Chapter 6
After a night of passion, the man beside her was fast asleep. Camila, dressed in her nightgown, quietly got up and walked barefoot across the cold floor to the balcony.
She held a slim cigarette between her fingers, and with a click of the lighter, a blue flame flickered. She lit the cigarette and took a drag.
She didn't usually smoke, but with everything that had happened recently, she needed the nicotine to calm her nerves.
"Who's this?"
She called back, but it wasn't Clifford's voice on the other end.
The person on the other side spoke with a steady tone, "Ms. Wilson, hello. I'm the marketing director of Starlight Bar."
"Our boss wants to discuss a potential collaboration with you. Are you interested?"
"Starlight Bar?" Camila's fingers tightened around the cigarette, causing ash to fall onto her silk dress.
She looked out at the neon lights of the city center, her eyes filled with disbelief. "Are you sure it's Starlight Bar?"
The owner of Starlight Bar was rumored to be a wealthy heir, and the bar was exclusive, only open to high-profile individuals.
Normally, a place like that wouldn't be looking to collaborate with her.
"Alright, I understand."
She hung up the phone and stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray on the balcony railing. The ember flickered a few times before going out completely.
As she turned to go back inside, she moved quietly but still managed to wake the man in bed.
Just as she opened the door, she saw Albert sitting up, half-awake, reaching out to pull her into his arms.
"Where'd you go?"
She leaned into him, "Just wandering around. I've been to your place so many times but never really explored it."
Albert smiled, his large hand brushing over her head. "What's the rush? After we get married, you can explore it all you want."
"By the way, I need a favor." Camila deliberately changed the subject. "The last fashion show was a success, and I want to take my team out to relax. But you know, there are some places where my status isn't quite enough..."
She looked up at him, her eyelashes fluttering like little fans.
Before she could finish, Albert reached for a black card on the nightstand and slipped it into her neckline. "Go wherever you want, use my card."
This was their unspoken agreement, the reason she stayed obediently in the Garcia family.
Camila kissed his throat with a smile. "Mr. Garcia, you're so good to me."
Albert pressed her down, aroused once more, and they spent the whole night entangled until he finally fell into a deep sleep just before dawn.
"Camila, I've informed everyone. We're going to Starlight Bar for team building tonight."
Camila nodded, continuing to look at the documents in her hand, but noticed her assistant, Coco Clark, standing nearby with a hesitant expression.
"Is there something else?"
Coco awkwardly replied, "This morning, a Mr. Thompson came looking for you."
"Mr. Thompson? A young man?"
"Yes, very tall."
It had to be Clifford.
Camila was annoyed. "What did you tell him?"
"I said you weren't here, and he left."
Her voice turned colder. "From now on, if he comes looking for me, tell him I'm not here."
Coco grew nervous, twisting her fingers. "Got it, I understand."
After a long day of work, Camila changed her clothes and gathered everyone to head to the agreed-upon Starlight Bar.
"Right this way."
The bar's crystal lights cast a dreamy glow, and jazz music lazily filled every corner.
The decor was unlike any other bar.
Camila, dressed in a simple white T-shirt and jeans, navigated the crowd with a drink in hand.
"Camila, a toast to you!" A colleague from the props department approached, his face already flushed.
She clinked glasses with him, smiling. "Take it easy, or your wife will have your head when you get home."
After making the rounds, she pretended to be a bit unsteady on her feet. Taking the opportunity to push open the private room door, she pinched the door frame with her fingers. "I'm just gonna touch up my makeup."
The thick carpet in the hallway absorbed all sound.
Just as she pulled out a cigarette from her bag, someone grabbed her wrist.
"Ms. Wilson, I didn't expect to see you here."
Camila froze, turning to see Clifford with a woman in his arms standing behind her.
"Mr. Thompson, what a coincidence."
Clifford stared at her face for a couple of seconds before speaking. "Yeah, we're having a get-together with some old friends. Ms. Wilson knows them too. Wanna join us?"
Camila wasn't naive and refused outright. "No thanks. I'm here with my colleagues for team building. The owner of Starlight Bar wants to discuss a collaboration with me, so I won't intrude on your fun."
She tried to leave, but Clifford grabbed her wrist. "Camila, cut the crap."
"The owner of Starlight Bar is in Frostlandia. How could he want to discuss a collaboration with you?"
Camila's eyes widened in surprise.
Could someone have deliberately lured her here?
Without time to think, she shook off Clifford's arm. "It's none of your business. You have no right to question me."
The tension between them scared the woman beside Clifford, who quickly slipped away unnoticed.
Clifford pressed her against the wall, his breath hot on her face, filled with the scent of alcohol and anger. "Camila, do you think you can avoid me? What do I lack compared to him?"
"Let go."
She was at her wit's end, unwilling to indulge his madness.
"You don't answer my calls, you don't reply to my messages, and I can't find you at your office."
"Camila, what do you take me for? A dog or a toy?"
His questioning tone and the force of his grip almost crushed her bones.
Camila found it laughable. He had been the one to pursue her, and now he had the nerve to question her.
"We're just using each other. Don't add unnecessary drama."
Camila pushed Clifford away forcefully. He watched her retreating figure, his chest tightening with pain, yet he was powerless.
But after a few steps, she suddenly stopped.
"You must be regulars at Starlight Bar."
If Clifford wasn't lying, then mingling with them could provide some useful information.
Camila composed herself, as if nothing had happened. "In that case, I should go say hello."
When she and Clifford opened the private room door, everyone inside was cheering as Albert and Emily exchanged drinks mouth-to-mouth.
Emily's face was flushed, her slightly rounded belly visible.
She held a glass of juice, not alcohol, but before she could drink much, Albert pulled her into his arms, and they kissed passionately, drawing screams from the onlookers.
"Well, looks like we arrived just in time for the show."
Clifford glanced at Camila, but she showed no reaction, even as she watched the scene unfold.
Everyone else fell silent, aware of their complicated relationship.
"Carry on, everyone. I'm just here to say hello." Camila picked up a bottle of wine. "Let's all have a drink together."