《Cool Heads, Hot Hearts》


 Chapter 1 - A Meeting of Rivals

    Camellia sat in numb silence as she listened to her father''s lawyer, Mr. Nathaniel, speak in front of her. Her father had left everything he had to her, only to owe millions to others. She was in mourning clothes, but there were no tears on her face, only a silent, cold numbness, as she stared emptily at the wooden prized coffee table that she once remembered climbing as a young child when her mother was still living... and there was warmth.


    "Are you saying that this house is no longer a Quintana property?"


    "Yes, your father wanted to turn this land into a cash-crop to pay off the debts that accumulated after your mother died. He never could, and now the banks and people he owed money to will claim all that he has left. Your father owed $25 million."


    Camellia gasped in horror.


    "$25 million? How¡ªhow is that possible?"


    Mr. Nathaniel only shook his head sadly.


    "This house and land are worth only $15 million, Miss Quintana. Your father still owes $10 million. As heir of the Quintana estate, you are now responsible for it."


    Horror showed on her face.


    "I don''t have any money, Mr. Nathaniel! Where am I to find that much money?!"


    Mr. Nathaniel finally smiled.


    "Don''t worry, Miss Quintana. I''ve already contacted Mr. Shaw''s lawyer."


    "Mr. Shaw?" Camellia whispered, surprised to hear the name. "What does he have to do with this?"


    Mr. Nathaniel stood as if reaching the end of their conversation and prepared to leave.


    "Mr. Shaw will pay off your father''s debts, Miss Quintana."


    She stood up in mute disbelief and followed the lawyer toward the door.


    "I don''t understand. Mr. Shaw and my father have no relationship, and he hates my father. Why would he pay off our debts?"


    The lawyer turned back to her and smiled lightly.


    "Mr. Shaw has a lot of reasons to hate your father, but he also has a lot of reasons to help your father''s only daughter."


    She looked at him in confusion. She could not believe that a rival of her father would kindly help her for nothing.


    "When will Mr. Shaw be here?"


    The lawyer looked at his watch.


    "In three hours."


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Shaw Mansion


    James sat calmly behind his immense desk in the dark library and slowly twisted a pen between his fingers. His brother, Mark, stood on his right, with his arms crossed in displeased. His sister, Amy, stood behind him by the vast glass window in a slim, beautiful red dress. Her face was beautiful and heavy with make-up.


    They all glared at Lawyer Jenson with unhappy eyes. Mr. Jenson was the family lawyer. Though he should be afraid with all the eyes looking at him unhappily, he spoke calmly, "Mr. Quintana passed away three days ago, owing $10 million to debtors. The late Mr. Shaw''s Will states that he will pay any debt that Mr. Quintana has. Mr. Nathaniel, the late Mr. Quintana''s lawyer, has contacted me and the debts will be paid by the Shaw Estate Trust¡ª"


    "Why?! My father owes nobody anything!" Mark''s voice shouted angrily. "This Mr. Quintana was an adversary of our father! How can Father help that¡ªthat man!"


    Mr. Jenson calmly looked at Mark.


    "Mark is right," Amy chimed in unkindly, "father owes no one anything. It doesn''t sound reasonable that father would help the Quintanas out when our family hates their family."


    Mr. Jenson looked at James''s stern face, and continued, "Nevertheless, it is written in your father''s Will, which Mr. Shaw have heard."


    Mr. Jenson nodded over to James.


    "The late Mr. Quintana has one daughter, who has no relatives and nowhere to go. Your father''s Will also states that when Mr. Quintana is no longer living, he will take Miss Quintana in as his ward."


    Amy looked in disbelief. "Father would never do such a thing!" she exclaimed, looking at her brother James to see if what Mr. Jenson said was true.


    "What does he think we are?! An orphan house?!" Mark chimed in.


    James laid the pen down on his desk unhappily.


    "Miss Quintana¡ªdoes she have a job?" he asked, irritated.


    "She was studying in America and returned only two days ago. Your father has also been¡ªbeen paying for Miss Quintana''s education. And she will still receive monthly stipends if she returns to study abroad or¡­ or stay in this house."


    Anger crossed over James''s face. It disgusted him that his father had been giving money away freely to someone they despised and had no obligation to. But more so that his father had shared none of this information with him.


    "Why did you not tell me about this sooner?" James stood up angrily.


    For a moment, Mr. Jensen''s hand shook nervously as he opened his bag and took out some papers.


    "This is your father''s contract to pay for Miss Quintana''s education."


    James took the contract angrily from Mr. Jensen and read it. His lips tightened unhappily. Finally, he threw the contract on the desk, and Amy came over to read it.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "I don''t believe it!" Amy exclaimed. She gave the contract to Mark as she strolled to sit on a cushioned chair and looked at her brother.


    "You are saying, Mr. Jenson, that my father has been paying for Miss Quintana''s schooling for a while now?" James asked with anger showing on his face.


    "Yes," Mr. Jenson answered.


    "That''s impossible!" Mark interjected angrily.


    "What reason would there be for my father to have done this¡ªthis generosity to someone he despised?" James asked, annoyed.


    "There is an excellent reason, Mr. Shaw. The late Mr. Quintana, though he was your father''s archrival, helped your father once."


    "Helped father?! Father needed no one''s help!" Mark shouted.


    "You must joke with us, Mr. Jenson. You mean Mr. Quintana threatened my father?" Amy remarked sarcastically.


    "Mr. Quintana helped your father, Miss Shaw. And your father has given his word to help Mr. Quintana whenever he is in need."


    Mr. Jenson turned back to James.


    "You will need to visit Miss Quintana today and inform her of her new position in your family, Mr. Shaw. Even if you do not want her to stay here, your father has opened his house for her. You will need to take her in."


    James looked at him deadly.


    "Have you forgotten who you work for, Mr. Jenson?" James remarked, irritated, "I see no reason for me to provide free room and board to a girl who is old enough to take care of herself. If she can get an education abroad, she should be able to get herself a job here."


    Mr. Jenson only stared calmly back, and remarked, "She is homeless now. She will need a place until she finds a job."


    James swore under his breath, his calm demeanor dissipating.


    Amy stood up and came over to the desk.


    "And why does my brother have to visit this girl, Mr. Jenson?"


    "Your father would pay her a visit if he were alive to relieve Miss Quintana of some of her worries and inform her that she has a home to go to, Miss Shaw. Your brother will only do what your father would do."


    "Fine," James remarked rather impatiently, "Let us see her. If she is like what I think she is, I will inform her to get a job and rent a little place for her until her job pays for her."


    Mr. Jenson only nodded silently.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    James impatiently came into the house, wanting the meeting to be quickly over. He looked around the modest room, unimpressed. Mr. Jenson followed behind, as James looked angrily around, angry at everything he saw. This place was no better than his maids'' room, he thought unkindly, and he had to waste his time coming here to meet a girl who probably was no better than many of his fortune-hunting girlfriends, who would be thrilled to know that she was included in the Will of the late billionaire William Shaw.


    The stairs to the right creaked, and he turned to look at it. To his surprise, the girl he saw there was nothing like he had in mind. She was dressed in a plain black blouse and skirt. Her hair was loosely let down, which made her look young and pretty, but the look in her eyes surprised him the most. She hatefully looked at him, as if he had no right to be here in this plain house that he could not imagine living in.


    Camellia slowly came down the stairs and turned her attention to Mr. Jenson. To James''s surprise again, she gave Mr. Jenson the same look she gave him and when she reached the bottom of the stairs, she walked straight up to his lawyer, as if he, the son of the late billionaire William Shaw, was unimportant.


    "Are you Mr. Shaw?"


    Mr. Jenson gave out a light laugh and shook his head, as James annoyingly looked at them, annoyed that she did not know who he was.


    "I am Mr. Shaw," James remarked rather rudely.


    She turned to eye him with distrust.


    "I was told that Mr. William Shaw would meet me," she replied.


    James''s eyebrows raised, and he turned away and laughed cynically. It surprised him that she did not know his father, nor him.


    Mr. Jenson spoke, "Mr. William Shaw unfortunately passed away a year ago, Miss Quintana."


    Camellia looked shock and confused.


    James turned to look at her again, this time with eyes full of contempt.


    "I am Mr. William Shaw''s son, James Shaw."


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Camellia sat stiffly with her hands placed on her lap as she viewed Mr. Jenson sitting across from her. She glanced at the young man beside Mr. Jenson and he gave her a cold, suspicious look.


    "The late Mr. Shaw has included you in his Will, Miss Quintana," Mr. Jenson began as James scrutinized her facial expression to see if it delighted her.


    "Mr. Shaw and my father are not friends, Mr. Jenson, nor relatives. Why would he include me in his Will?" she slowly began. Her face did not show a glimmer of facial expression.


    "Your father did a favor once for the late Mr. Shaw, in which the late Mr. Shaw has included you in his Will as repayment."


    Camellia almost laughed.


    "What favor of an archrival would make a man include his archrival''s child in his Will?"


    Mr. Jenson did not seem to pay attention to her words as he took out an envelope from his briefcase.


    "You are twenty-three years old?"


    "What?"


    The question caught her off guard.


    "My lawyer asked if you are twenty-three years old," James remarked harshly, annoying her.


    She glared at him distastefully.


    "What does that have to do with the conversation?"


    "My father has, unfortunately, included you in his Will, which can only be read when you reach twenty-five years old," he remarked unpleasantly.


    Camellia clasped her hand in thought.


    "I see no reason for me to receive anything from Mr. William Shaw," Camellia stated firmly.


    "I also see no reason," James began and turned to his lawyer, "What reason is there?"


    "We cannot open that part of the Will, until you are twenty-five years old, Miss Quintana. You will know the reasons then and receive the wealth that the late Mr. Shaw left you¡ª"


    "A wealth that my father earned with his two bare hands," James remarked between his teeth, frustrated that his lawyer refused to give him a reason for this insanity.


    Camellia stood up, angry that he was insulting her and being rude the entire time that he was here in her home.


    "I don''t want any money from your father, Mr. Shaw! I don''t need money from someone who tried to ruin my father''s reputation!"


    James''s eyes narrowed, and he stood up angrily to face her.


    "First, Miss Quintana, your father was the one who tried to ruin my father''s reputation. But now that he has ruined himself, my father is helping him out?! For what reason?! If you want nothing from my father, then I will only be glad to have my lawyer draw up a contract for you to sign. I personally don''t want my father''s wealth to fall into bad hands."


    Camellia heaved in anger.


    "Your father''s wealth was always in bad hands, Mr. Shaw. And if my father had not isolated himself from your kind, he may have had all your father''s wealth and more. Your wealth is nothing but hypocrisies and lies!"


    James''s eyes narrowed.


    "You dare call my father''s hard work hypocrisies and lies?"


    She faced him bravely, her heart filled with anger.


    Before she could stop herself, she remarked, "Have your damn lawyer draw up the contract and I will sign it! I personally don''t want to touch your kind of money!"


    James glared at her in disbelief. Was she stupid to request this? A cynical smile slowly appeared on his face, satisfied at her words, until his eyes accidentally roamed and found her soft, angry lips. His heart slightly jumped, and he frowned.


    "Unfortunately, I must interject and tell you both that no action can be taken until that part of the Will is read," Mr. Jenson calmly spoke beside them.


    They both turned to look at him in horror.


    "At the moment you have no place to go, is that correct, Miss Quintana?" Mr. Jenson asked, calming the tension.


    Camellia twisted her fingers nervously. She did not want to share her difficulties, nor ask for help. James flashed his lawyer a warning look, but as his eyes returned to look at her, he saw her vulnerable and troubled, and suddenly his enmity lessened. He was astounded when she remarked, "That is no concern of yours, Mr. Jenson."


    She nervously fidgeted with her hands, clearly worried.


    "Unfortunately," James intercepted against his true feeling, "My father has made himself your guardian should anything happen to your father, so it is every concern of ours."


    Camellia looked at him in horror. Even James seemed displeased at what he had shared. Her heart searched for words to reject the offer, but none came to her. She looked at the young, disagreeable Mr. Shaw, who obviously disliked her, and searched for words to say, but no words came out of her mouth.

 Chapter 2 - The Master in the Shaw Mansion

    The enormous Shaw Mansion loomed ahead as the gate opened and Sam drove the car into the driveway. A magnificent water fountain stood in the middle as the driveway curved into a circle showcasing the wealth of the Shaw family. Sam parked the car next to the huge glass door entrance and quickly came to open the door for her, but Camellia, being used to helping herself, had already opened the car door. So, Sam closed the door after her and retrieved her luggage from the trunk. A beautiful woman in a sleek black dress pant came out of the mansion. She glared at the modestly dressed woman at the bottom of the stairs and sneered.


    "So, you are Miss Quintana?"


    Camellia nodded her head coolly.


    "I can''t imagine how you have the guts to come into this house," she replied arrogantly. "Just to tell you, but everyone works in this house. Nobody gets anything free from my Father''s wealth." She eyed Camellia from head to toe, then finished, "Especially someone hated."


    Camellia gave her an icy stare.


    "You must be a Shaw?"


    Amy looked away arrogantly.


    "How funny of you to say that, when you look as if you''ve never worked in your life," Camellia remarked disgustedly, looking at how neat and straightened Amy''s dressing was. "As they say, there are people who talk but never do the walk. You must be one of those people. How shameful for the Shaws."


    Amy glared at her as if wanting to scratch her eyes out.


    "My brother may have no choice but to bring you here, but you will never see a fortunate day here! We''ll make sure of it!"


    With that threat, she immediately turned and walked down the stairs to get into an attractive red sports car and drove away. Calming herself, Camellia followed a nervous Sam into the house. Sam had brought her luggage, and she thanked him kindly as he turned to leave. Then she turned to observe the enormous building and stared in awe at the beautifully designed house. A cascading stairway lead upstairs, an immense family room loomed to her right, and a glittering dining room loomed to her left; above hung a crystal chandelier, perfect for a princely entrance.


    A maid came up to her.


    "Miss Quintana, I''ll bring you to your room."


    Camellia smiled in relief and followed the maid up the magnificent staircase to a huge hallway. They passed many doors before the maid opened a door for her to go into. Inside was plainly decorated compared to the rest of the house, but for her, it was good enough. She found that the room had its own bathroom and shower, a modest-size bed, and gigantic windows that overlooked the huge backyard and pool.


    She thanked the maid in kindness as her luggage was brought in.


    "Where is Mr. Shaw?" she asked the kind maid.


    "Which one, Miss?"


    Camellia looked confused.


    "Mr. William Shaw''s son?"


    "Mr. James Shaw or Mr. Mark Shaw?"


    "Mark?" she whispered, not knowing that James had another brother.


    "Mr. James Shaw."


    The maid smiled.


    "He doesn???t come home until six," she remarked.


    Camellia nodded in comprehension and the maid left her in her new room. She turned to regard the place before her. How beautiful the place was if everything came with warmth and love. But she knew these vast homes only contained emptiness and coldness¡­ and the residents would be no difference.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    It was afternoon when Camellia came down the cascading staircase to look for a maid. She was hungry and wondered where the kitchen was. It surprised her that a big house like this had no one around. Curious, she went into every room and found no one, but beautifully decorated, empty rooms. She finally heard a dog bark and pursued the noise into a room. To her relief, it was the kitchen and four maids were there cooking. One of them, whom must have been the head cook, ordered the rest around.


    On the ground, Camellia saw a medium-sized beagle dog wagging his tail and eating from a tray placed on the ground. He barked at her twice, then came up and sniffed her. Her face brightened up as she bent down to rub his neck. He seemed happy and encouraged her to rub him. Camellia smiled and picked him up in her arms and look at the maids.


    "Do you need any help?" Camellia asked kindly, hoping to make friends.


    Three of them gave her a curious look, while the head cook looked at her unkindly.


    "What are you doing here?!" the head cook questioned harshly.


    "I came to see if there''s anything I can help you with," Camellia remarked.


    "Who do you think you are to come here?" the head cook replied again.


    Camellia frowned, annoyed that the head cook was being unkind to her for no reason.


    "I live here now. I can come here if I want to. Who are you to question me," Camellia finally remarked firmly back at her.


    "Ooh," the head cook started, "You must be the girl from America who''s come to take over this house?"


    Camellia unhappily looked at her.


    "I''ll have you know that I can replace you if you speak like that to me again," Camellia spoke, knowing she was lying. She had maids once, she remembered, and none of them spoke to her like this. Is this how the Shaw maids behave, she wondered? Or were they intentionally being unkind to a rival''s daughter? She frowned. She would not allow them to bully her.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    To her satisfaction, the head cook looked to the other three maids, fearfully wondering if that could be true. They timidly stayed away.


    "You can''t," she began, "Mr. Shaw likes me too much to allow you to do that."


    "This house also belongs to me," Camellia threatened. "As you''ve heard, the late Mr. Shaw is now my guardian¡­ so if you want to question my presence, you better be prepared to leave."


    The head cook gave her an ugly stare.


    "You couldn''t. I do not believe you. The Shaw¡­they do not even like you. They wouldn''t give you that much power in this house."


    Camellia flinched at having her feelings hurt from knowing the Shaws'' feelings toward her. Though she knew, hearing it made it worse.


    "They despise me, and I despise them. But I will throw you out of the house the next time you speak like that to me again," Camellia remarked.


    Camellia looked around as if observing the kitchen, then she slowly replied, "I see that the Shaw Mansion needs a lot of changes."


    She turned and glared at the head cook icily, and remarked, "And one of them may be you!"


    The head cook looked in mute horror and disbelief. The other three maids whispered and giggled among themselves until the head cook gave them a threatening stare. Camellia patted the puppy''s head and left the kitchen with a triumphant look, leaving the head cook to stare in mute horror


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Camellia came out of the house to cool her angry heart. The puppy wiggled adorably in her arms. She knew life in this mansion would be terrible, for the residents hated her. So why did her father wanted her to like them when he knew they would hate her? Must she stay here until she was twenty-five?


    She walked up to the fountain and settled the puppy on the ground. Sitting down, she laid her arms against the fountain and stared at the flowing water. Though the mansion was beautiful and the fountain captivating, her heart was lonely and battered. She had no friends and no one who cared about her. Her father had been wrong. This house would not give her warmth, not when the residents were so cold and cruel.


    Her thoughts wondered to the late Mr. William Shaw. Was he cold like his home or a father whom she had long for? Why had he helped her father, and would he had been like the father she had always wanted? She sighed and laid her head down to rest on the fountain.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    The head cook, Blanche, quickly came out of the house to greet James as he walked up the stairs into the house. He was dressed in a blue suit.


    "Mr. Shaw! Mr. Shaw! That girl from America threatened to fire me!" she blurted out crying.


    James looked annoyed.


    "Where is she???


    "She''s out in the back. She''s also taken your dog and not allowed us to feed him," Blanche continued with tears in her eyes.


    One maid, Sara, came out nervously to take his briefcase. James took off his shoes and entered the house. He knew she would be trouble, but he did not know that she would threaten his employees on her first day in his home. He took off his suit jacket and strolled to the back room. He walked over to the windows and saw her outside with his dog. He looked irritated. She was with his dog. And his dog seemed to enjoy her company, as he followed her around, while she looked at his flowers in the backyard.


    He opened the sliding door and stepped out, slipping into an outdoor sandal to step onto the grass. He watched her in annoyance as she seemed to be happy and in place, as if this was her home.


    "Bow," he called out, and hearing his name, the dog turned from Camellia and ran towards its master. Camellia turned around in surprise at James''s presence. She had been busy looking at all the flowers in the back that she had forgotten the time.


    The dog ran up to him and James knelt and rubbed the dog''s neck with gentle words. After a moment, he looked up to her and narrowed his eyes. She stood across the lawn as he stood up and walked toward her with his hands in his pant pockets.


    "Bow seems to like you," he began, looking down at the cheerful dog beside him.


    She looked at Bow, who seemed happy next to his master, and a light smile crossed her face. But when she turned back to look at him, her eyes turned cold.


    "You seem to get along well in this place. Do you like it?" he asked sarcastically.


    She looked around to acknowledge the place and nodded unkindly.


    He raised one eyebrow.


    "Does it go with your lifestyle?" he questioned abruptly, "I''m sure you must have had more enjoyment in America with all the freedom and partying. My servants are rather conservative if you find their services to be unlike what you are used to."


    Camellia''s eyes darkened as he insulted her.


    He turned away in disregard.


    "Must I make it clear to you, Miss Quintana, that you are here as my father''s guest. As the head of the household, I will not tolerate any aggression from any guests."


    "What are you implying, Mr. Shaw?" Camellia asked firmly, anger slowly building up in her.


    He turned back to look at her coldly.


    "I am implying, Miss Quintana, that you are welcome to roam this place as you like, but my employees will only answer to me. I will not tolerate any threats you plan to make in this house, which is my responsibility."


    Camellia''s heart filled with anger.


    "I plan to make no intentional threats in your house, Mr. Shaw. If a man of your stature taught your employees manners and respect for those they serve," Camellia began, "Even if they don''t serve me, a person alone knows how to greet someone when they first meet them, especially if they are an employee greeting a guest!"


    Camellia smiled cruelly from a thought.


    "But then, their manners must come from their employer," she slowly replied. "For he also has no manners to greet a guest with hospitality. Like they say, an employee is only as good as the employer¡­"


    His eyes narrowed unhappily from her words. She lifted her chin to meet him and then turned away to leave in triumph. He followed her impatiently.


    "I don''t care what threats you make here, Miss Quintana, but I will not tolerate you cowering my employees."


    Camellia stopped and looked at him.


    "Why do you worry so, Mr. Shaw? In your eyes, I am not your guest. In fact, you view me no different from them, am I not correct?" she asked with a disgusted look on her face.


    His eyes narrowed angrily.


    "If that is how I view you, then I would have ordered your luggage to be placed in the employee''s corridor," he remarked.


    "But you can''t because of your father''s Will."


    "I don''t care about my father''s Will, or what he wanted me to do. I only want to know why my father helped your father. And if I must take you in for two years to wait for that damn Will to be read, then I will patiently allow you to step into this house as a guest!"


    She coldly returned his uncaring gesture.


    "And what happens when you have real guests over, Mr. Shaw? Will you hide me like an unwanted guest, or will you blend me in as one of your maids?" she questioned boldly.


    He stared at her blankly. The thought never came to him.


    "What would you want it to be?" he asked suddenly, a twist to his lips. His eyes looked at her mockingly.


    She looked away almost regretfully.


    "I wished my father never did a favor for your father, so I wouldn''t need to wait two years here in this cold house of yours just to hear his last words. And I wished that my father had never rivaled with your father, so that we wouldn''t be here hating each other."


    James looked surprised. He did not expect her to say these words. He did not expect her to have some sensitivity. It seemed as if she almost hated her position here, a position where she could be owning millions of his father''s wealth.


    She was the first woman in his life who had told him that this house was cold, something he had felt at times. He had thought she would be a common, wasteful talker, annoying, perhaps bossy. He actually felt sorry for her now as her face turned away from him as if troubled and depressed. And suddenly he felt regretful of his unkindness to her.


    She quickly dismissed her thoughts and faced him bravely.


    "I am glad that your father has this huge house, Mr. Shaw, for I can hide when I don''t want to be in any of your presences."


    She turned away from him and walked back into the house, leaving him stunned and a bit vexed.

 Chapter 3 - A Similar Situation

    A knock came at the door moments after Camellia came into her room. She had just finished steadying her heart after her encounter with James. To her relief, it was the kind maid who she had first met when she opened the door.


    "Mr. Shaw asks you to join him for dinner."


    Camellia looked surprised, but she slowly nodded her head.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Camellia cautiously entered the dining room, where James awaited her patiently on a huge long dining table. There were two plates set out on the table. When she came in, he looked at her uneasily.


    "Please sit down, Miss Quintana," he plainly stated.


    She looked around suspiciously, wondering why they were alone and why no one else joined them. After a moment, she sat on the chair beside him and James nodded to Sara to serve the rice. Sara came with the rice bowl.


    "How do you find your room? Is it spacious enough for you to hide in?" he mockingly asked.


    She ignored him with a frown and thanked Sara after she emptied two spoonsful of rice on her plate.


    "I learned that you have another brother, is that correct?" Camellia slowly asked.


    He looked up from his plate.


    "I have a brother and a sister."


    "Why do they not join us for dinner?"


    James smirked.


    "You will hardly find them in the house. If you do, you will be lucky," he remarked, continuing to eat.


    "You are alone in the house then?"


    He looked up from his plate again, surprised at the question.


    "I am not alone in this house. You''ve seen all my employees," he remarked, rather annoyed.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "I know," Camellia began rather foolishly. "I meant as a family, you are alone here."


    He looked unhappily at her as if the thought were painful.


    "Eat or your rice will grow cold," he remarked, avoiding the question.


    She picked up her spoon and observed him, his face hiding uneasiness from her words.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    As Camellia left the dining room, Bow came running up to her. Surprised, she bent down to pick up the dog. James followed behind her. He looked annoyed that she was holding his dog, but did not say a word, as he did not want to look crazy. He passed her, strolled into a room, and closed the door behind him. Camellia curiously followed him and stepped to the closed door and let Bow down. She placed her ear to the door, but to her horror, Bow strolled up to the door and barked.


    "Shhhhhhhh," Camellia quickly remarked.


    But Bow continued barking, and Camellia quickly stepped aside just as the door opened. James looked at her suspiciously as Bow slipped through his legs and trotted into the room.


    "Were you looking for something?" he asked, rather annoyed to find her snooping around.


    She quickly shook her head and then peered inside.


    "What room is this?"


    He frowned and opened the door for her.


    "Come in if you are curious. I don''t like people snooping around behind my doors," he sarcastically remarked.


    She frowned and slowly walked in. Her mouth opened in awe. The room was full of bookshelves. At the opposite was wall-size windows and an enormous desk. A fireplace stood to the left with two comfortable-looking sofas and a loveseat with its own foot-setter.


    "Is this your office?" she asked.


    James walked over to his desk and picked up a folder.


    "This is the library and my office. As you can say, it is my place to hide from the rest of the world," he mockingly remarked.


    Camellia ignored his taunt and walked over to one of the shelves. She turned to James, who obviously had forgotten her and was looking through some paper.


    "Can I?" she asked.


    He looked up to her.


    "What?"


    "Can I look at your books?"


    James frowned.


    "Go ahead," he began, "that is if they interest you."


    He returned to the papers on his desk. Bow came over to Camellia and snuggled his nose against her leg. She smiled and took a book out. It was rather old. Slowly she opened the book and read the first page. Bow moved to the fireplace and sat down. She smiled and followed the dog to the fireplace. But before she sat down, she looked at James to see if he minded. Seeing that he was occupied, she sat down next to the dog by the fireplace.


    After a moment, James glanced from his papers to look at her. He found her sitting by the fireplace making herself at home in his office. He frowned and looked away, annoyed that she was happier than him in his own home. His eyes unwillingly glanced at her again. He found her attractive as she sat next to his dog and read a book, a book which he probably had never read. A slight smile appeared on his face, but then he remembered that she was here for his father''s wealth. His smile died, as he did not like it one bit. Forcefully, he pulled his eyes away from her. Author: uniqnovels.com.

 Chapter 4 - A Job Opportunity

    Mr. Jenson came to visit Camellia a couple of days later to see how she was adjusting. Camellia thanked him and as he was leaving, Camellia asked if he would help her find a job, as she had no money. He looked at her oddly.


    "The late Mr. Shaw gives you a monthly stipend of $5,000."


    Camellia gasped in disbelief.


    "I don''t want any of Mr. Shaw''s money, Mr. Jenson. I still don''t understand why the late Mr. Shaw is helping my father, but I am not taking any of Mr. Shaw''s money, even if he left some for me in his Will, which I doubt it anyway."


    Mr. Jenson sighed.


    "You have every right to this money, just like his children, Miss Quintana."


    "Please, if you can help me find a job, I would be grateful. I want to earn my money with my own two hands," Camellia quickly replied.


    Mr. Jenson seemed hesitant, then remarked, "What can you do, Miss Quintana?"


    "I was studying Child Therapy in the states. Can you see if there are any positions opened for me to apply for in a clinic or hospital?"


    Mr. Jenson thought for a moment.


    "Mr. Shaw has a friend who works in a clinic nearby here, perhaps he can help you," Mr. Jenson remarked. "I can give you the address and phone and you can contact him, or you can have Mr. Shaw set up an appointment with him. Dr. Sirimon, that''s his name, is a gracious man, and could probably help you out."


    Camellia quickly nodded her head and said, "Thank you, but I can take care of this on my own if you can give me the information."


    Mr. Jenson nodded and opened his briefcase to get out a pen.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Camellia hesitantly picked up the phone and dial the number on the sheet of paper Mr. Jenson had given her.


    "Hello, I would like to speak to Dr. Sirimon."


    She listened for a moment, then replied, "Can you tell Dr. Sirimon that Mr. Jenson, Mr. Shaw''s lawyer, referred him to me."


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Camellia was formally dressed when she came out that afternoon and found Sam cleaning the car. She hesitantly went up to him.


    "Sam..." she began nervously, "Are you Mr. Shaw''s personal chauffeur?


    Sam smiled and nodded. Camellia swallowed.


    "Will Mr. Shaw be returning soon today?"


    "He usually returns around six in the evening, Miss."


    Camellia looked at her watch. It was only 1 O''clock. She breathed in relief.


    "If that is so, can you take me somewhere?"


    Sam quickly jumped up in delight.


    "I''ll only be glad to, Miss."


    Camellia smiled in relief as Sam opened the door for her. She quickly got in.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    The clinic was a medium-sized place, with patients that looked like they came from a more impoverished background. Camellia went up to the front desk and asked for Dr. Sirimon. The secretary asked her to wait for a moment as Dr. Sirimon was with a patient.


    Camellia waited on a chair next to an elder woman who was sunburnt. She smiled to the woman kindly and stared at the papers she brought with her. She hoped Dr. Sirimon would be kind enough to give her an opportunity to work with him, as she was desperate to earn some money. She was penniless and would rely on the Shaw if she did not have her own income. James viewed her with little respect as a free-loader, and she did not like it. Though she did not care for the Shaw or what they thought of her, she did not want their charity as well.


    "Miss Quintana?"


    Camellia looked up and found a young man kindly looking at her. He was dressed in a doctor''s white coat.


    "Yes?"


    "I''m Dr. Sirimon."


    Camellia gasped in surprise. She was expecting an older man, one who probably was the late Mr. Shaw''s doctor. This doctor looked no older than thirty years old.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Dr. Sirimon''s office


    "How is my friend James doing?" the kind doctor asked from across his desk, as he curiously regarded Camellia.


    "He is well," Camellia remarked. "I studied Child Therapy in the US¡ª."


    He smiled.


    "I remember," he slowly replied. "How are you related to the Shaw, Miss Quintana?"


    Camellia frowned.


    "We are not related at all, Dr. Sirimon. You said on the phone that there was a position in your hospital that you have available¡­?" Camellia quickly asked, not wanting to talk about her relationship with the Shaws.


    A knock came at the door and interrupted them. A nurse came in with a folder for the doctor. He thanked her and looked at it. Camellia impatiently looked at Dr. Sirimon.


    "As I was saying, I studied Child Therapy in America, Dr. Sirimon. I have interned in a hospital and worked with some children," Camellia remarked, hoping to convince him.


    He laid the papers down and smiled at her.


    "I''m sure you must be very talented, Miss Quintana, if you are a friend of the Shaws," he remarked, not knowing that this comment was rather an insult to her.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    He placed the papers away and earnestly looked at her.


    "I have a position for you if you are interested," he began.


    Camellia''s face brightened.


    "Do you know what autism is, Miss Quintana?" Dr. Sirimon asked her kindly.


    Camellia nodded her head. She had met many children with that condition in America.


    "For years, I have been trying to work with autistic children to understand their condition and perhaps help them integrate into society," he continued. "I need someone to continue working alongside these children, if not to help improve, then perhaps to guide them."


    Camellia''s eyes lit up.


    "I would only be happy to work with them, Dr. Sirimon," she quickly remarked, then continued, "Though many have viewed autistic children to be slow in thinking, I have found some of them to have the brightest mind."


    Dr. Sirimon smiled.


    "I have an eight-year-old child whose mother brings her here every day. She is autistic and does not say much to anyone but frequently talks to herself. You will find that she is very bright as well, but unmoving in other areas that she is not so interested in."


    Camellia nodded in enthusiasm.


    "You can leave your papers and references here for me to look at. I''ll call you tomorrow to tell you when you can come in," Dr. Sirimon replied.


    Camellia smiled, nodded, and handed him the papers. Thanking him, she left as the phone ranged and he picked it up. She walked out of the office in high hope.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Camellia returned at three that afternoon, relieved to have probably found a job and hopefully have some spending money. Bow was nowhere in the house, and since it was such a beautiful day, Camellia changed and went outside. She found a man working on planting flowers. She found it odd that the flowers they were planting were her mother''s favorite flower, the camellia, which she was named after. Bow came toward her and she joyfully picked him up and went up to the man.


    "The flowers are beautiful. Who chooses them?"


    The man turned to her and kindly smiled.


    "These were the late Mr. Shaw''s favorite flower. The young Mr. Shaw still honor his father''s taste."


    Camellia found it strange to have the camellia flower planted around the Shaw mansion. Wouldn''t James be offended to know that their rival''s daughter is named Camellia, after the flower? She quickly changed the topic.


    "Does Mr. Shaw''s younger brother come home at all?"


    "No," the man carefreely replied, "Mr. Mark hardly comes home unless there is a paycheck for him, or Mr. Jenson comes here. You see¡ª"


    The man seemed to notice that he was speaking too much, and he gave Camellia an uneasy look.


    "This Mr. Mark¡ªdoes he work somewhere in the city?" Camellia asked.


    "No. No," the man started again. "He goes to the University."


    "And Mr. Shaw''s sister? Where is she?"


    The man looked at Camellia as if he were not sure if he should say anymore.


    "She has her own group of friends which Mr. Shaw doesn''t approve of. They are rowdy and stay up too late partying. Mr. Shaw doesn''t like that, so Miss Amy also has her own place somewhere in the city where she stays most of the time," he carefully stated.


    Camellia nodded her head and thanked him. She asked if she could help him plant the flowers. Though the man, whom she learned named Leek, refused, Camellia offered to help anyway. After a moment, a Mercedes-Benzes drove up into the driveway and parked in front of the house. Camellia wiped the dirt from her hands and stared at the car, knowing that he had returned.


    James got out of the car and looked at Camellia. He called his dog and Bow went running up to him. Sam took his case and brought it inside. After a moment, James entered the house without another glance at her. Camellia sighed in relief as he went inside. She turned to find Leek looking nervous.


    "Please, Miss, I can plant the flowers on my own," he remarked.


    "Are you afraid of Mr. Shaw?" she asked curiously.


    "No," Leek quickly replied. "He is a kind man, but it is not right to find a guest working on the house. And Mr. Shaw would not be happy to see it too."


    Camellia clapped her hands together to wipe off the dirt.


    "I am not like the other guests here. I can come and help you if I like, Leek. Besides, I enjoy working with flowers. Whether or not Mr. Shaw likes it, I will help you. But you need not worry, for Mr. Shaw will not care what I do."


    Leek unsurely smiled. After a moment, Sara came out to inform Camellia of dinner.


    "Tell Mr. Shaw that I won''t be having dinner tonight," Camellia told the kind maid.


    Sara went back hesitantly, and to Camellia''s relief, did not return.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Camellia''s hands and clothes were full of dirt when she entered the house. She wanted to take a shower, but Sara came up to her and informed her that Mr. Shaw wanted to see her immediately in the library.


    "Tell him I''ll come to see him after I''ve cleaned myself," she remarked, annoyed that he wanted to see her immediately, as if she was an employee of his.


    The maid looked nervous and did not move.


    "I want to see you now," came the voice from behind Sara.


    Camellia looked and saw James coming towards them. Sara quickly left them alone. She embarrassingly hid her dirty hands as he shamelessly looked her up and down, noticing how her clothes were stained with dirt and her hair messy and uncombed.


    "You wanted to see me?" Camellia coolly remarked, dismissing the look in his eyes.


    He showed no expression on his face.


    "I had a phone call from one of my friends today," he slowly began.


    Camellia looked surprised.


    "My friend, Dr. Sirimon, said that a friend of the family came looking for a position at his clinic," he remarked, slowly stretching the words. "He said her name was Camellia Quintana and my lawyer referred her to him."


    Camellia stood her ground and lifted her chin up, unhappy that he should care to get in her business.


    "He was impressed with you and said he has offered you a job," James continued.


    "Why do you concern yourself with my affairs, Mr. Shaw?" she remarked, annoyed that he knew what she did this afternoon. "You have made it cleared to me you didn''t want me to inherit your father''s wealth. You should be glad I am looking for a job."


    He looked annoyed.


    "I have told Dr. Sirimon that you won''t be taking that position," he stated plainly. "And I have told him you are living under my roof and I will be responsible for any of your actions."


    She glared at him in horror.


    "You have no right!" she exclaimed, moving up to him angrily. "How dare you tell him that!"


    James grabbed her arms.


    "I have every right, Miss Quintana. If you have been enjoying my father''s wealth all this time that you were in America and will even get a hold of it when you reach twenty-five, I have every right to make your life miserable, until I can''t no more."


    She stared at him in disbelief.


    "What are you saying?"


    He gave her a cynical half-smile.


    "I am saying, Miss Quintana, that my father also paid your education."


    She looked horrified.


    "I don''t believe you."


    "And why not? If my father paid $10 million of your father''s debt, why not also your education?"


    She pulled her arms away.


    "I will pay your $10 million back, Mr. Shaw. I''ll make sure of it, plus my education expenses too if you so claim it," she slashed at him.


    He laughed.


    "And how do you supposed you will pay $10 million? By working in a clinic?" he laughed, mocking her. "Even that won''t help you pay your education."


    She hatefully stared at him.


    "You have no right, Mr. Shaw, to interfere in my life. I will return to Dr. Sirimon and see that I get that position," she challenged him, "Even if I have to work all my life in that clinic to pay that $10 million, I will do it."


    She looked at him in triumph and moved to go, but he grabbed her back.


    "You''ll waste your time going back to Dr. Sirimon. He is my loyal friend," he remarked, then he thought of something. "And how do you also propose to get to the clinic if I won''t allow Sam to take you. You have no money and can''t also pay for a taxi."


    Camellia frustratingly looked at him, knowing how much she wanted to slash at him.


    "You can''t keep me as a prisoner here."


    He laughed and released her arm.


    "I am not keeping you as a prisoner here, Miss Quintana. You are free to go wherever you want with the finances you have," he remarked with a smile and moved to leave in triumph.


    Angry, Camellia could not stop herself from saying, "Mr. Jenson says I am to receive some monthly wages from your father, is that correct, Mr. Shaw?"


    James stopped. He did not look happy, as he looked at her.


    "Those are also my father''s money. What right do you have to receive them?"


    Camellia smiled as she looked at his angry face.


    "How kind of your father to think of me living here. He must know that his children would treat me unkindly and not allow me to use any of their family transportation," Camellia remarked with a huge smile. "I believe I can now take the taxi, Mr. Shaw."


    Camellia smiled and turned to go but thought of something and turned back to look at him. James had a look of horror.


    "I think I also need a couple of pretty dresses, don''t you think Mr. Shaw? After all I am living under one of the most prestigious family, I must look glamorous to fit in."


    With this, she gave him a charming smile and turned and went up the stairway. James glared at her. He was incredibly angry. [Author: uniqnovels.com.]

 Chapter 5 - A Friend In Need

    No one was around when Camellia picked up the phone to call Dr. Sirimon again and inform him of Mr. Shaw¡¯s mistake and her desire to work with the child. To her misfortune, Dr. Sirimon was out. Sad and worried, she came out of the house to find Sam cleaning the car again. Sam looked nervous as he saw her.


    ¡°Will you be going out, Miss,¡± Sam asked her quickly.


    ¡°Where can you take me, Sam?¡± she asked, knowing he would not take her to the hospital.


    ¡°I can take you to see the city, Miss,¡± he replied with a smile.


    Camellia smiled. It had been a long time since she had seen the city, so she nodded her head and allowed Sam to open the door for her.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Sam left her at the bustling flea market. He had gone to pick up Mr. Shaw and would return afterward to pick her up. She had no money, so she only observed how fascinating and exciting the place was. There were so many people and foreigners here. Unexpectedly, she bumped into a man, speaking to a group of foreigners. He turned to look at her and his mouth dropped.


    ¡°Hello,¡± he remarked in English.


    ¡°Hi,¡± she returned it in the same language.


    He looked surprised at her, and as she left, he followed her.


    ¡°Wait! Are you from around here?¡±


    She cautiously looked at him.


    ¡°My name is Jerry, and what is yours?¡±


    He extended out his hand to shake hers. She looked at it and tried to leave.


    ¡°I¡¯m a tour guide. Perhaps you are new here. I can help you out,¡± he remarked.


    Camellia finally smiled.


    ¡°Is that why you were speaking English to me?¡± she asked him.


    He nodded.


    ¡°What is your name?¡±


    Camellia finally told him her name and shared that she was sightseeing.


    ¡°My tour ends here. Perhaps I can help you get to some beautiful places,¡± he said.


    Camellia warily looked at him, and after a moment, seeing that he was sincere, she nodded her head.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Teresa, a beautiful, slender woman, clung to James¡¯s arm as they entered the Shaw mansion. She was dressed in a sleek blue dress. Sam paused by them after he placed James¡¯s briefcase in the library.


    ¡°Will you be leaving for anyplace tonight, Mr. Shaw?¡± Sam asked.


    James shook his head.


    ¡°Then I will pick up Miss Quintana,¡± Sam quickly replied.


    James looked surprised.


    ¡°Where is Miss Quintana?¡±


    Sam looked nervous.


    ¡°She is at the flea market, Mr. Shaw. She asked me to leave her there and pick her up after I picked you up,¡± Sam quickly replied nervously.


    James¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he remarked, ¡°Go and bring her back.¡±


    Sam nodded in relief as James dismissed him and left with Teresa to the back room. Sam was about to go when Sara came by.


    ¡°Miss Quintana just called,¡± she remarked. ¡°She said she¡¯d get home by herself. She doesn¡¯t need you to pick her up.¡±


    Sam scratched his head in confusion.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    ¡°Why do you stay far from me, darling?¡± Teresa remarked coming to hold his arm, as he stared out of the window to the backyard where some people were working on the plants and his dog was running around.


    He turned to her.


    ¡°I am a busy man, Teresa. I don¡¯t have time to fool around,¡± he remarked, rather tired.


    She laid her head on his shoulder. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°You know I love you and will always be here for you. I am still waiting for a proposal,¡± she remarked charmingly.


    He frowned.


    ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for five years, James. When will you ask me to marry you?¡± she questioned him sweetly.


    He looked at her sarcastically.


    ¡°You know I am not the marrying kind. Beside I am not the right man for you, Teresa. I would bore you to death.¡±


    She smiled seductively.


    ¡°You know I only smile when you are around. You are my life.¡±


    She reached up and gave him a kiss on the cheek.


    ¡°Who is Miss Quintana?¡±


    James frowned at the name.


    ¡°She is a new member of the family. You¡¯ll get to meet her very soon.¡±


    ¡°Why is she here?¡±


    ¡°She is here under my father¡¯s guardianship. Unfortunately, that guardianship is passed to me,¡± James remarked drily.


    ¡°Is she a relative?¡±


    ¡°She is neither a relative nor a close friend.¡±


    ¡°Then why do you keep her here?¡±


    ¡°It is my father¡¯s wish.¡±


    ¡°But your father is no longer living,¡± she replied unsympathetically. ¡°Would you also not marry me, if that was your father¡¯s wish?¡±


    He looked at her and charmingly smiled.


    ¡°Any men would do anything for you, even go against the wishes of their father,¡± he remarked.


    Her face brightened up and she kissed him on the cheek.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    James brought Teresa out of the front door. They found Sam busily dusting the car.


    ¡°You¡¯re back already, Sam?¡± James asked his chauffeur.


    Sam stopped his dusting and nervously looked at him.


    ¡°Miss Quintana called and said she will come on her own, Mr. Shaw,¡± Sam remarked.


    James¡¯s eyes narrowed in displease.


    ¡°And how will she be returning with no transportation and money?¡± he asked Sam angrily.


    Sam only timidly shook his head. Seeing his anger, Teresa stroke his arm tenderly.


    ¡°Why are you worry, darling? She is old enough to take care of herself, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    James unhappily looked at her, then he turned to Sam.


    ¡°Sam, I would like you to escort Miss Teresa home,¡± he remarked.


    Teresa looked up in horror.


    ¡°But it is only six, darling, and you haven¡¯t treated me to dinner yet!¡±


    He pulled her hands away from his arm.


    ¡°Next time, Teresa, I¡¯ll bring you out for dinner.¡±


    He nodded to Sam and brought Teresa down the steps. Sam opened the car door and James quickly bid her to go in.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you give me a kiss?¡±


    Impatient, he kissed her cheek, and she entered the car happily.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you tonight, darling,¡± she remarked after pulling the window down.


    James nodded and waved as the car pulled away, then his eyes narrowed as he looked at the gate and turned to go into the house.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    A Toyota car parked outside of the Shaw mansion gate at 9 O¡¯clock and Camellia got out quickly. Jerry¡¯s head popped out of the driver seat¡¯s window and he gazed at the white mansion in awe.


    ¡°You live here?¡±


    ¡°Just temporary,¡± Camellia remarked, trying to end their conversation quickly, so she could go in. She knew it was late, and she did not want to make it look as if she was a late-nighter. She knew James already regarded her with having little decency.


    ¡°Call me when you need anything,¡± Jerry replied, handing her a business card. ¡°I enjoyed your company tonight.¡±


    Camellia nodded and waved, hoping he would leave. When he did, Camellia buzzed the gate. To her relief, Sam came and opened it up for her.


    ¡°Where have you been, Miss? We were worried about you.¡±


    ¡°I went sight-seeing, Sam. I was fortunate enough to meet a tour guide who knew much about the city,¡± Camellia replied walking in.


    ¡°I could have taken you around the city, Miss. I know it as well,¡± Sam replied.


    Camellia smiled to the kind chauffeur.


    ¡°Yes, you would know it, Sam, but you are Mr. Shaw¡¯s chauffeur and I don¡¯t think he would like me to use you for my enjoyment.¡±


    Sam looked worried as Camellia turned and walked toward the house. She was tired as she walked up the stairs and into the house. Relieved that no servant or Mr. Shaw bothered her, she care-freely walked up the cascading stairs to her bedroom. To her fear and discontent, James stood at the top of the stairs looking down at her. He was in a dark blue pajama and robe and looked displeased as he watched her climb the stairs toward him.


    ¡°Is this how you spend your days in the states? Is this why you did not finish your education? Was all my father¡¯s money gone to waste on pleasure?¡±


    Insulted, she glared at him coldly, and tried to pass him, but he would not let her pass.


    ¡°I assure you that if you have any lovers out there, you are free to leave this place and go live with him,¡± he began cruelly. ¡°Also, if I find that you are spending my father¡¯s wealth on some lover of yours, I will cut you off my father¡¯s money. As you know, there is a clause in my father¡¯s Will that says that if you misuse the money, you will not be allowed to have any at all, Miss Quintana.¡±


    James knew he lied, but he did not know if she knew anything about his father¡¯s Will, and he would make sure that Mr. Jenson would follow his orders if he did find her with a lover.


    But Camellia did not seem to care nor help herself from saying, ¡°Rest assure, Mr. Shaw, that I won¡¯t be like your sister.¡±


    He glared at her in disbelief and grabbed her roughly.


    ¡°How dare you speak of my sister?!¡±


    She tried to pull her arm away, but he would not let her.


    ¡°For you, it¡¯s okay to speak unkindly of me, but if I speak unkindly of you or one of your family members, you think it is wrong?¡± Camellia questioned angrily, trying to pull away from his hold. ¡°Let me go, Mr. Shaw!¡±


    He gave her a deadly stare and released her.


    ¡°What I say is only true,¡± he coldly remarked after a moment, calming his anger.


    Camellia breathed angrily.


    ¡°No, Mr. Shaw. What you say is not true. You don¡¯t know me and yet you judge me like I am one of those people in your sister¡¯s circle.¡±


    He moved closer to her in anger.


    ¡°Who has been telling you these stories?¡±


    Camellia backed away, nervously. She did not want to tell him that the kind Leek had shared it with her and get him in trouble.


    ¡°I met your sister and some of her friends on my first days here,¡± she lied.


    He looked at her suspiciously.


    ¡°And what difference is there between you and them?¡± he asked after a moment.


    She bit her lips in anger.


    ¡°We are quite different, Mr. Shaw. Unlike your family, my parents have never taught me to dress so little like they do. Nor act with such pretense,¡± she slowly replied, happy at seeing the horror on his face. ¡°Nor have my parents taught me to greet a stranger with insults and disrespect, as even you have done. Perhaps education and wealth don¡¯t make everyone intelligent and mannered.¡±


    He sneered.


    ¡°You make yourself out to be so decent and proper, Miss Quintana? I wonder what lies there are beneath those talks of yours.¡±


    ¡°If I lie, Mr. Shaw, you¡¯ll be the last to know, for my lies are deep, and even for a man of your intelligent, you wouldn¡¯t be able to tell. Have a good night!¡±


    She turned and left him speechless. Though his face tensed with anger, his eyes found her shapely body as she entered her room and locked it tightly. [Author: uniqnovels.com - please clear cache and refresh to view site]

 Chapter 6 - The Other Shaws

    Camellia tried calling Dr. Sirimon for the next couple of days, but the nurse told her he was out again. Furious that the doctor would not speak to her because of James, she closed the phone and went out of the house to persuade Sam to take her to the clinic. Sam refused, telling her Mr. Shaw had requested it. Not knowing what to do, she went to visit Leek by the flowers.


    A sports car pulled up to the driveway. Mark got out of the car and whistled at Camellia. She disgustedly looked at him and asked Leek who that was.


    "That is Mr. Mark, Miss. He is probably here to collect his check. It is the end of the month."


    Camellia looked in disgust as Mark came toward them.


    "Are you our new maid here?" he asked as he came up to Camellia.


    Camellia glared at him coldly and then smiled in pretense as she saw that he was flirting with her.


    "No," she began, "I''m the new girl in your household."


    He looked in disbelief.


    "Why are you dressed like that?" he asked unintelligently.


    Camellia looked at her clothes. She was wearing a plain shirt and pants, which obviously made her look plain like a maid.


    "Is something wrong?" she asked him rudely.


    He laughed.


    Camellia looked at him as if he had gone insane.


    "I thought you would look more like Amy," he began, "or even Teresa."


    Camellia continued to glare at him as if he were crazy.


    "Who is Teresa?"


    "James''s girlfriend."


    Camellia frowned.


    "You don''t hate me for being here?"


    "Of course," he replied with a twinkle in his eyes. "Nobody wants an unwanted guest. But I can learn to like you if you want me to."


    Camellia slowly smiled, not knowing who she disliked more¡ªJames or his brother.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Camellia strolled into the house and tried to climb the stairs to her room, but Mark followed behind and stopped her.


    "Why do you leave so quickly? I can be your friend in this house," he remarked, blocking her way to the stairs.


    "Thank you for your offer, Mr. Shaw, but I don''t need your friendship."


    "My name is Mark, and may I call you Camellia?"


    She looked at him in disbelief and climbed the stairs. He blocked her again.


    "Will you go out with me tonight? I know many fun places in the city."


    "Wouldn''t your brother disapprove?" she questioned him.


    "Not if I pick you up outside the gates. My brother wouldn''t even know," he stated, making her sound unclean.


    Hating his thinking, she smiled and said with mischief in her eyes, "Fine, pick me up outside the gates if you want."


    Mark''s eyes glittered in triumph.


    "I''ll pick you up at nine then?"


    Camellia knew what he was asking, and she gave him a seductive smile.


    "All right then."


    With that she passed him and climbed the stairs, uncaring that he watched her.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Not surprised to find his brother home, James came to sit by him as he watched TV in the family room with snacks.


    "How is school?"


    "Fine. Fine."


    "Where is Amy?"


    Mark jumped and yelled at the game he was watching, then settled back down and looked to his brother.


    "Amy said she''ll be here tonight with some friends."


    James nodded. He was about to leave when Mark commented, "Miss Quintana is very attractive."A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    James glared at his brother as if he had gone insane.


    "You''ve met her?"


    "I''ve met her, and she seems very nice."


    James disapprovingly looked at him.


    "She is not nice, Mark. She is an intelligent woman who knows what she wants," he plainly remarked.


    "I know," Mark plainly replied.


    James looked displeased at his brother''s expression.


    "Don''t be fooled by a pretty face, Mark. You have gotten yourself in much trouble over them. I do not want you to have the same with Miss Quintana. She is claiming half of Father''s wealth. She may also claim yours."


    With those words, he left him there. Mark turned and unhappily looked at his brother''s departure.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Camellia stayed in her room and she listened to the voices of Amy and her three girlfriends down in the family room greeting James and Mark. After a moment, Sara came and informed her that dinner was ready. She refused to go down, because she knew it would only be a battle ground, and she was alone in it.


    When Sara returned a second time to inform her that Mr. Shaw requested her presence, Camellia knew she could not cower away. Intentionally changing into more seductive clothes, she came down and met them in the dining room. The four girls were chatting away when Camellia entered the room. Amy saw her and sneered. Her three girlfriends followed her and whispered among themselves as they gave Camellia a dirty look. They laughed silently as they whispered in each other''s ears with disgust.


    Mark saw her and bounced up in relief. James saw her and was shocked at her choice of clothes, and unkindly told her to sit. He looked unhappy as he glanced at his brother, who stared at her in delight. Care-freely, Camellia took the seat next to Mark, who graciously stood up to get the chair for her. She smiled in seduction and thanked him.


    "Mark, you needn''t get the chair for her," Amy quickly remarked, irritated at her brother''s action.


    Her brother ignored her and smiled toward Camellia, who noticed Amy''s disgusted look and James''s stern look.


    Deliberately, she laid her hand on Mark''s arm and sweetly replied, "Mark, you''re such a gentleman. I am honored to sit next to you, and know, as a gentleman, you will help me with anything I ask for on the table?"


    Mark quickly nodded his head and grabbed some food onto her plate. Amy looked at her deadly. Her three girlfriends looked at her deadly.


    "But what is on the table isn''t worth anything. What you really want from my brother is his money, isn''t that right, Miss Quintana?" Amy retorted.


    Camellia controlled her anger.


    "You seem to be jealous, Miss Shaw. Mark is like a brother to me and you make it sound as if we were lovers," Camellia looked at Mark and smiled seductively. "But perhaps who knows."


    Mark looked as if he was flying. Camellia slowly and teasingly grabbed some food from a plate and placed it on his plate. The four girls across the table looked in mute horror. Not liking the tension, James cleared his throat in irritation and gave Amy a look to be silent. He looked deadly over to Camellia, who calmly sat on her chair and began eating, disregarding what he thought of her.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Camellia held onto Mark''s arm as they came out of the dining room. Amy and her three friends rushed after them and blocked their way. Amy came up to Camellia and pushed her away from her brother.


    "How dare you touch my brother?!"


    Camellia let go of Mark''s arm and glared at her in anger as she stood her ground, ready to defend herself. Mark came in between them.


    "What is your problem, Amy?" Mark replied, pushing Amy away from Camellia.


    "You dare protect her too, Mark? She''s robbing us of our wealth, and you are helping her?" Amy exclaimed angrily to her brother as she pushed her brother away.


    Camellia clung unto Mark''s arm and said, "Don''t let her harm me, Mark. I''m scared."


    Amy screamed and raised her hand to hit Camellia, but Mark blocked her and pushed her aside.


    "What is going on here!?" James came in, angry at seeing the sight. Camellia finally let Mark''s arm go and stood firmly in place, grinning that she was dividing his family. Knowing her intention, James narrowed his eyes. He turned to his sister.


    "Here''s your check. I believe you have a place to stay for tonight or will you be sleeping at home?" he firmly asked.


    Amy roughly took the check and hatefully glared at Camellia. She then turned and ordered her friends and her to leave immediately. James then turned to his brother. He first looked at her, who boldly faced him without a tinge of fear. Then he turned to Mark.


    ??Take your check and return to school. I will send you your checks from now on. You won''t need to return here," he firmly remarked.


    Mark took the check and looked at her.


    "Leave now and do well in school, Mark. You owe father that much," James replied, clearly disgusted that his brother was falling for a girl who would use him.


    Mark frowned and turned to leave, but he turned back and looked at Camellia.


    "I''ll be waiting," he remarked.


    Camellia did not reply. She was silent. She also wanted him to leave, for she knew he was more trouble than his brother. They both watched him silently leave in his sports car and James finally turned to her. She coldly looked at him and walked away, but he grasped her arm.


    "What did he mean he''ll be waiting?"


    Camellia shrugged, and remarked, "How am I supposed to know? I am not your brother."


    James looked angrily at her, knowing she was playing with them.


    "If you dare make a move on my brother, I''ll see that all that money waiting for you be drained as quickly as you can think," he stated with venom.


    She roughly pulled her arms away.


    "I need not make a move on your brother for him to drool all over me," she icily remarked. "He is smarter than you when it comes to girls, Mr. Shaw."


    He grabbed her abruptly back.


    "If you think that I am too soft on you, then I can assure you that I can also be cruel, Miss Quintana," he remarked, bringing her closer.


    "You have always been cruel, Mr. Shaw," she remarked angrily, pushing him away.


    "But isn''t that what women want? A man who is mean and cruel?" he roughly stated as he forced her to his chest. He quickly looked to her body, clearly outlined by the thin clothes she wore.


    "I see you are even dressed for the occasion."


    She pushed him, as he held her tightly around the waist, and without another word, he forced his lips on hers. He kissed her and held her firmly against him. When he finally let her go, she pushed him so hard that she managed to pull his arm away from her waist. With all the anger and humiliation in her chest, she raised her hand and slapped him on the cheek.


    He was stunned. When he looked at her, he saw tears on her cheek, which shocked him more. She calmed her shaking lips and spoke, "If you want to ruin my life, go ahead, Mr. Shaw. But don''t ever touch me again!" Camellia wiped her lips roughly and ran up the stairs in disgust.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Camellia entered her room and laid on her bed. She could not help the tears falling from her eyes. She hated him and she wished she could leave this house, but she had no money. She quickly dried her tears and remembered she was to receive $5,000 a month from the late Mr. Shaw. Quickly, she stood to pack her things. She would receive her money and leave this house and never return. She will only return when she turned twenty-five years old and Mr. Jenson would have no choice but to give her father''s paper to her and read whatever Mr. Shaw left her in the damn Will.


    [Author: uniqnovels.com]

 Chapter 7 - The Check

    James looked at the check in his hand. It was written to Miss Camellia Quintana and had an amount of $5,000. He sat in his desk in the library and pondered on whether to give her the check. She did not deserve the money when she was not part of the family, he cruelly thought. He sighed.


    He had kissed her. Of all the girls he could kiss, he had kissed her. And more surprising was she did not like it. He should be the one hating the kiss, but instead he spent the entire time pondering why she slapped him and hated a kiss he thought she would like. He had not yet kiss Teresa on the lips, but he had kissed her. Disgusted with himself, he placed the check neatly in an envelope and pondered if he should give her the check.


    He was a businessman, and he had to think coolly.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    James avoided her. He had his private dinner in the library and went straight to bed. He did not ask for her or dare to look for her. He kept Bow to his side whenever he could, for he did not want his dog to find her, then he would find her.


    The car company was eager with showcasing their brand-new cars, and it relieved James to be occupied and away from the house. He knew she would be there and would not go anywhere. If he did not give her the check, she would have no money to leave the house. In fact, he wanted her to be in the house and not leave. For some odd reason, he wanted her to stay in the house.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    It was almost 3 months since Camellia came to stay at the Shaw mansion, and she wondered when her check was coming. She checked with the maids every day when they brought in the mails, but there was no check for her. Worried, she contacted Mr. Jenson.


    "All the checks go to Mr. Shaw, Miss Quintana. He must have your check, for I sent them out two weeks before the month end."


    Angry that James was keeping her from getting her checks, she asked Mr. Jenson if he could directly send them to her.


    "I would if I could, Miss Quintana. But he oversees all the finances that goes to the family. The check will need to be cleared by him first," Mr. Jenson replied.


    Camellia hanged up the phone and forced herself to face him that day. She had avoided him after what happened a month ago, but if she wanted her freedom, then she had to face him just this once. $5000 would get her an apartment and she could find a job to continue paying for her living. Her plans were clear, and it seemed that nothing could go wrong. So, she anxiously waited for him to return from work.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    She waited that day, but he did not return for dinner. It was 10 O''clock and Camellia had fallen asleep on the sofa when the car drove up and parked in front of the house. He wearily came in and stopped at seeing her asleep on the sofa in the family room. Curious, he walked over to her and wondered why she was sleeping there. She could not possibly be waiting for him, he mockingly thought, but grinned at the thought.


    Quietly, he knelt and looked at her. She looked young and vulnerable where she was sleeping. He could kiss her, and she would not be able to do anything. He frowned at the thought. He was not a cad, nor did he desire to kiss someone he despised. Angry at his thoughts, he roughly nudged her. She opened her eyes in surprise. Startled to see him so close to her, she quickly sat up and kept a distance. Her arms came out to shield her chest as if her pajamas were unbuttoned.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "Why are you sleeping here?" he blandly asked her.


    She looked around.


    "I¡ªI was waiting for you," she finally said, as she looked at him in distrust.


    His eyebrow lifted in surprised, but with the hostile look on her face, he knew it was not for a good reason. His hand unexpectedly reached out and touched her chin, before he stood up and said mockingly, "Did you miss me?"


    His touched made her tingle, and hating herself, she narrowed her eyes. He laughed and moved to go, but scurried after him to his library.


    "I was waiting for you so I could ask about my monthly stipend," she remarked bravely.


    He turned and looked at her.


    "Your monthly stipend? Why would you ask me about that?"


    "Mr. Jensen tells me I am to receive some money from your father, Mr. Shaw. Though you may not believe it, but I only want one check so I may find myself a new home to move into."


    He stopped and looked at her curiously.


    "I won''t take any more of your generosity, Mr. Shaw. And I promise that I will pay you back if you will give me a check that your father has given me," she remarked out of breath. "I won''t bother your family anymore. In fact, I don''t want to see this place anymore."


    His eyes narrowed.


    "And the debt that you owe this family? What of it?" he asked rather impatiently.


    "I will pay all the money your father has given my father and me, Mr. Shaw. I will even sign a contract that I will take none of your father''s money, if you would but give me one check to help me start out my life," she replied, hoping to have him see that she was sincere.


    He took his suit jacket off and laid it on his desk. Then he turned and looked at her straight in the eyes.


    "But I believe that if I give you one check, you will run away and never return to pay your debts."


    She looked at him in horror.


    "How can you say that?"


    He grinned sarcastically.


    "I know what is on your mind, Miss Quintana. You have a lover out there you know will hide you, only you need some money for you two to live on," he remarked unkindly as he watched horror crossed her face.


    She was angry at his unreasonable remark, that she blurted, "And what good would it do for you to keep me here, Mr. Shaw, without allowing Sam to drive me to find a job so I can start paying some of your damn money back!"


    There was disgust written all over her face.


    "I can''t even take a taxi and you cruelly disconnected me from Dr. Sirimon''s offered. You will not even help me find a job, and yet you want me to repay you these debts? Are you crazy? How am I to pay you these debts? Must I sell myself to make money? After all, it is the only thing I can do with all the other options gone!"


    He looked at her strangely and remarked in a whispered, "You would make a lot of money if you do that. I''m sure my brother would be your first client."


    With much anger in her heart, she walked up to him and slapped him on the face.


    This time, he did not let her go. He grabbed her hand, the one that hit him, and forcefully pulled her to him.


    "If you want to start paying your debt, Miss Quintana, I can be your first client!"


    He pulled her to him and kissed her. She struggled, but he held her tightly, until she stopped, and tears fell from her eyes. He stopped then and looked at her in horror. Her face was turned away in humiliation, but when he slowly released her, she faced him bravely. Without another word, her hand came up and slapped him again. This time he grabbed her hand only and pulled her to him.


    "I can make you sleep with me if I want to," he remarked coolly.


    She looked at him in horror.


    "You can''t. You would have to force me, and you know how wrong that is."


    His eyes narrowed.


    "But in your case, you will come willingly, for you owe my family too much," he remarked with a cynical grin. "The next time you raise this hand of yours again, I''ll make sure you come to my bed, even if it won''t pay off your debt."


    She pulled away from him in disgust and backed away.


    "I would rather sell myself to others than be in your bed, Mr. Shaw. Even your brother would be a better choice."


    She knew she should not have said that, for at the mention of his brother his eyes turned deadly.


    "If you dare seduce my brother, I will put you in jail for what you owe my family," he replied madly. "I''ll make your life miserable if you do not stay away from my brother. But have a heart, I don''t bed women who are soiled."


    She controlled her anger well and smiled, "I am glad then, Mr. Shaw, for I won''t need to worry about waking up next to you in bed."


    She deliberately wiped her lips and cheeks before turning away to leave the room. He only glared at her in disbelief. His heart boiled with anger. [Author: uniqnovels.com]

 Chapter 8 - A Mutual Situation, A Growing Affection?

    Camellia finally reached Dr. Sirimon one day. He had been out of town for a conference and was why she could not contact him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know James was your guardian, Miss Quintana, or I wouldn¡¯t have offered you the position,¡± he remarked.


    ¡°He is not my guardian, Dr. Sirimon,¡± Camellia replied, anxiously hoping he would believe her. ¡°But I need a job, and it is my choice to get one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. My friend didn¡¯t sound happy when I mentioned you to him.¡±


    ¡°Dr. Sirimon, I¡¯m twenty-three years old. If I do not work in my field, I will lose all this knowledge and experience that I have worked hard in college for. I want to take your position,¡± Camellia remarked.


    There was silence on the end of the phone.


    ¡°Please,¡± Camellia slowly replied, ¡°I need this job.¡±


    There was another silence before the doctor replied, ¡°All right. You seem to fit this job, anyway.¡±


    Camellia was relieved.


    ¡°The child will be here tomorrow at 1 O¡¯clock. Why don¡¯t you come at 9 tomorrow and I¡¯ll review the case for you?¡±


    She thanked him and hung up the phone. She knew Sam would not take her to the clinic tomorrow, but she remembered that she had Jerry, who had graciously offered to help her anytime.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    When the morning came, Camellia watched as James left in the Mercedes-Benzes car. Then she changed into formal clothes. At 8 O¡¯clock, Jerry¡¯s car came and parked outside the gate. She anxiously walked to the gate, hoping no servants saw her. To her horror, Leek called her name.


    ¡°Miss, where are you going?¡± he asked, seeing her purse and formal clothes.


    ¡°I¡ªI am going out with a friend today, Leek,¡± Camellia slowly replied.


    Leek nodded and watched as Camellia went out of the gate and got into the Toyota car outside. He turned back to work on the garden.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Jerry left her at the clinic and promised to come back at 4 O¡¯clock for her. The doctor was thrilled to see her. In fact, he seemed relieved that she took the position. At 1 O¡¯clock, a young girl was brought to the clinic. She was silent, but observant. Dr. Sirimon took Camellia to greet the woman and the child, and he introduced them as Mrs. Wesman and Brielle. The child was lovely, but she did not seem to notice Camellia as she saw the coloring books in the room and went straight to it. When Mrs. Wesman left, Camellia went to the child.


    ¡°Hello, dear, may I join you?¡±


    Brielle did not look at her but continued coloring the picture.


    Camellia silently observed her and saw how neat she was in coloring. She had placed her crayons and picture in an orderly structured and made sure the color matched as she placed them back on the table.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    For the entire day, Camellia interacted with Brielle for a while, then Brielle went on talking to herself on how messy her picture was looking and how beautiful another picture of hers was. She spoke to herself so innocently that Camellia could not help smiling. She wondered what it was like when she had been young.


    She proposed to teach Brielle to read, but after a moment of attention, Brielle returned to her pictures. At the end of the day, she managed to get Brielle to hug her before she left the hospital with her mother that day.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Jerry asked to take her out for dinner, so Camellia agreed since she wanted company with someone who liked her for a change. When they sat in the restaurant, Camellia looked depress as she observed people who happily talked to each other. They seem to have someone, except her.


    ¡°Camellia, is something wrong?¡± Jerry asked, excitingly sitting down opposite her.


    She smiled.


    ¡°How many brothers and sisters do you have?¡± Camellia asked after they had ordered.


    ¡°I have two brothers and one sister. They all are working like I am,¡± he remarked. ¡°And you, how many brothers and sisters do you have?¡±


    Camellia smiled sadly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any. I¡¯m an only child.¡±


    Jerry looked confused. ¡°Then why do you need to work? That house you live in must be millions of dollars,¡± he stated.


    ¡°That house belongs to¡ªmy father¡¯s friend. My father passed away a couple months ago, and his friend has offered to take me in until I find a job to pay for my own living.¡±


    Jerry looked sorry at her sad face.


    ¡°I see. You must be lonely, without any family member in that big house. Do they treat you well?¡±


    Camellia quickly smiled and changed the subject.


    ¡°Why did you become a tour guide?¡± she remarked with a brilliant smile.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Camellia thanked Jerry and watched as he drove away. She came through the gates toward the house, and saw the Mercedes-Benzes parked in front and knew he was home. To her horror, he came out of the house with a beautiful woman holding onto his arm as if they were married.


    Camellia cautiously walked toward them as he sternly looked at her. He looked at her clothes and notice its formality. She ignored him and walked up the stairs to pass them.


    ¡°This is Miss Quintana, the one I was telling you about, Teresa,¡± James remarked, as Camellia reached them.


    Camellia turned to the woman and smiled. To her misfortune, Teresa did not like her one bit. She gave Camellia a cold, disapproving look.


    ¡°So nice to meet you, Miss Quintana,¡± she remarked with an edge to her voice. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Camellia returned the remark and without another word or care, walked into the house. She walked straight up the stairs into her room and locked it. For some unknown reasons, her heart was racing, and she did not like it one bit. So she got a towel and slipped into the bathroom to take a cold shower to cool her heart.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Camellia stayed in her room the entire night and avoided dinner with them. To her luck, nobody came to knock on her door. Surprised that the house was silent after a moment, Camellia came out of her room at 10 O¡¯clock to look around. She was in her peach silk pajamas and robe. More to her surprise, the rooms were silent and empty. James and Teresa seemed to have disappeared along with the servants.


    Relieved and feeling strange, Camellia searched all the rooms to make sure no one was around. When she was sure that no one was around, she looked confused. Then she heard Bow bark. Filled with joy that Bow was in the house, she searched for him and heard his bark coming from the library. Afraid that he could still be in the house in the library, Camellia slowly opened the library door to check if it were lighted.


    To her relief, the library was in darkness. She pulled the door opened and heard Bow bark again. To her surprise, Bow ran up to her, and she giggled. Before she could bend down to pick him up, Bow ran into the dark room.


    ¡°Bow?¡± Camellia called, noticing how dark the library was with the shades closed. But to her surprise, a small light was coming from the fireplace.


    She touched the wall to see if she could find a light switch. Unable to find one, she slowly came into the library as Bow barked from inside the room. With slow walks, she made her way blindly to the fireplace where Bow was barking.


    ¡°Bow, where are you?¡± she asked, hoping she would not bump into something and hit herself.


    Finally, she felt a sofa and knew she was in the circle of sofas she had seen earlier before in the light. She traveled along the sofa and from the light in the fireplace saw Bow sitting on the floor, wagging his tail. She reached him in relief and sat down, picked him up and hugged him tightly. She cuddled him in her arms.


    ¡°How are you today, Bow? I missed you very much,¡± Camellia remarked, hugging him tightly and placing her head to him.


    She turned to look at the fireplace and placed Bow on her lap. She sighed and hugged him again as if she would lose him.


    ¡°I am lonely, Bow... I don¡¯t have a friend or family who cares for me like you do,¡± she began sadly. ¡°You are my only friend in this cold, empty house. I wish I could leave and take you with me.¡±


    She held him and looked sadly into the fire.


    ¡°I wish Mother was still here,¡± she whispered.


    There was a noise behind her, and she turned to see what it was, but Bow jumped out of her arms, and she turned to look for him.


    ¡°Bow, where are you?¡± she asked, as she stood up from the fireplace and walked into the dark again.


    She heard Bow at the end of the sofas, and slowly placed her hand on the sofa to help guide her. She was reaching the loveseat, when suddenly a hand jerked out, grabbed her waist, and pulled her down. She cried out in fear and reached for the hands on her waist as she was placed on a lap. Her hand furiously tried to remove the arms around her, but when she could not, she turned around and came face to face with James. Even in the dark, she could tell it was him, for her face was next to his. He was in his dark robe and pajama, hiding him from her eye.


    ¡°You!¡± She shouted, trying to stand up when she realized she was on his lap.


    He only started at her silently, but she could tell in the dark that he had on a grin.


    ¡°Let me go,¡± she remarked, trying to pry his fingers of her waist.


    He tightened his hold on her and brought her closer to him. Her heart pounded. They were too intimate.


    ¡°If you are lonely, you should¡¯ve come to me,¡± he whispered, mocking her.


    She desperately tried to escape, but his arms gripped her.


    ¡°How dare you eavesdrop on my words! You have no manner or respect at all!¡± she cried, trying hard to pull away.


    He shook her, and she stopped struggling and turned to give him a lethal look.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t eavesdropping on you, my dear proper Miss Quintana. I was in here before you came here.¡±


    She tried to move again, angry at his words.


    ¡°You could have told me you were here, Mr. Shaw! That would have been a courteous thing to do,¡± she replied, angry that his arms were not loosening its hold on her waist and she was forced to intimately sit on his lap.


    ¡°But I am not a gentleman, do you remember? That is Mark,¡± he whispered near her ear.


    Horrified, she drummed his arms.


    ¡°Let me go, you wicked man!¡±


    He finally released her, and she fell onto the floor. He laughed as she faced him angrily in the dark.


    ¡°You seem so different from what I thought you would be, Camellia,¡± James remarked, startling her at using her first name.


    He bent down to face her on the floor. His face came close to hers that she could feel his breath.


    ¡°I can fill your loneliness if you need me to,¡± he whispered.


    Though her heart pounded, and she wanted it to be true, she knew what he meant and she knew she would never allow him to treat her this way, not when she already owed him so much and viewed her with little value. She stood up and faced him high. Though she could not see his face clearly, she knew he looked at her closely.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you. You would be the last person I go to¡­ to fill my loneliness,¡± she remarked, as she swallowed nervously. ¡°A dog is preferable over your presence.¡±


    To her horror, he stood up. His height intimidated her, but she would not allow him to scare her, not when it was what he wanted to do.


    ¡°Is that why you would sneak out of this house and have rendezvous with another man?¡± he remarked cruelly, ¡°Is that lonely heart of yours so empty that you must spend an entire day to have him fill it up for you?¡±


    She heaved in anger.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t spend my entire day with a man, Mr. Shaw. In fact, I¡ª¡± she stopped herself before she could tell him her accomplishment.


    He grabbed her arm.


    ¡°You what?¡±


    Angry that he wanted to know her business, she told him anyway, just to spite him, ¡°I got the position back from your friend, Mr. Shaw.¡±


    His face hardened, and she could tell that he was not happy.


    ¡°Was it the position you were aiming for, or my friend, Miss Quintana?¡±


    His words shocked her, and she pulled her arms roughly away from him. He laughed.


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, it sounds as if you are trying to catch Dr. Sirimon so he could pay these debts for you?¡±


    She did not hit him this time, for she knew it was too dangerous, in the dark and alone.


    ¡°If I was, then you¡¯ll see an invitation from your friend to attend his wedding, Mr. Shaw,¡± she icily remarked, and passed him to go in anger.


    She did not get far, for she bumped into something and trip. The statue also fell from its place and hit the ground. It must have bruised her for she felt the excruciating pain. He immediately came to her side and held her arm.


    ¡°You must be more careful, there are a lot of antiques in this library,¡± he remarked, his tone of voice quite different from those she had heard. It was almost caring. She looked surprised but thought that he was concern about his antiques.


    ¡°I see. How much will I owe you if I break one of your antiques?¡±


    He frowned.


    ¡°You misunderstand. I wasn¡¯t talking about the antique,¡± he slowly remarked, and then a smile touched his lips. ¡°But they are rare and irreplaceable, so you will owe me forever if you break one of them.¡±


    Frustrated at his words, she moved away from his touch, and tried to stand up, but fell back as her knee gave way from the pain. Before she could stop him, his hand came beneath her knees and he picked her up in his arms. She re-acted and jumped.


    ¡°Don¡¯t, or that injury of yours will be worse,¡± he firmly stated holding onto her tightly.


    She stopped and flushed red. She was glad the room was dark, for she did not want him to see her red face.


    ¡°And if you trip? What then?¡± she asked almost mischievously.


    He slowly carried her in the dark.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you this is my place to hide? I know it like the back of my hands, even in the dark,¡± he stated so surely, that she believed him.


    He brought her safely out of the library back into the light. She felt shy and unable to look him in the eyes. She was in her pajamas, in his arms, and their bodies touched. He looked at her with strange emotion in his eyes, and it feared her as well as excited her. It was something she felt drawn too but knew she should not want.


    ¡°Please let me go, I can manage from here,¡± Camellia softly replied unable to look at him.


    He did not say anything nor heed her as he continued to carry her up the stairs. She stared at him in disbelief and found his face to be stern and focus, as if he also did not like what he was feeling. When he brought her into her room and set her on the bed, she refused to look at him, but stared at her hand on her lap.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Sara to bring you some medication,¡± he remarked strangely, and she finally looked at him.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she slowly replied, a strangeness to her voice.


    He looked at her for a moment, his face expressionless and hard as if he were battling something.


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    He turned and closed the door behind. She stared at his exit with heaviness on her mind, wondering why her heart was racing. She needed to remember that she was a rival¡¯s daughter living in a rival¡¯s home. Her body was heating up and she hopped over to open the window to cool her head. [Author: uniqnovels.com]

 Chapter 9 - Jamess Love

    Camellia looked at herself in the mirror. She was dressed formally in a skirt and shirt, and though she looked lovely, her mind was somewhere else. Her heart was light today, and she felt happy, something she had forgotten how to feel. She glanced at her watch and slipped out of her room with her purse. It was near eight in the morning and James would have left for work. Slowly, she came down the stairs and to her surprise saw him sitting on the family room sofa reading a newspaper in his business suit. Suspiciously wondering why he was still there, she walked by hoping he would not see her.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± he remarked as he placed the newspaper down and turned to look at her.


    He stood up and glanced at his watch.


    ¡°Am I ready for what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking you to work.¡±


    She looked defiantly at him.


    ¡°I have a ride to work already. I don¡¯t need your generosity,¡± she remarked and turned to leave the house.


    He followed her. Sam stood by the car and quickly opened the car door in glee, but Camellia walked passed him. The elder man looked in confusion. James walked in front of her and blocked her from going.


    ¡°I have agreed to let you work, Camellia, but I will take you to work,¡± he plainly stated.


    She shook her head in disbelief.


    ¡°You have no right to agree or not to let me work,¡± she stated. ¡°You are not my guardian or my husband.¡±


    His eyes narrowed, and he closed their space.


    ¡°But you owe this family, Camellia, and I will not let you go with some penniless man who would probably one day not return you to pay me,¡± he cruelly remarked.


    She was angry at his words.


    ¡°I have no man to leave with, Mr. Shaw. You can rest assure I am not that kind of woman,¡± she remarked coldly.


    ¡°Then get in the car, and I will take you to work,¡± he ordered sternly.


    She faced him defiantly and looked to the gate to see if Jerry was there, but there was no car.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about your friend,¡± James remarked, seeing the look on her face, ¡°I have informed Sara to tell him you won¡¯t need his generosity anymore.¡±


    She faced him angrily, wanting to oppose him desperately. But instead, she coolly turned and got into the car. He followed her triumphantly.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    When the Mercedes-Benzes parked in front of the clinic, Camellia did not wait for Sam to open the door for her. She wanted to leave the car with all her defiance, but to her horror, James followed her to greet the kind doctor. Dr. Sirimon looked joyful as he saw his friend.


    ¡°How have you been, my friend?¡± James remarked, coming up to Camellia and Dr. Sirimon.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been better. And you, my friend, how have you been?¡±


    James looked to her and smiled.


    ¡°I have been busy with many things on my hand,¡± he remarked sarcastically. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Camellia excused herself and left them there. Her heart pounded in frustration that he wanted to mock her life, even on her job.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    For the next couple of days, James orchestrated her trip to the clinic with him or had Sam send her alone. Though she hated those rides, Camellia seemed to be getting along well at work. Brielle was beginning to like her and talk with her more. Though her daily routine were the same and she liked to color more than anything else, Camellia tried to teach her other things as well.


    One day, after seeming like Brielle was looking tired and sad and did not want to do anything, Camellia asked to take her outside to get some fresh air. Brielle enjoyed the weather. She ran and chased butterflies like every normal child. She laughed and giggled like every normal child. Camellia sat and watched as she enjoyed herself outside.


    ¡°She seems to like it out here,¡± came the voice of Dr. Sirimon.


    Camellia turned and found him standing behind her. He smiled and looked to the child.


    ¡°I think staying inside was draining her energy,¡± Camellia replied looking at the happy child.


    ¡°I think staying inside was also draining your energy, Miss Quintana,¡± the doctor suddenly remarked.


    Camellia looked to him and smiled. Just then Brielle cried, startling them. Camellia turned and saw that she had fell and scraped her knees and hands. Dr. Sirimon and she quickly went to pick her up as she laid on the ground crying. Camellia tried to calm her as the doctor quickly brought her back into the hospital. Brielle was still crying when Camellia washed her knee.


    ¡°It¡¯s only a scrape, darling, it will be alright. See this pretty bandage? It will make your knees all better,¡± she sweetly replied, trying to calm Brielle.


    The bandage was colored with cartoon characters, and Brielle stared at it in fascination, as her crying lessoned.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    After a long day, Camellia stood out of the clinic and waved to Brielle and Mrs. Wesman as their car drove away. Brielle seemed happy as she had the cartoon bandage to look at.


    ¡°Are you tire, Miss Quintana?¡± Dr. Sirimon said from beside her.


    She smiled.


    ¡°Would you mind if I ask you to join me for dinner tonight. We can talk about Brielle¡¯s progress?¡± he slowly asked.


    Camellia looked unsure. She knew Sam would pick her up soon, but the sincere looked on Dr. Sirimon brought her to agree with him. When Sam came, Camellia told him she would be coming home with the doctor.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    ¡°Do you have any relatives here, Miss Quintana?¡± Dr. Sirimon asked from across her in a restaurant.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± she began, looking uncomfortable in answering questions about her family. ¡°Brielle seems to be opening up more. She seems to listen well and follows directions well. But more so she is willing to share more.¡±


    ¡°I know if you spend more time with her, she will find a friend in you, Miss Quintana. How do you find living in the Shaw mansion?¡± he asked again.


    Camellia looked up, strangely finding the doctor to change the subject.


    ¡°It is alright. How long will Brielle be with us?¡± she asked changing the subject again.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be with us until twelve or so, or when her mother stops bringing her,¡± the doctor replied, a twinkle in his eyes. ¡°But why have James not bring you out to society. I¡¯m sure there are many young eligible men out there who would like to meet you.¡±


    Camellia sighed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Mr. Shaw would feel comfortable with that, Dr. Sirimon. I will embarrass him as someone living under his roof.¡±


    The doctor did not understand her message and smile.


    ¡°James won¡¯t be like that. He is a good man. That makes me wonder why he did not marry his girlfriend after his father passed away,¡± he stated.


    Camellia looked up with a tinge of curiosity in her heart.


    ¡°You mean Teresa?¡± she asked quietly.


    ¡°No,¡± Dr. Sirimon remarked, ¡°Teresa came afterward, but I was talking about Prada, his first girlfriend. He was very much in love with her.¡±


    Camellia looked stunned that she forgot to eat.


    ¡°You mean James was in love with someone...very much?¡± she asked numbly.


    The doctor seemed to be lost in his words and did not notice the look on her face.


    ¡°He was very much in love with her, and she is incredibly beautiful, but he was still in college and his father refused to let him marry her or even to be engaged with her. I never understood why,¡± he remarked. ¡°Perhaps the old Mr. Shaw didn¡¯t like her that much.¡±


    Camellia looked away stunned. There was heaviness in her heart, as she listened to the doctor¡¯s words.


    ¡°He was going to elope with her, but something happened, and he returned to America to study. I never heard about Prada anymore. James never speaks about her anymore too. I think he was heart-broken that his father disagreed with the woman he chose to love...and that he had to let her go...I guess that is why he shuts himself up in the house all alone these days...I guest he became bitter...¡± (If you like this novel so far, please support our author at uniqnovels.com. Thank you.)