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
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,