Juan's POV
As I watched Camilla from a distance, my heart ached for her. She was like a delicate flower caught in a storm, and I couldn't stand the thought of her being hurt any further. My fists clenched, my anger at Marcus growing with each passing moment.
I had to remind myself to be patient, to bide my time, and not reveal my true intentions just yet. Camilla didn't know the real me, and I had to be careful not to frighten or alarm her with my true identity.
For now, I would play the role of Juan, the new gardener, and gather as much information as I could.
Camilla's curiosity about the burnt cottage was understandable. The fire wasn't accidental. I didn't intend to make it look like it. So it was a win game to see Camilla had that suspicion.
When she asked why someone would do such a thing, I wanted to tell her everything, to spill the truth, and seek comfort in her empathy. But I had to hold back, knowing that revealing my true identity at this point could jeopardize everything.
"It's a tragedy," I said, trying to sound as genuine as possible. "I hope they find out what happened and bring the culprits to justice."
Camilla nodded her expression a mix of frustration and sadness. "Yes, justice needs to be served. Marcus's brother deserves that much."
Except justice had to be served for her, not the brother of the devil. On a scale of one to ten. I gave it a seven that this little Pablo was as much to blame as his brother was for ruining a lot of lives.
As the conversation flowed, I tried my best to keep a respectful distance and not pry too much into Camilla's personal life.
But every moment spent in her presence only deepened my desire to protect her, to shield her from the darkness that lurked in the mansion.
"You have a kind heart, Madam Camilla," I said sincerely. "I can see how much you care about others, even in the face of your struggles."
Her smile was bittersweet. "Thank you, Juan. It's not easy, but I try my best to hold on to compassion and empathy, even in this environment."
"Though I would suggest you take care of yourself too. All the time," I added.
She looked into my eyes, and I hoped she couldn't see the turmoil within me. "I appreciate your words. It's comforting to have someone who listens and understands."
If only she knew how much I wanted to tell her the truth, to confess that my intentions were not entirely innocent.
But I had to wait, to plan, and to ensure her safety above all else. I lost one woman before and I was not going to lose another one again.
*One day before,*
"How have you been, my darling?" My mother hugged me with a pang of kisses, "I guess you are tired. it's been a long time since you did some hard physical work like that,"
Her face showed concern, and I knew she was remembering the days when I would take any job to earn us some money.
"Mom… you worry too much," I replied, brushing her hair away from her eyes. I missed the days when she would cook me delicious meals after coming home from work.
"I should worry about you, my son," she said as she cupped my cheeks. "My poor baby boy. You've grown so tall! Look how strong you've become!" She exclaimed as she took in my height.
"Don't exaggerate, Mom. I'm still very thin," I chuckled as my mother wrapped her arms around my waist.
"How was your first week at work so far?" She emphasized the word work. I laughed at that.
"It went well, I think," I replied as I gave her one last hug before stepping away from her embrace. "Now I need to go to the office for real work,"
With that, I went to my room on the second floor, took a shower, and wore dark sweatpants with a plain white t-shirt. I then went to my office whose door is located in my room.
sitting on my chair, tons of files were on my desk but they could all wait. There's only one thing I was interested in tonight.
The whole story of Camilla, Pablo, and Marcus. Not that I had not read anything about Marcus, but I wanted another angle of information from him. I always focused on him and his investments. Today I wanted to dig deeper Into his personal life.
Camilla Martinez lived with her mother her entire life. Her father was not known but three men were the possibilities, Alexander Montez, Hugo Fernandez, and Diego Del Monte.
My cursed father? Exactly what happened to the point he had to meet with her mother?
My mind sank. That bastard! I would think about stopping praying for a deep hell because of what he had done to me and my mother. But I would never forgive him if Camila was also a product of his infidelity.
But again, what if we were siblings? What if that was the reason why Marcus married her? Out of the blue, my phone called. Looking at who it could be in such an hour, I pick it up.
"Hello, "
"Sir, sorry to call at this hour but I think she is in trouble. I've heard several cries from their room."
"What?!" I exclaim in anger, slamming my hand onto the table. "Is she okay? Is everything alright? What exactly is that bastard doing?"
Felipe sighed heavily. "It looks like Marcus wants to sleep with her but she refuses,"
"Anything you see that can distract him?"
"Well, the cottage house is empty as everyone is inside the house, trying to figure out what is happening. Although I saw only one person getting inside, his brother"
"Good, burn it,"
"Sir, he might die, "He protested, almost pleading for me to rethink the plan. But I couldn't rethink. My mind had already decided.
Camilla needed protection and a way to get out of the mess. This situation could not be allowed to continue, especially not if it had something to do with my brother.
That son of a bitch.
"And so might she," I said impatiently, cutting off Felipe's reply. "Burn that place, now. Do you understand me? And don't forget, no one should suspect it was you,"
"Okay then,"