Chapter 3

Camila's POV

The moment Gabriel closed the door, I thought I was finally safe.

Walking into the warm house, I realized how wrong I was.

Firelight hit my face, but I still felt cold. Women's magazines scattered across the coffee table. A pink cardigan draped over the sofa arm—not mine. A toy car sat in the corner, wheels caked with mud.

This place wasn't mine anymore.

"I'll make you some tea." Gabriel headed to the kitchen.

Rhys saw me and rolled his eyes. "Oh for fuck's sake, not again."

He turned and helped Avery up from the couch. "Come on, babe. Let's get you outta here. It's loud out here. Don't let this drama get to you."

He wrapped his arm around Avery's waist—careful, gentle, like she was made of glass.

I stood there watching them disappear down the hallway.

Empty living room. Just me standing there. Soaked through, blood seeping through the cloth on my hand, dripping onto the carpet.

Jackson didn't even look. Just crossed his arms and walked into the kitchen.

I sank onto the edge of the couch, not daring to lean back. Didn't want to stain that pink cardigan.

Then voices drifted from the kitchen. Low and tense.

"You went soft?" Jackson's voice. Ice cold.

I held my breath.

A pause.

"Look, the three of us had a deal, remember?" He continued, voice edged with warning.

A deal? What deal?

My heart clenched.

Gabriel was quiet for a moment. Then, flat: "I'm not going soft."

"Then why'd you let her in?"

"I don't need her running to the Don again." Gabriel's tone stayed calm. "This blows up, it affects Avery and Cole."

I felt like I'd been punched.

He let me in. Not because he cared. Because he was worried I'd cause trouble for Avery.

I looked down. Tears dripped onto my lap.

Footsteps. Gabriel came out carrying a steaming mug, crouched in front of me, set it on the table.

"Give me your hand." He pulled out a medical kit from his pocket.

I held it out. He unwrapped the bandage and saw the mess. He frowned.

"Gabriel, listen, I didn't mean to bother you guys, I really—"

"Camila." He cut me off with a sigh. "When the hell are you gonna grow up?"

I froze.

He cleaned the wound, voice tired. "Hurting yourself again for attention. Same bullshit."

"What?" I stared at him. "No, I didn't—"

"You've always been like this." He pressed gauze to the wound. I sucked in air. "Since we were kids. Remember that Russo girl? When she started hanging around? You suddenly got some mysterious fever. Stayed in bed for a week."

"That wasn't—that was real—"

"And that charity gala." Gabriel wrapped the bandage around my palm, movements precise. "We were supposed to meet the Giordano sisters. But you 'sprained your ankle' right before."

My face burned. "I just—"

"You always need to be the center of attention, Camila." He tied off the bandage, finally looked me in the eye. "We tried to be patient with you. God knows we fucking tried. But we're not kids anymore."

Tears blurred my vision. "But you promised," my voice broke, "you all said—you'd protect me forever. You said as long as you were there, I didn't need to be scared. You said I didn't need to change, that you liked me the way I was—"

"That was before." Gabriel stood, picked up the kit. "Things are different now."

He paused.

"Look, we changed, Camila. The three of us—we're protecting Avery and Cole now."

"So you just don't want me anymore?" Tears streamed down.

"It's not that we don't want you." Gabriel shook his head. "You need to learn to stand on your own."

He left. Just like that.

I sat there, shaking my head, crying harder.

No, no, it wasn't supposed to be like this—

"SHUT UP!"

A bedroom door slammed open. Cole stormed out, face twisted with rage.

"You're BAD! You're a bad lady!" He screamed. "You hurt my mom! And you came to OUR house!"

"I—"

He grabbed a decorative vase from the table and hurled it at me.

I threw my arms up—

CRASH—

The vase exploded against my forearm. Pain shot through my arm. Shards cut into my skin like knives.

"AH—!"

Blood ran down my arm.

But some pieces bounced back—

One sliced just above Cole's eye. A thin red line appeared on his cheek.

Everything went silent.

Then Cole screamed: "MY EYE! She hit my eye! I'm bleeding! MOM—MOM—!"

Footsteps thundered from every direction.

Rhys burst into the room first. When he saw the blood on Cole's face, his expression turned savage.

He charged. His hand closed around my throat, yanked me off the couch, slammed me against the wall.

"Hurting Avery wasn't enough for you?" He snarled. "Now you go after a fucking CHILD? Camila—you're a fucking MONSTER!"