Chapter 18
Celine’s POV
“I knew he was yours the moment I saw him”, Camilla smile boyishly and snap her head back to look at Jason on his massive bed.
I flash her a smile in return, resting my back on the sofa more comfortably. I had left Paxton’s apartment after telling him my conclusion.
Now that I think of it all, coming here is a great idea. I am a nanny, not Bryan’s wife anymore and this will give me the chance to relate with other domestic staff.
Besides, Camilla is here to keep me company and lift my bad mood whenever I am sad.
The smile on Jason’s face the moment I entered with my little bag was priceless. It is a smile I would love to see on his face forever.
Paxton was still insisting that I stayed back and he followed me to my apartment, watched me pack, and even accompany me out. I was able to convince him that I would be fine. He hugged me.
“You shouldn’t have left”, Camilla begins and I sigh heavily.Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.
“I had to. I was scared Bryan will take him away from me”, I assert.
The fear is still rooted in my heart. I glance over at Jason’s sleeping body, heaving a sigh of relief for this great opportunity of having him in my arms again and watching him sleep.
His mere sight gives me genuine happiness and I hope it will never end. I am willing to keep this happiness for as long as Bryan doesn’t go away from here with Jason and without me.
“It’s still the same thing now, Celine”, she declares. I shake my head.
“No, it isn’t. Our marriage was meant to last for a year and I didn’t want it to look like I was trying to take advantage of him. There was a high probability that he wouldn’t believe me. And if he believed, he would never want me to be a part of Jason’s life. I don’t regret going away.”
She heaves a deep sigh and watches me intensely. “How did he find you?”
I shrug in ignorance. “I have no idea. You know he has his ways of knowing things.”
She nods in agreement and looks away.
“He has been a little distant since you left. I think your fleeing brought back bad memories of his first wife”, she remarks, to my surprise.
I lean forward with interest. I never knew he had a first wife. Bryan and I never talked about our personal lives. All I know about him was more of his business life.
Even after our fake marriage, I didn’t know much about him. He has always been unfriendly, cold, ruthless, and secretive. I am a transparent person but I got influenced by Bryan’s secretiveness. I learned not to be open to people just like he wasn’t open.
He was my husband but we never had a real conversation before. I thought the sex between us was going to change everything. I thought that passionate night was going to change everything between us forever.
I thought I meant something to him and he was going to go all lovey-dovey on me the next morning but I was wrong.
He took my virginity, I gave him my first kiss, and my body but he never appreciated it. He pretended like that night never happened and I didn’t mean anything to him as it did to me.
I was sad and broken but I was quick to get myself together when I remembered the marriage was fake, even though sex was never a part of the plan.
I didn’t know how much I liked Bryan until that night.
“You didn’t know Helena?” Camilla peers down at me in surprise. I shake my head in denial. I barely talked to Camilla when I was here and whenever we talked, it was always brief. I guess this is why I never got to know his wife.
“I never knew he was married”, I confirm and she clicks her tongue, debating whether to tell me about it or not.
Even though Bryan likes and respects her so much, she knows he wouldn’t want her gossiping about him behind his back. But I am curious. I want to know everything about him if possible. I want to know if it is related to the kind of man he has become.
“He was not technically married, he was supposed to be married”, she rephrases and I nod to urge her to go on. She keeps quiet for a while.
“What happened to her? She left him too?”
“No. She died.” She announces, earning a loud gasp from me with bulging wide eyes.
Dead? How did she die? What happened? Is this why Bryan is cold to people? Did she mean so much to him and he is still hurt?
“Wh.. ha.. happened?” I finally find my voice to ask her the question in my mind, after stuttering for a few seconds. I am emotional. I don’t know how long this happened but I feel sorry for the lady and Bryan.
“His rivals killed her but he blamed himself for her death and that of his daughter”, she informs me.
My eyes widen again. “A daughter?”
“Yes”, she replies. “She had a daughter for him and was pregnant when the incident happened. She was against his lifestyle and wanted him to desist from it. He refused and they had a heated argument. Their marriage was two weeks away and she left the house in anger. I tried to stop her that night but she was too stubborn to listen to me.” Tears well up in her eyes and I almost begin to cry too.
“She was a lovely woman. She was jovial and free to everyone here. We all loved her and her pretty child but death took them away.” She complete.
“Why didn’t Bryan follow her immediately? He should have followed and let go since he loved her. Love is all about sacrifices”, I tell her, with a racing heart, wondering why he was blaming himself and hoping he didn’t hurt her unknowingly.
“I guess he was also mad at her for being persistent. They were supposed to be married long before that time but she kept postponing hoping that would make him change his mind.
“But he was also stubborn. She gave in eventually but that night happened and ruined everything. Before he could recover from the shock of her slap, she was gone. He never thought she would leave the house by that time of the night but I was outside hearing everything happening. When he came out, I informed him of her departure and he went after her.”
I clasp my arms around my mouth before a sob will escape my mouth. I can’t believe he lost three important people in just a day. Why are people so cruel? What did Bryan do to deserve such cruelty? Why didn’t they spare the little girl?
My eyes shift to my son’s figure as he stirs in his sleep and murmurs “Mommy.”
Reality dawns on me that Jason is not safe too. A sense of dread and sympathy for the dead souls fills me up and I started to cry bitterly.