Regret It, Ex? Too Late

Chapter 6 Compromise

Facing his questioning, Mia responded calmly, "I'm Vivian! I have no idea who this Cameron is."

He, unwilling to let it go, pressed on. "No way. She doesn't have your kind of body."

Even after being exposed, Mia remained steadfast. "Oh? Maybe you just never paid close enough attention to me. I've been working out recently."

He was momentarily speechless, watching her as she made to leave as if sensing a wad of cash slipping away through the door. He relented, saying, "I don't care if you're Vivian or not. Right now, you're our bar's new lead dancer."

"What?" Mia's steps halted.

"I'm asking if you'd like to keep dancing at our bar."

Before Mia could respond, he threw a barrage of questions at her. "How many nights a week can you dance? How many hours per shift? Is your place far from here?"

Mia hadn't expected this at all. She thought it was just a temporary gig.

So, she simply replied, "Let me think about it and get back to you."

Back home, Mia couldn't calm down. Cameron was so close to her, yet he hadn't recognized her at all. 'Did he really never pay attention to me? Why did I always recognize him immediately? Hadn't I been hurt enough already?'

The constant thinking, coupled with exhaustion, eventually lulled Mia to sleep.

Meanwhile, across town, a mansion remained brightly lit.

Cameron sat at his desk, staring at a stack of paperwork that he couldn't focus on. His mind kept drifting back to the soft body of the woman from earlier that afternoon.

That black sequin strapless dress clung to her curvaceous figure. Her chest bounced seductively with every dance move.

Her legs wrapped tightly around the pole as she bent forward, her body arching as she slid her hand slowly from her calves to the inside of her thighs... 's**t. Why am I thinking about her? Why could I recall her so vividly? Even the details of her clothes stuck in my mind. Damn it. It must be because work had been too intense lately.' With a frustrated sigh, Cameron called his butler, Gino.

"Get that supermodel who wants to be our spokesperson over here," he muttered, loosening his tie, his breath heavy.

Clothes were scattered all over the room, accompanied by the low growls of a man and a woman's panting.

A stunning woman, her body curvaceous and enticing, turned around, slipping off her leopard-print mini skirt. Wearing only a thong, she swayed her hips as she walked toward Cameron.

She braced one hand on the bed while the other wrapped around him.

"Cameron... Hurry up... I can't wait any longer..." Her sweet, syrupy voice practically dripping with seduction.

Yet, faced with this seductress, Cameron felt nothing.

When he looked at her face, all he could see was another, the one that had been dancing through his mind all night.

They had lived together for two years, and he had never known she could look so stunning, dancing in a bar dressed like that.

'Dancing seductively in front of all those men, would she have ever glanced my way if I hadn't gone looking for her? She was so elegant and aloof with me, but to other men, she was sultry and alluring. What did she take me for?!'

"Get out!" Cameron's temper flared as he thought about it.

"What's wrong, Cameron? Did I do something wrong?" she asked cautiously.

Cameron pushed her away, getting up abruptly. "Gino will pay you on your way out."

Disappointed but resigned, she slipped her clothes back on and left the luxurious mansion.

Cameron stood still for a long time, picked up a glass of whiskey, and walked into a room, staring at a photograph on the wall.

In the picture, a woman in a white wedding dress smiled radiantly, her face glowing with happiness...

Cameron spent the night drinking in that room, leaning on his desk, clutching his stomach in pain, and speaking weakly into the phone.

His once handsome face now bore dark circles and exhaustion he could no longer hide.

He hadn't slept at all, sitting in Mia's old room, drinking alone, staring at their wedding photo.

He barely caught any sleep before being interrupted by an urgent call from his assistant, and he worked through the morning.

Just as he was about to collapse, a woman in a white coat appeared in the room, catching him as he fell.

"Cameron... hey, stay with me!" she urged, checking his pupils while signaling for help.

"Hurry! He's passed out! We need to get him to the hospital immediately!"

Gino and the security team quickly placed him on a stretcher and rushed him into the car.

At Kaloria-Presbyterian Hospital, in a luxury suite, Cameron lay on the bed, muttering weakly, "Water... water..."

The woman by his side quickly grabbed the prepared glass, using a straw to gently give him water.

"Cameron, you're terrible at taking care of yourself! Tell me, did you forget today's check-up, so you decided to drown yourself in booze? If this happens again, I'm telling your grandpa!"

She scolded him but remained gentle as she helped him sit up, resting him against the pillows.

Cameron, pale-faced, said weakly, "I know, Kelly. But Grandpa doesn't know I'm here, right?"

"Don't worry. He doesn't know. My dad's keeping him company. His latest health report looks good. But you! You need to take better care of yourself!" Kelly chided, clearly frustrated.