Camille’s breathing quickened slightly, and she could feel her blood slowly turning to ice.
To be honest, she already had an inkling in her mind, but she pushed it away, refusing to even acknowledge the possibility.
She did not want to believe or accept that it was Christian who had made the effort to get her father on Dr. Colmen’s priority list.
If she did, he would think that she owed him for it, and he would definitely hold it over her head for a long time.
Camille felt a knot of anxiety tighten in her stomach. It was getting harder and harder to maintain her calm facade.
“Hmm… you don’t look so good,” Christian remarked, drinking in her silent reaction. “If it were anyone else but you, I would be offended, but this kind of reaction is within my expectations. Believe it or not, Miss Parker, but I think I’ve grown fond of you.”
She scowled at him, but her dark gaze must have been weak, because he only looked more amused.
“I’m still waiting for your expression of gratitude, Miss Parker,” Christian said, smiling. “I had to call in a favor from Dr. Colmen, you know. It could have come in handy for me one day, but I decided to use it for your sake. You should be grateful.”
Camille could only stare at him, unable to find the strength to speak.
Christian sighed. “There you go again, looking at me like I’m a demon whose goal is to ruin your life. I’m not that evil,” he said innocently. “I only did it out of the goodness of my heart. Think about it. If you’re distracted from your work by your grief, your productivity will suffer, and in turn, I won’t be able to get consistent quality results. It’s a reasonable thing to do for my own secretary.”
“Why?” she suddenly asked.
He seemed puzzled. “Why what?”
“Why did you do that?”
“Didn’t I already tell you just now? I did it for you.” His smile turned wicked. “Also because your father needed help. Help that you unfortunately couldn’t give him. If I hadn’t stepped in, you probably never would have found a solution.”
The words stung, especially because there was truth in them.
Even though she had come this far, she was powerless to help her own family when they needed it most.
In the end, she had to get help from her worst enemy. It was both humiliating and depressing to think about.
Camille swallowed back the hurt and helplessness that washed over her like a tide. “I don’t think you did it for me,” she said quietly. “Out of the goodness of your heart? Don’t make me laugh, Christian.”
The sound of his first name leaving her lips made Christian pause for a moment. His smile almost faltered, but he quickly composed himself and let nonchalance take over his features.
It wasn’t that rare for her to call him by his name, but most of the time, it was laced with a subtle venom mixed with anger and disappointment, and that made him feel a little uncomfortable.
As if… it made him feel a tiny bit of shame… and guilt.
But it couldn’t be, because he was Christian Callahan, and Christian Callahan was never influenced by other people and their emotions. Not even his father or his own sister. He was always the one in control, not them.
He always, always had the upper hand.
“Again, I only did it to help you out and prevent you from getting depressed,” Christian replied with a shrug. “Although you don’t seem to appreciate my help at all, judging by your tone and choice of words.”
Her eyes narrowed. “If it were any other person, except for criminals, I would be grateful. But as it turned out, it had to be you.”
All traces of playfulness instantly vanished from Christian’s eyes, and the emotion that flashed in his gaze was unfathomable.
The atmosphere shifted again, a subtle tension simmering beneath the surface.
It felt as if one wrong word could lead to painful repercussions.
“Well then,” Christian said, his expression icy. “It seems you have no intention of expressing your gratitude, after all.” He gave a cold smile. “But what else could I expect from a woman with no manners, right?”
Camille opened her mouth to retort, but he suddenly raised a hand to silence her.
“No matter,” he continued. “I should have known better. That was my mistake.” He looked at her intently, his tone turning serious. “I went to the trouble of putting your father on the list. Had it not been for me, he would be suffering right now until his eventual demise, which I suspect is not far off. Now, instead of this being an act of kindness from my heart, you now owe me a debt of gratitude, and I will see to it that this debt hangs over your head until you give me what I want.”
Camille felt a knot in her throat.
Of course she was right. Of course he would use this to take advantage of her! She really shouldn’t be surprised anymore.
How dare he? It was him who took the initiative to interfere in her affairs. She didn’t even ask him for anything! She never even thought of seeking his help in the first place!
He was just making nonsensical excuses to justify himself, and frankly, it was disgusting.
She glared at him, her eyes blazing with a wild fire.
“You’re an asshole,” she spat. “I can’t believe you’re trying to make this out to be my fault. This isn’t even a charity case, is it? Because you want something from me in return. Then again, you never had any shame to begin with, did you? What else could I expect from someone like you?”
He was unfazed, as usual. “Ah, so you expected something from me, I see,” he remarked calmly.
Camille’s jaw dropped.
That was what he chose to focus on out of the entirety of her words?!
“I hate you,” she said, venom dripping from every word. “I hate you so much.”
His dark eyes locked with hers, and for a split second, she saw a deep, malevolent satisfaction in them that made her stomach churn.
What in the world was wrong with this man? Did he take some kind of sick pleasure in hearing her say that she hated him?
What on earth did he think the word ‘hate’ meant?!
“You would’ve preferred it to be Michael McGregor instead, right?” he suddenly said, causing her to freeze. “If you had to choose between me and him, you would choose him in a heartbeat, wouldn’t you, Camille?”