"No, you can't." I face him, shaking my head, feeling the first tear running down my cheek.
"Yes, I can," he snarls, getting up and putting on his pants.
"No, you can't. They'll fire you." I get up and grab my clothes with shaking hands, trying to get dressed as well.
"I don't care!" he retorts without looking at me.
"I do!" I almost whimper in despair. "They ruined my life. I don't want them to ruin yours as well."
"I don't need a perfect life if it's without you." He finally looks up at me, and I can see in his eyes how serious he is.
I exhale loudly, trying to figure out how to make him give me time to deal with everything myself.
"That would be a completely different life," I say and take a step closer. "You'll lose everything here, and you'll have to start again."
"Cami, I know, and it's not like I'm seventy." He comes to me and takes me by the shoulders. "We're young; we have a whole life ahead of us."
I smile. He believes it. He's ready to leave this place, his family, and the hotel he has worked in since he was a teen. He wants to spend his life with me.
"I'll go get my stuff, and we'll leave today," I say, seeing his eyes glitter with happiness immediately. A wide smile appears on his face.
He grabs me in his arms and presses my body to his for a hug.
I melt in his arms right away. I know he loves me. I'm sure he's genuine. But he doesn't know Fiona. She'll never stop chasing me, trying to make my life a living hell.
I don't want this for Antoine. I don't want him to suffer as I do.
I press my lips to him for our last kiss.
ANTOINE
She left just like that. She took all her stuff and left the hotel without saying anything to her family, the staff, or even me.
How could she? How could she do this to me? Didn't she see how serious I am?
I wanted to tell her everything, about the money and the inheritance. Before I let her leave the yacht, I should have confessed who I was.
She convinced me that she'd talk to her aunt, grab her camera and other stuff, and come back to the yacht, where I'd be waiting for her to figure out what to do next.
I am such a fool. Of course, she lied to me. She told me how her aunt threatened her; she didn't want me to leave my family. She ran away to protect me.
I waited for Cami on the yacht for hours, but she didn't come back. When I returned to the hotel, I knew something was wrong. Fiona yelled at Phillip, our concierge, for letting Camilla take a cab and leave.She's an adult, that's what he said, but Fiona was adamant, threatening to sue him and the hotel.
I panicked. I had no idea what to do for the first time in my life. I've never been in a situation like this before. I don't know where to go, where to look for her. Should I hire a private investigator?
I have to calm down.
I place my face in my hands, massaging my eyes and cheekbones. That's what a psychologist my dad hired told me to do after Mom died. I thought it was bullshit, but it helps calm me down, especially if I do it with deep breathing.
I do this for about two minutes, and when I stand up rapidly, my head starts spinning.
But I don't care because I know where she went. And I'm going after her.
CHAPTER TWELVE
CAMILLA
It's been two days since I saw Antoine for the last time. I could never imagine that I'd miss him this much. After I mourned my parents' death, I didn't expect anything to affect me this much. I didn't expect to live with a broken heart for the rest of my life. I'm only nineteen.