"It is delicious." Camilla took a bite of strawberry and showed the remaining one inside my mouth. I licked the cream off of her finger, and she flinched. She flinched and snatched her hand away.
I almost forgot that we're sitting with Lia, Jerry, and Sofia while trying this vanilla pastry Uncle Josh made.
"For God's sake, Niko! Cami isn't five to treat her like that." Sofia disgusted her face and rolled her eyes. "She's a grown-up now, and touching her like that is considered flirting."
"Well," I scooted away from her as I realized how badly I was getting addicted to her. All I want is to be around her and sense her touch.
It's getting hard to keep my hands to myself.
"Come on, Sofia! Get the hint already." Lia murmured and smirked at me, but Sofia was too busy with her pastry that she ignored Lia.
A pastry made by her precious J is more important than the fucking world.
That's what her eyes say.
On the other hand,
Jeremy looked unbothered or uninterested.
He doesn't give a flying fuck about what goes on around him.
Hm. He truly was raised by Dad.
.
"Niko?" Camilla whispered when Sofia left the table for more pastry.
"Yeah, Caramel?" I'm getting too comfortable with calling her Caramel in front of everyone. I simply pulled her chair closer to me with one hand when she spoke.
"Can we talk after... after this?" She looked a bit tense as her stress lines returned on her forehead.
"Do you want us to leave the table because we can always do it? Right, Jerry?" Lia flicked her brow at Jeremy, and he again avoided her eyes but glanced at me with surprise.
"And why would we do that?" He looked confused and baffled at the same time.
"Because they are dating?" Lia has no filters! Lia has no damn fucking filters!
Jeremy's eyes widened for a few seconds; the silence on his face says it all, but
"Well," He swallowed and just said, "Okay." He reacted as I thought he would.
"Sofia doesn't know yet." Lia placed her palm on Jeremy's shoulder, and his eyes widened. He quickly got up from the chair and walked away.
"I won't tell." He said as he walked inside the kitchen without looking back.
Good.
"Do you want me to leave too?" Lia asked as her teasing expression made Camilla bite her lips.
"No." Camilla said quickly. "You can stay."
"Why do you look tense, Caramel?" I asked as soon as Lia took place closer to us and leaned to listen to us. She likes to huddle and talk.
"I think... I think I should," She deep-breathed. Looking at my eyes and then Lia's. "I think I should speak up about something I didn't have."
What?
Is she going to reveal Mr. Callister?
"Camilla?" I wasn't confused but proud. Did she finally decide to speak up about it?
"I need... I need your help, and I can't... I still am not brave enough to tell Dada." She bit her lips and dug her fingers into my thighs.
"Whatever it is, Cami. You know I'd kill for you." Lia stole my line, but I am proud of her too.
She breathed another long breath. Her body shaking unevenly and eyes tearing up...
But she spoke.
She finally spoke up.
Exposing her past trauma to Lia.
Her words were barely a whisper, but Lia listened to her anyway.
Lia's eyes were filling up, but she is not someone who'd cry openly.
.
One by one,
Camilla revealed everything to Lia.
Mr. Callister.
Me beating Mr. Callister five years ago.
Camilla has been facing the mirror training all these years.
The death of Mr. Callister's wife.
And the video.
She said it all.
She said it damn all.
And I am proud of my Caramel.
.
"Gun or knife?" Lia asked me after a long session of Camilla crying and explaining her story while we three sat in her room. "I could use both."
"No recklessness, Lia." I clenched my jaw, and I want to kill Mr. Callister as much as Lia does, but I can't risk Camilla's reputation.
I don't want Camilla to face scandal of a murder. She is a princess of the country of Eldorra. That news spread faster than air.
And if Mr. Bastard says he has a video, he might have it for real.
Though it is edited or photoshopped, it'll still create a scandal for Camilla.
And I won't let it happen.
I'd have killed him at the very spot if Camilla had called for my help when he visited the resort, but I won't blame her.
She was brave enough to face him.
.
Camilla's phone beeped, and she handed her phone to me instead of opening the message by herself. Her fragile hands are shaking with fear, but she is willing to fight.
"Is this the video?" Lia also leaned closer, and we clicked on the video sent by Mr. Callister.
The video started.
Camilla ran into the balcony while Mrs. Callister was simply standing in the balcony.
Camilla raised her hand, and in one little moment, she pushed Mrs. Callister down the balcony.
There was no hint of Mr. Callister in the video, nor a hint of resistance or a fight.
It was a simple video where Camilla came to the balcony and pushed Mrs. Callister down.
The video was taken by the CCTV of the balcony and was blurry enough to show exact faces.
But,
.
"Niko... Niko, that isn't what happened... believe me!" Camilla panicked. "I didn't kill her... I didn't push her down..."
The whole video looks like Camilla has pushed Mrs. Callister down the balcony, but the glitches in the video can still be seen.
This video is manipulated. It is edited. It is changed by the photo shop.
Camilla could never kill anyone.
Never.
I trust her.
.
"I know. I know you didn't kill Mr. Callister's wife." I took Camilla in my arms as she cried out loudly. "You could never kill anyone."
"But I can." Lia raged. "I will kill that fucking bastard."
"No one except us three needs to know about this for now." I told Lia. "Not until I come up with some plan."
"What would you do, Niko?" Lia flicked her brow, anger still flowing in her veins.
I know what I have to do.
For her, I'd burn the world.
.
"Niko?" A voice. A soft voice that sent shiver down my spine. Mom.
"Mom?" I immediately got up, rushing towards her when she stood with widened eyes and frozen body. "Mom... are you... what are you doing here?"
"What were you just talking, Niko?" Mom's face turned pale as soon as her eyes fall on Camilla and Lia. "What... what were you... what happened to Cami? I... need to... can you tell me please?" Words barely came out of Mom's mouth.
"Mom..." I looked at Lia and indicated her to take care of Camilla while I run to Mom and held her. I held her in my arms when she was this close to panic. She heard something she shouldn't have.
"What were you just talking, Niko?!" Mom realized and her words flinched me when she looked at me with baffled eyes. "Who is Mr. Callister?"
"Mom, it's nothing..." I tried,
"Don't lie to me, Niko! I heard you. I heard you all. I heard it all." Mom's panic state might wake everyone up and I can't take such risk. "Tell me, who is Mr. Callister?" Worried eyes. I can't see Mom being worried.
.
Should I tell her?
Should I tell her than keep her being worried?
.
"Camilla's royal attendant." I told. I'd rather tell Mom than keep her in worry. I know her, she will understand me and Camilla. She'd understand anyone who might be going through this. My Mom has always been understanding and supportive.
"What did he do to my girl?" Mom's eyes teared up and I pulled her in my arms. I immediately took her in the balcony before anyone finds her sobbing in my arms. Especially Dad. If he found Mom crying, he'd dig up to the reason and burn it to ashes. "Did he abused my girl? Did he hurt her? Did Bridget know?! No, no, if Bridget and Rhys knew.... whoever that bastard is might have been dead."
"Mom, calm down..." I don't want her to be more worried. Her son can take care of the girl he likes. I want Mom to know that I'm capable enough.
"How could you not tell anyone about this Niko?! How could you hide it from us?!" I caressed her back when she sobbed even harder in my arms. "Is Camilla okay? Is that bastard still bothering her?"
"He won't bother her anymore." I promise.
"You need to tell this to Rhys and Bridget. Do you even know what would they feel to find their daughter this hurt?"
"I know. I know and that's why Camilla too hidden it from her parents. She didn't want to worry Uncle Rhys and Aunt Bridget. She thought she could handle it alone but Mr. Callister..." The frustration climbed my mind and I... "I should have killed him five years ago..."
"What?" Mom's eyes widened and I realized I said something I shouldn't have. "Five years ago?! How many years is Camilla is facing this, Niko?!"
"Everything will be fine, Mom." I assured her. "I won't let him hurt Camilla anymore. Not just him but no one in this world can hurt Camilla as long as I'm with her. I would protect her. I would be her shield if I have to but..."
"Niko?" Mom's eyes stabled on me and I already know that Mom can read my face like an open book. She's Mom. She knows me better than I know myself.
"Yes..." She knows me. She knows me. She knows me.
"You like her?" It wasn't a question and I don't want to hide anything from her anymore. There's one person I can rely on and that is Mom. I don't have to hide anything her. I never had to hide anything from her or Dad.
"I always have." I confessed.
"I always knew." She placed her palm on my cheek. "I saw the way you look at her and that was enough to know."
"How do I look at her?" A stomach flip.
"Like you'd burn down the world for her." A smile.
"I'd burn down the world for her." A nod.
"I know." Another smile. "You're Alex's son after all."
"Do you trust me, Mom?" I'm not afraid of Mr. Callister but I will always need Mom to tell me that I can do it. Dad is right, Mom is a Sunshine. A sunshine that clears the night from the life.
"With every nerve in my body." There's a proud in her eyes. "Do whatever is necessary to save Camilla but..."
"But?"
"Never lose yourself in the flames of revenge."
.
Mom, I'd never do anything that makes me lose myself.
....................................................................................................
"It's edited." Uncle Christian's eyes were still firm after seeing the video for the fifteenth time. "Once I delete the video, I'll shoot him in the middle of his brows for touching my girl. She is my godchild."
I had no other choice but to involve Uncle Christian in this. There is only one person I could have trusted for a sensitive problem like this, and that is Uncle Christian.
Uncle Christian was simply trying to destroy the original video from Mr. Callister's database. He had cracked into his IP address and was now doing his hacking business.
But he is not the only person who knows about this.
Another person heard us.
Another person heard us, and now the room looks like a broken villa.
.
"Larsen." Uncle Christian offered him his handkerchief because his hands were bleeding.
Uncle Rhys's hands were bleeding hard because,
He fisted a damn whisky glass in his hand when he heard about what happened to Camilla.
He broke three remaining glasses on the floor and hurt his knuckles after punching the wall.
His anger was too much to calm down, and Uncle Christian didn't hold him back from taking out his anger.
He let Uncle Rhys punch the wall and throw the glasses and kick the table and tear the curtains from the window while Uncle Christian finds the solution and deletes the video.
.
"Uncle Rhys?" I dared to speak in the middle of his anger session.
"I'd kill you if you came near me right now!" Uncle Rhys shouted and punched the wall once again.
The anger, disappointment, sorrow, pain, rage, fury, hate, and disgust, as well as care, on his face says it all.
It says how broken Uncle Rhys must be feeling right now.
The punches on the wall must be hitting right on his heart.
I could see his eyes holding tears, but anger surpassed them.
Now I know.
Why Camilla was too afraid to tell Uncle Rhys. She knew he'd hurt and blame himself for everything.
But I said it on behalf of Camilla. I told him without Camilla's permission.
I put him under the pain, but I had no choice.
I had to give pain to the one to take away the pain from another.
.
"Will you listen to me, Uncle Rhys?" I said firmly. His red, furious eyes glanced at me, and I nearly saw a devil himself.
"How dare you?! How dare you not tell me this earlier?!" He shouted, and his fist grabbed onto my collar. "My little princess suffered this much, and you fucking didn't tell me anything!"
"Larsen! Let his collar go!" Uncle Christian worried as Uncle Rhys almost choked me out of anger, but I didn't push him back.
I couldn't push him back.
I felt the exact same when I first found out about it.
I can totally understand what Uncle Rhys must be feeling.
"How could you hide it, Volkov?!" Uncle Rhys forcefully let go of my collar and punched the wall behind us again.
"Because your daughter loves you so much." I answered. I answered confidently.
"What?" He fisted more as the rage continued shaking his body.
"Camilla didn't want you to find this out because she knew you'd blame yourself." I swallowed. "She knew you'll hurt yourself and drown in pain if she ever talked about this with you."
"I failed... I failed to save my little princess." Uncle Rhys punched the wall once again.
"This is what she was talking about, Uncle Rhys. Camilla doesn't want you to blame yourself." I again talked behalf on her. "She loves you too much that she kept it a secret only to keep you away from sorrow and pain."
"I want to talk to her!" Uncle Rhys rushed towards the huge wooden door, and I stopped. I stopped him by holding onto his bleeding wrist.
"Don't hurt her. Don't hurt her by showing yourself all worked up." I dared. "She can't bear seeing you like that, Uncle Rhys. She just can't."
"I need to... I need to talk to my little princess. I want her to apologize to her for not being there when she needed." Uncle Rhys calmed down a little, but his teary eyes speak to his pain.
"You were always there for her, Uncle Rhys. You did everything you had to do. It's not your fault if Camilla has ever suffered anything in her life." I stood in front of him by the door. "You can't change the cruelty of this world, nor can you blame it on yourself. It was profoundly Camilla's decision to keep it hidden, and she did."
"But..." Uncle Rhys was way too far to understand anything, but I have to tell him anyway.
"Children cannot be the exact copy of their parents, Uncle Rhys. She isn't as fearless as Aunt Bridget, nor is she as rigid as you. She is soft and kind and delicate by heart. It was hard for her to speak up." I continued.
"I cannot believe my little princess had faced it. Why didn't she tell me? Didn't she trust me?" Uncle Rhys was speaking of pain, but
"All she knew was a love for you and Aunt Bridget and chose not to hurt you by telling her suffering. She trusts you, Uncle Rhys. She just didn't want you to get hurt." I told. "And if you walk into her door right now, it'd break her heart into pieces because keeping you away from sorrows is what she originally wanted."
"What do you want me to do then?! Never talk to her about this?!" Uncle Rhys shouted, but his voice was melting.
"If she can keep it a secret from you... why can't you?" It was too demanding, but I don't want Camilla to get hurt.
She'd be really sad once she knows that Uncle Rhys had to feel the pain because of her.
The reason she had kept it hidden was to keep Uncle Rhys away from sorrows.
And I don't want her to ever find out about her 'Dad knows it.'
It's better if she doesn't find out about Uncle Rhys's knowledge.
.
Uncle Rhys punched a few more strokes on the wall, bleeding more from his knuckle, but
"On one condition," he said.
Uncle Christian's eyes were set on him. And he looked like he knew what condition that would be.
.
"I will kill that bastard with my own hands." Uncle Rhys declared.
I already feel sorry for Mr. Callister because Uncle Rhys is going to take his time to give him the slow, painful death.
.
"Larsen." Uncle Christian looked up from his laptop screen.
"Harper." Uncle Rhys finally tied the handkerchief given by Uncle Christian on his hand.
.
"It's done."
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