Chapter 5

Emilia POV:

Gilbert' s surgery was a success. Dr. Hansen, a miracle worker, had navigated the delicate intricate pathways of his brain with surgical precision. Each day brought small, miraculous improvements. He was weak, still struggling with speech, but he was alive. And for that, a part of me, the part that was just a daughter, felt a profound, grudging gratitude.

Cameron, of course, made his appearance. He arrived at the private wing, looking impeccably dressed, but with a slight, artfully cultivated weariness around his eyes. He wanted to project the image of a man burdened by responsibility, by the effort he' d expended.

He walked into Gilbert's room, a vase of exotic white lilies in hand. He placed them on the bedside table, then turned to me, his gaze ostensibly filled with concern. "Emilia," he said, his voice soft, "I'm so glad he's recovering."

He sat beside Gilbert's bed, taking my father's frail hand. Gilbert, still hazy from medication, blinked slowly at him.

Cameron turned to me again, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "I know this is hard to hear, but I truly regret how things ended for you, for all of us, ten years ago. I was young, ambitious... blind. I let my desire for success overshadow everything." He sighed, a performance honed to perfection. "I wanted to apologize, properly. I was a fool."

My blood ran cold. Blind? He wasn't blind. He was calculating, ruthless, and utterly self-serving. He hadn't "let" ambition overshadow anything; he had actively chosen it, sacrificed me and my father on the altar of his own greed. His apology was a thinly veiled attempt to absolve himself, to rewrite the past in his favor.

I forced a tight, brittle smile. "Your regrets don't change anything, Cameron. But thank you for Gilbert." The words tasted like ash.

He seemed to take my cold politeness as a sign of progress. "I want to do more," he insisted, his eyes holding mine. "I want to help you rebuild. To restore your name, your career."

Just then, the door burst open. Hailee, flanked by two beaming journalists with flashing cameras, swept into the room. She wore a perfectly curated expression of concern and joy.

"Cameron, darling! I couldn't wait to hear the good news about Gilbert!" she exclaimed, rushing to his side, her arm immediately linking with his. She squeezed his bicep dramatically. "And Emilia! It's so wonderful to see you two... reconnecting." She offered me a knowing, condescending smile.

Before I could react, she turned to the journalists, her voice swelling with theatrical emotion. "We're just so relieved Gilbert is on the mend. Cameron, being the incredible man he is, has decided to launch the 'Hardin Medical Relief Fund' in Gilbert's honor, to help other families facing devastating medical costs." She turned back to me, her eyes shining with fake sincerity. "Emilia has been so brave through all of this. And she' s told us how truly grateful she is to Cameron for everything. It really shows how compassion can heal old wounds, doesn't it?"

The cameras flashed, capturing the scene: the benevolent billionaire and his supportive fiancée, the frail patient, and me, the "grateful" recipient of their charity. My face burned with humiliation. She had spun a narrative, a sickeningly sweet lie, and forced me into the role of the rescued damsel.

Gilbert, his eyes wide and confused, stared at the spectacle unfolding around him. For his sake, I clamped down on my fury, forcing my expression to remain neutral. I was an actress in their cruel play, and I hated every second of it.

The next day, the news spun their narrative. "Vinson-Abbott Power Couple Spearheads New Charity After Personal Reunion," one headline blared. Cameron was lauded as a compassionate hero, and I was portrayed as the woman he had selflessly saved, my past indiscretions conveniently forgotten in the glow of his generosity. It was a complete whitewash, a masterclass in gaslighting the public.

That evening, my phone rang. Cameron.

"See, Emilia?" his voice purred, confident and self-satisfied. "This is just the beginning. We'll slowly reintroduce you. A few strategic interviews, maybe a position at one of my philanthropic ventures. Your reputation will be spotless."

"I don't want your fabricated reality, Cameron," I said, my voice cold, devoid of the emotion that raged inside me. "I don't need you to 'restore' anything."

He chuckled, a dismissive sound. "Still feisty. I like that. But you're being emotional. Gilbert's continued care, his physical therapy, his medication... that's a long road. And an expensive one." His voice dropped, becoming a low, dangerous growl. "Unless you want to try footing that bill yourself?"

My breath hitched. The implied threat was clear. He was holding my father hostage, using his recovery as a leash to control me. Despair wrapped its icy tendrils around my heart.

"And," he added, a seemingly innocent afterthought, "what about Hailee? Did you find her... presence... too much today? I can talk to her, if you prefer less interaction." He was baiting me, trying to gauge my reaction, to see if I would complain about his fiancée.

"Do what you want, Cameron," I said, my voice barely a whisper. I felt sick to my stomach.

"Good girl," he said, and then, with a click, he was gone.

I stood there, the phone heavy in my hand, my body trembling. He was a master, a maestro of manipulation. His "kindness" was a weapon, his concern a cage. I was trapped, a gilded prisoner in his carefully constructed narrative, my father the unwitting key that locked me in. Every gentle word, every offered hand, was a coil of rope, binding me tighter.