Chapter 15
1096 Words
Camila walked into the mansion, her heels echoing faintly against the marble floor. The living room was empty.
Her eyes darted around, no sign of the children, no sight of Alex. A flicker of unease passed through her chest, quickly replaced by irritation.
I'll check on Alex first, she decided. Keeping Alex means keeping the children. That was the deal she'd made with herself long ago.
As she reached his door, she paused. Her hand hovered over the handle.
Should she knock?
She scoffed softly. Why bother? She was his fiancée, soon to be his wife. What boundaries existed between them anymore?
Camila pushed the door open.
The faint scent of Alex's cologne drifted out immediately, strong, expensive, intoxicating. But something about it felt… off.
Her brows furrowed. The bed sheets were slightly crumpled, the curtains half-drawn. She stepped further in, eyes narrowing.
"Alex?" she called softly. No answer.
She moved closer, her heart quickening. The closer she got, the more her confusion twisted into disbelief, then rage.
Isabella.
Isabella was lying in Alex's bed. Alone. No sign of Alex anywhere. Just the lingering trace of his scent and the sight that burned like acid in her chest.
For a moment, Camila stood frozen, her mind racing through denial and fury all at once.
So this is what's been keeping him busy?
No wonder he's been distant.
He's been sneaking this pathetic maid into his bed?
Her jaw tightened. She stormed toward Isabella and grabbed her by the arm.
With one hard yank, Isabella's limp body hit the floor with a thud.
"W.....what's going on?" Isabella mumbled groggily, the world still spinning from whatever had knocked her out earlier.
Camila's heel connected sharply with her side.
"You btch!*" she spat, voice trembling with fury. "What are you doing in Alex's bed?"
"I....I don't......" Isabella tried to speak, her voice thin, weak.
"Oh, shut up!" Camila shouted, kicking her again. "You don't know how you got into his bed, huh? But you sure know how to crawl into his pants, don't you?"
Isabella gasped, clutching her stomach.
"Please, stop, I swear, I don't know what you're talking about!"
Camila's face twisted with disgust. Years of jealousy, insecurity, and rage poured out through her foot as she stomped on Isabella's ankle, twisting her heel cruelly.
"You think you can steal from me? I've been by Alex's side for fifteen years!" she hissed. "You think some useless maid can take him away from me?!"
Isabella cried out, pain searing through her. She tried to crawl away, but Camila only pressed harder.
Then.....
The door burst open.
Alex stood there, frozen. His eyes widened as he took in the scene, the broken glass of a perfume bottle, Isabella curled up on the floor, and Camila towering over her, trembling in rage.
"Camila…" his voice was cold, sharp, unbelieving. "What the hell are you doing?"
Camila turned, startled, her chest heaving, her hair a mess, her eyes wild.
Meanwhile.......
The aroma of food drifted from the kitchen, rich and inviting.
Sophia's stomach grumbled. She had been hungry since dawn, but her brother had told her to wait.
"When Daddy gets back from work, we'll eat breakfast together," he had said, ruffling her hair before turning back to his toy gun.
He had left early, before sunrise, and promised to return soon.
But soon felt far away.
Sophia's eyes caught a tall stool leaning against the wall. She dragged it toward the fire and picked up a napkin from the counter.
Climbing carefully onto the stool, she inhaled deeply, the scent of the dish made her eyes flutter shut.
She lifted the lid.
Steam rose, brushing her face.
She giggled, stepping back slightly before leaning in again.
Her small hands reached for a spoon. She scooped a bit of the meal, excitement bubbling inside her.
But as she tried to get down, her little hand slipped.
The spoon clattered against the floor. Food spilled across the tiles.
Her heart jumped.
She covered her mouth quickly, glancing toward the living room. Lucas was still there, absorbed in his toy gun, oblivious.
Sophia knelt down quietly, trying to gather the spilled food with her tiny fingers.
"Oops," she whispered, her voice trembling with guilt. "I'll clean it up…"
Sophia bent down quietly, scooping bits of the food from the floor into her tiny hands.
At first, she hesitated, Daddy would be mad if he saw her eating from the floor, but hunger spoke louder than fear.
She began eating slowly, one bite after another.
The taste was strange, but she didn't care.
Her little stomach had been growling since dawn, and the warm food felt like a blessing.
She smiled faintly as she chewed, unaware of the danger already creeping through her small body.
After a few mouthfuls, Sophia rubbed her arm, it itched slightly.
She ignored it and kept eating.
Another itch, this time on her neck.
Then her belly.
Then her legs.
She frowned, confused, and scratched harder.
Within minutes, her whole body burned with irritation.
A painful cry broke out of her throat.
"Ouch!"
Her small voice echoed through the kitchen, high-pitched and terrified.
Lucas, startled by the sound, dropped his toy gun and rushed in.
He froze at the sight of his sister, her skin turning red, rashes spreading across her arms and neck.
"Sophia!" he shouted, his own voice shaking.
Within seconds, maids came running, Ana among them.
"Turn off the gas!" Ana yelled.
One maid rushed to the stove and switched it off, pulling the pot off the heat.
Sophia's cries grew louder. She was scratching so hard her skin began to redden even more, small blisters forming under her nails.
Ana grabbed her shoulders gently.
"Sweetheart, stop scratching, okay? Stop, please…" she said, panic in her voice.
But Sophia kept crying, tears and sweat mixing on her face.
"I..It hurts! It hurts!"
Lucas's eyes filled with tears as he knelt beside her.
"Don't cry, Sophia… please don't cry…"
The scene descended into chaos.
Some maids tried to hold Sophia's hands.
Others brought wet towels.
One was already on the phone, calling the household doctor.
But the wails of the two children were so loud that everyone in the mansion could hear them, maids, guards, even workers outside.
The entire house was now alive with confusion.
Some were cleaning the spilled food.
Some were whispering, already speculating what might have happened.
And others, those who didn't dare speak, just watched, horrified.
Sophia's sobs filled the air, echoing down the long marble halls.
Something had gone terribly, terribly wrong.
- Writer
