away. "Don't touch me!" he growl

seen Elvis like this before. He was a bro

touch me." I reached out a

He stumbled backward, losing his

the sight. The conference room was empty,

him. "Elvis, what ha

filled with a strange inten

o took it?" I

ust stared at me, his

, please tell me what's wrong. Whatever

es filled with despair. "

was hearing. "What do you

tood up and walked away, le

What had happened to Elvis

conference room. I found him standing

y. "Elvis, please tell me

fog of sadness. "I can't believe I let

at does that have t

stroking his arm in an attempt to calm his agitated

med to subside at little, he

he began. "

ok it,

needed to hear the name, the man who had dared to

. "Stephano Maddens

le?" I asked. "If he wants to acquire our firm, he should have

ve approached Elvis directly, which-I-totally doubt, because-they-never-see-eye-to-eye. As the CEO, E

"Not to my father.

r?" I asked

one of his precious babies. He said, he knew he should have never trusted me to run it. He said, help knew I'd fuck

"He threatened

odded.

" I said. "I wish I c

ead. "It's not yo

t of pain, as if he were

o it so soon, or sell it to he very p

, "I failed the firm, I fail

and took his hand. "No, Elvis, you did

't. I should have been stronge

t your fault, Elvis. Your father

his eyes filled with tears. "I know," he sai

his cheek. "It's not your fault, E

wish I could have

aid, enveloping him in a hug,