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77: Accessible shirts
Camilla was lying to her husband. She had to tell Alek what Papa wanted from her. If he let her go, oh well. Maybe it would hurt, but she wouldn’t have to carry a child she might never see again. She would do so today. That thought kept her sane as she cleaned up. She had delayed doing that since their other visits to the hammock.
Alek was opening up to her. Opening up might not be the word he would use to describe the actions of the past few days, but she had to reciprocate the gesture. How could he trust her if she was lying to him?
What if he wanted to know why she never told him? The answer was simple. For the same reason she called him babe. Which was?
A bang from outside paused that thought. Camilla went to the door and cracked it open. Ivan was outside, with shopping bags in each of his hands. She stepped back to let him in. They couldn’t be for her. Alek would rather die than let another man shop for her. In the past, Doris
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The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 78: Your bastard
Three words. Maksim fucked up. He knew that the moment Camilla spun the laptop for him to see those pictures. How did they get here? While receiving that phone call, he had fantasised about bending her over his desk. He might have asked Ivan to get him some shirts so she could touch him however and whenever she liked, but it looked better on her. She could have them all. If he wanted her to still look at him with a heartfelt smile, he had to fix this.“You’re wasting my time, Alek,” she said.“No explanation would be good enough for why I did it,” he began. Her fists clenched at her sides. And she exhaled. “I’m sorry.”At the time, his reasons had made sense. It was one way to kill two birds. One, end their ongoing silent treatment. Two, confirm that she was to be trusted. If she came to him with the problem, both issues would have been solved. But that only happened when they were on better t
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 79: Wow
Camilla was asleep or pretending to be when Maksim came back to the room last night. Yesterday, the same thing happened.Today, he left before she woke up to prevent any awkwardness. On his return now, she was on the bed, the cover pulled to her chin. The blue bedsheet was her choice. They had gotten used to alternating between bright colours for her and dull colours for him. Was she asleep already?Maksim glanced at the thick envelope in his hands. The frames had come today. He knew Camilla would love them, but he was scared to show them to her, so she wouldn’t misinterpret the gesture. Kicking off his shoes, he sank into the bed and touched her. Her head lolled to the side.“Hey,” he said.“Hi.”That was all. No kisses, no excited smiles to see him. They were talking. He would ask a question and she would answer, but it wasn’t the same. He missed the bubbly, talkative wife who wanted to know all of him. Every single, unnec
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 1: Run
Deep breaths. Inhale and exhale.Camilla May McKenna could do it.She could handle the simple task of taking pictures of a cheating lover and prove to her best friend that Vanya, her boyfriend, was a scum. KJ, her youngest brother, always told her evidence was key. He was the same one who told her men hated shopping and never went on that adventure without a woman unless sex was involved. So, the second Vanya walked into the boutique, she had rushed to the bathroom to call her best friend Faye. If Vanya was at the boutique, then he was with someone else. Faye was in class. All she had to do was get evidence, so Faye would leave the cheat.Retrieving a tube of pink lipstick from her purse, she reapplied it and fluffed her hair. From the mirror, her hair was flat on the sides from her consistent touching. Wasting no more time in the bathroom, she smacked her lips and walked out. Vanya hadn’t met her. He wouldn’t recognise her, so there was no need for her to use a disguise. Cold air r
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 2: Terrorist
Footsteps pounded behind Camilla. How the heck was he so fast? He sounded close, but she didn’t look back to confirm her suspicions. A sudden pressure on her hair made her screech to a stop. Pain spread through her scalp, and she bit into her lip to stop herself from screaming. The copper taste of blood filled her mouth. She placed both hands on her head to ease the pain.The pressure finally reduced, but the pain lingered. Vanya stopped in front of her, the ends of her long ponytail wrapped around his fist. Her breath rushed out in ragged pants. Tears pricked the back of her eyes.Camilla took one step back, but the tug on her hair reminded her she wouldn’t get far. She had always prided herself on her long hair, but now she wished it wasn’t lengthy.“Let. Go,” she whispered, her voice shaky.“The phone.”“No.”Vanya reached for her handbag, his hand tight around the strap. She tried to yank it from his grip, but it was nearly impossible. His grip was steel. They struggled, mostly he
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 3: Manwhore
Faye was already at the venue they agreed to meet when Camilla arrived in her new flat sandals. Alvin was waiting in the car for her to show up. This meeting wouldn’t last long if she had her way. It was early in the evening, and the ceiling was lighted by green and blue lanterns. Her feet ached, but not as much as it did earlier. Murmurs from the other diners in the closed garden had her rethinking her manner of approach.Her best friend wasn’t alone. Faye was at a round table of three, but one seat was empty. The other person was backing Camilla. She could bet it was Vanya. The idiot didn’t bother changing his black suit. She stormed to them, ignoring waiters and other people as she approached the table.Faye smiled as she stopped. “Hey—”Camilla interrupted by dropping her bag on the table. Vanya frowned. He was going to pretend he didn’t ransack this same bag hours ago? Alright then. She unclipped her earrings, almost stabbing him in the eyes with them.“Cam,” Faye began, but Cami
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 4: You were right
KJ didn’t return until three days later. The moment the front door opened to reveal her younger brother, Camilla sent a pillow flying at his head. He caught it and winked, and she was reminded of Vanya’s wicked smile when he caught her shoe.“You are such a prostitute,” she stated.“I thought we agreed the right term was fuckboy,” KJ answered, laughed at the disgusted face she made. Tossing the pillow to a couch, he slumped into it and kicked out his legs. The scarf around his neck came off first, followed by his jacket. “Yo, Cam. You girls are really wild.”“I’m not wild,” Camilla retorted. Snatching the remote off the table, she flipped to the first channel that interested her. “Where were you? Wait, keep your answer PG-13.”KJ stood, his loafers dragging across the rug as he bridged the gap. Touching her shirt, he blinked a few times. “Jesus Christ. Is that my shirt? I told you to stay away—”“From the designers,” Camilla finished. It was the exact spot she got this. The cotton mat
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 5: Cry
Faye was curled in a ball on their living room floor when Camilla raced into their house. A foul stench slammed into her, but she ignored it as she sank onto the rug, pulling her best friend’s head to her lap. From the state of the living room: the pile of dirty plates and cups, rumpled notes strewn over the floor and couches, she could make one conclusion. Faye didn’t get the bad news about her boyfriend today.“What’s going on?” Camilla whispered. She stroked her friend’s greasy hair, careful not to tug on the knots. “Talk to me.”Faye adjusted, lying flat on her back as her red-rimmed eyes met Camilla’s clear ones.“Vanya is getting married.”“What do you mean he’s getting married?” Camilla asked. Her best friend had said it a few times that she wasn’t keen on a marriage until she had at least gotten her MSc. “To you? You didn’t tell me that.”“Not to me, Cam. Pay attention,” Faye snapped. Camilla almost chuckled. She was always the dramatic one or girl in need. Switching roles fel
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 6: Fine
Friday came faster than Camilla thought it would. Calvin had tried and failed to talk her out of her plan for revenge. Everything she needed for the wedding was in her bag. If she had her way, that wedding would end in tears. That was if it even happened.Camilla’s door opened, and Faye walked into her room wrapped in a blanket like a burrito. Her mouth fell open in shock.“What is this?” Camilla asked, pointing her makeup brush at the mirror. The past few days had been kinder to Faye. Her friend wasn’t eating as much, but her hygiene had improved. “Why aren’t you dressed yet?” Faye sat on the bed, the blanket hiding her frame. Her friend had lost weight in days while her ex partied constantly. His social media posts were proof. Vanya must pay. “Cam, I think we should let it go,” Faye whispered. Camilla dropped the brush on the table and turned so she was directly facing her best friend. “We only dated for two years. Some women had it worse.” “Are you, are you for real now?” Camill
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