Love's Cunning Ruse




In the upscale neighborhood of Gilded Gate Residences, Camilla Stewart lay propped up in her lavish canopy bed, a bandage wrapped neatly around her swollen ankle. By her side stood Charles, her loyal attendant, who had just brought in a

glass of ice water and some painkillers.

"Where's Hayden?" Camilla's sharp gaze cut through the dimly lit room, landing squarely on Charles.

Charles glanced toward the door before replying in a hushed tone, "The young master's on a call. I overheard him as I passed by; seems like he's on the line with Mr. Quinn."

No sooner had Charles finished speaking than the sound of deliberate footsteps approached. Swiftly, Charles lifted the glass, pressing the pills into Camilla's hand with a dutiful flourish. "Miss, please take your medicine. We wouldn't want the water to get cold."

Ignoring the pills for a moment, Camilla first eyed Hayden, who had just walked in, then said, "Hayden, is there something pressing? I appreciate you stopping by to check on me, but if you have important matters to attend to..."

"Important matters? None more so than your ankle," Hayden interrupted, his voice carrying the weight of concern. "I've already spoken with Dr. Kerry. He's adamant that a young lady's foot should not be taken lightly. He insists on a thorough check- up to avoid any complications."

Julien had just arrived from the site of a minor car accident, curious to witness Camilla's rumored theatrics. Instead, he found himself observing Hayden's convincing performance.

The Stewarts were an enigma. With roots tracing back several generations to the Veridian shores, it wasn't until Camilla's mother, Candace, struck it rich with a lucky lottery ticket that the family's fortunes soared. With newfound wealth, Candace started a magazine that gained modest acclaim in Veridia.

The Stewarts had only two daughters: Camilla and Bertha, who had disappeared years ago. But it was Candace's story that captivated the town. A self-made woman, Candace had never married, yet she had raised her two daughters on her own. Now stepping back from the limelight, Candace lived a life removed from the public eye. The identity of her husband, however, was a mystery that even Julien couldn't unravel.

If Kieran believed Camilla warranted suspicion, then Julien was inclined to trust his judgment.

On the bed, Camilla maintained her image of fragile grace. With a gentle smile, she assured Hayden, "You're too kind. It's really just a sprain from this morning's misstep in my heels. It's been properly seen to; there's no need for concern."

"That won't do," Hayden insisted, looking at her bandaged ankle as though he truly believed his own words. "Dr. Kerry was clear: you mustn't risk future issues. He asked me to take you to the hospital myself to ease his mind."

Without delay, he signaled for two attendants to enter, ready to escort Camilla to the hospital.

"Really, there's no need..." Camilla protested, her brow furrowed in polite refusal.

But Hayden was resolute, and Julien, who had been lingering in the doorway, stepped forward and said, "Let's go. Everything's arranged at the hospital. A full exam, inside and out, will reassure Kieran. After all, you've looked after Phoebe for so many years; the Hernandez family considers you a benefactor."

Hayden shot Julien a glance. Her words were few, but when she spoke, it was with a precision that hit home, a skill she'd honed since childhood.

Charles, concerned, eyed the bandage on Camilla's ankle and hesitated, "Miss, are you sure you can walk?"

"Truly, there's no need for fuss. A few days' rest at home will set me right," she insisted, her ploy to divert suspicion not intended to draw this overzealous concern.

But Charles, picking up on Camilla's reluctance, quickly stepped forward to intervene, "Miss Stewart has just returned from the clinic, and it hardly seems necessary..."

Hayden cut him off with a sharp glance, "It's precisely because of irresponsible bodyguards like you that your charge has been injured!"

His aura was formidable, leaving no room for argument.

Hayden's status was no secret to Camilla; his presence here was solely out of respect for Kieran. Otherwise, he wouldn't tolerate being addressed as "big brother," nor would he waste time on pleasantries he would have had her taken straight to the hospital.

Thus, the trip to the hospital was inevitable.

"Charles!" Camilla interrupted, "Fetch my crutches. Hayden's concern is well- intentioned. Mind your words!" She turned to Hayden, apologetically, "I'm sorry, big brother. Charles has been with me since we were kids. His casual manner is just habit; no offense was meant. My fall was my own doing; he's not to blame."

Hayden merely nodded, acknowledgment enough.

Taking the initiative, Camilla declared, "I'll drive. I'll personally take Ms. Stewart to the hospital."

With good humor, Hayden watched as Camilla, leaning on her crutches, made her way to the car.

Dr. Ladd, having received Hayden's call, was already waiting at the hospital. Upon their arrival, safeguarding Camilla personally, he knew the situation was serious.

"Wow, Dr. Ladd himself," Julien commented with a sly undertone. "Ms. Stewart must be quite the VIP."

Camilla flashed a smile at Harding, "You're too kind, Dr. Ladd. It's just a minor scrape, really. No need to trouble the head honcho."

"Don't play it down, you're on crutches, so it's not minor," Harding said, turning to the orthopedic chief. "Go on, bring a wheelchair for Ms. Stewart over here."

The orthopedic chief was well-prepared, having heard that Dr. Ladd was personally attending to the patient, everything was ready to go. He immediately signaled a nurse to wheel over a chair to Camilla.

Julien and Hayden stood like guardian statues behind Camilla.

Spotting that Camilla wasn't making a move to sit, Julien casually nudged the wheelchair closer. "The big cheese has thought of everything, don't be shy."

"How did you get injured, Ms. Stewart?" Harding inquired.

Charles, standing nearby, answered, "Our young lady just moved out from Mr. Qi's place. I found her a villa in Gilded Gate Residences. The cleaning crew had a newbie, completely botched the job, left

vel.n

water on the floor, and our lady

slipped and took a tumble..." Content

belongs to Novelxo.org

"Yikes! A tumble, you say?" Marlon

Watson appeared out of nowhere, frowning seriously. "That's no small potatoes! It all depends on whether you landed on your face or the back of your head. If it was face first, and God forbid you had work done, like a nose job, that could get wonky. But seeing that your nose is straight as an arrow, I guess it was the back of the head. That could be serious business, like a concussion. Dr. Ladd, don't we need a full work-up to be safe?" Content belongs to

Novelxo.org

For once, Julien found Watson's blabbering useful, as it clearly irritated Camilla

enough to pale her complexion.

"Excuse me, I need to use the little girls' room," Camilla suddenly said to Charles.

"Would you mind wheeling me over, Charles?"

After saying this, she turned to Harding, "Sorry, Dr. Ladd. Could you please give me

a moment? I promise I'm fine; I'll be right back for that check-up."

"Charles," she called again, a hint of urgency in her voice.

Charles promptly moved toward her, reaching out to push the wheelchair.

But Julien seized his wrist with a firm grip, "What's the rush? Planning on clearing

out the ladies' room before she goes in?"

"It's okay, I'm not seriously hurt. Just push me to the door," Camilla said to Charles

with a gentle smile. "Let's go."

"I'll take you," Julien let go of Charles and moved to push Camilla's chair.

Camilla's eyes narrowed as she grasped the gravity of the situation. Turning to Julien, she said with a hint of apology, "Really, it's not necessary to trouble yourself, Ms. Julien. If you keep doing this, my brother might think I'm a

bother."

"I'm one of Julie's people, and Julie is part of the Hernandez clan, and you, you're a friend of the family. It's

only right to help you out. I'm just lending Julie a hand, and I'll settle the debt with her later," Julien replied coldly, without missing a beat. Content belongs to Novelxo.org

She wheeled Camilla into the restroom, then kindly helped her into a stall.

Just as Camilla was about to close the stall door, Julien's hand shot out to stop it,

"No need to close it. You're not steady on your feet right now, and if you twist your ankle again, that would be a real mess. Restroom floors can be nasty." Julien, unusually pleasant, smiled at Camilla and said, "Just leave the door open; I

don't mind."

"But I..."

"What, you mind? Imagine if you got hurt again; I couldn't take the blame."

"I..."

"Ms. Stewart, there's a crowd outside waiting to examine you, please hurry up. Otherwise, you really will be a burden."

Julien turned away, "It's fine, I won't look."

What good did turning away do? The restroom mirror was right there; Julien could

still see everything through the reflection.

Camilla's foot wasn't injured at all. How was she going to make it look real for the

upcoming examination? And if she didn't twist her ankle now, she would surely be found out later!

She never anticipated being watched so closely that even a trip to the restroom wouldn't go unnoticed.

In the end, Camilla had no choice but to use the facilities under Julien's watchful

eye.

Afterwards, Julien helped her back into the wheelchair and pushed her out.

The lobby was still filled with Harding and the others waiting for Camilla. As soon as

they saw her, they rushed over.

"Let's go upstairs for a full check-up to see exactly where you're hurt. I'll personally see to your recovery. Otherwise, I'd be letting Kerry down," Harding said.