Chapter 5
After getting Camilla to the hospital, Ethan shot his assistant, Duane, a cold look. "Go find Anna. She started that fire to hurt Camilla, and now she thinks pulling off some fake rescue will make everything okay? Tell her this. If she doesn't bow and beg Camilla for forgiveness before Camilla wakes up, she'll know exactly what consequences she'll face."
Duane hesitated, wanting to say more, but then he simply nodded. "Got it. I'll go get Anna right now. But Mr. Greco, that burn on your shoulder really needs attention, too."
Ethan barely glanced at the burn on his shoulder and waved Duane off, clearly uninterested.
Camilla woke up shortly after they arrived at the hospital. The doctors said she was fine, just some smoke inhalation, but Ethan insisted on a full check-up anyway.
Only after he was sure she was okay did Ethan finally allow himself to relax.
Camilla nestled into Ethan's arms, looking fragile like a wounded animal, but for a brief moment, there was a flash of something calculating in her eyes.
"Ethan, I don't know if I'm imagining things, but I'm sure I saw Ann start the fire. Do you think she really hates me that much? Why would she want me dead?" Camilla murmured.
Ethan's face hardened at the mention of Anna. "Don't worry, Camilla. She won't get away with this. I'll make sure she pays for what she did."
"No... please don't," Camilla whispered. "I don't understand why Ann would do this, but I can't blame her. If I hadn't come back, she never would've lost her place in the family. So I guess it's only natural she resents me."
"You silly girl, how can you be so soft-hearted? Ann stole your whole life, and now she even wants you dead, yet you still care about her," Ethan said, his eyes brimming with tenderness for Camilla.
He let out a deep sigh. "Just rest, Camilla. I'll make sure Anna bows by your bed and apologizes to you."
With that, Ethan got up and left, pulling out his phone to call Anna.
But all he got was a message saying the number was out of service. After he double-checked he hadn't dialed wrong, rage boiled up inside him.
"Oh, Anna, well played this time. Deactivated your own number to run from this? You think that's gonna fix anything?" Ethan muttered.
When he couldn't get through, Ethan shot her a text: [I don't care where you are. Get your ass to the hospital and apologize now.]
*****
An hour later, Duane knocked on the hospital room door. Ethan glanced over, then got up and followed Duane into the stairwell.
Before Duane could speak, Ethan cut in sharply, "Where's Anna? I thought she was supposed to be brave, but she ditched her number and ignored my texts. She knows what's coming if she doesn't show up. She'd better stop hiding and crawl here to beg Camilla's forgiveness."
Duane sobbed, his eyes rimmed red as he handed Ethan a folder, clearly struggling to speak.
Confused, Ethan took it and said with a frown, "What's this?"
"Mr. Greco, the firefighters found her inside the bridal shop," Duane managed to choke out.
"Then get her over here now. She—" Ethan started, but then something in Duane's face made him freeze. "What did you just say? They found her in the bridal shop?"
Duane was sobbing, nodding over and over. "They found her body. She's burned beyond recognition. The police ran a DNA test. It really is her."
Ethan stumbled back, shaking his head in disbelief. "No, that can't be. She made it out, too. I saw her. This is a setup. You two are messing with me, right? Yeah, that's got to be it. Someone like her doesn't just die like that."
Duane pulled out his phone and played a video for Ethan. "Mr. Greco, after Anna saved Camilla, she went back inside. It's... It's like she'd given up hope. She didn't want to live anymore."
Ethan's bloodshot eyes locked onto the screen. Anna was clearly seen turning around and walking back into the flames, as if surrendering herself to them.
"No, this can't be true. She can't be gone. How could she be dead? You two are playing me, aren't you? That's got to be it," Ethan shouted, practically losing his grip on reality as his mind went hazy from shock. Suddenly, he remembered Anna's words right before she dashed into the flames.
She had said, "I'll save Camilla, and after this, we're done. I don't owe the Conroy family a thing anymore."
So that was it. She felt she'd finally paid off her debts to the Conroy family and to me, and then she chose to throw her life away?
But wasn't that fire meant to hurt Camilla?
As the realization sank in, Ethan's expression grew colder and more twisted. "Always scheming, aren't you, Anna? Your little plot to hurt Camilla crashed and burned, so you decided to put on a whole fake-death act now, huh? Fine. Search the entire city. Whoever tracks down Anna and brings her to me gets 300 million."
Ethan flung the DNA report at Duane, roughly wiped away the tears at the corner of his eye, and marched straight toward Camilla's hospital room.
Just as Ethan reached to push open the hospital room door, he realized it hadn't been shut all the way. Camilla's voice drifted out, dripping with arrogance. "Sweetheart, I know setting that fire was crazy, but I had no choice. I could totally sense that Ethan was hung up on Anna. If I didn't do something drastic, he'd never marry me, and then how would I ever score his cash and take off with you for a life together?"
She added, "You don't have to worry, not for a second did I ever fall for Ethan. You're the only one I've ever cared about. As soon as I deal with that bitch and get her out of the picture, I'll finally be able to—"