Chapter 3

Camila knew Sophie was stirring things up on purpose.

If it were back then, Camila would have lost her cool over Sophie's little games.

She couldn't stand seeing Julian and Lucas hand over things that used to be hers to Sophie, someone they'd barely known for half a year.

But now, none of this bothered Camila anymore.

She watched Sophie's performance calmly and gave a slight nod.

"Happy birthday," she said, her voice steady.

Julian and Lucas seemed like they only realized she was back. They stood there a bit stunned, not saying a word.

Without looking back, Camila went straight upstairs to her room as the silence lingered.

Whatever drama was going on downstairs, it didn't matter to her at all now.

From now on, she, Julian, and Lucas were neighbors, nothing more.

Over the next few days, Camila started getting ready to leave.

She went to the storage room and sorted through all the things Julian and Lucas had given her.

They'd known each other for over a decade, and every holiday, they'd showered her with gifts.

Camila packed each item into a box, quietly realizing how much had changed between them.

But now, none of it mattered anymore.

She called up a courier and sent all the packed boxes off to a welfare house. There was no point in hanging onto them. I might as well let some kids put them to good use.

Julian and Lucas walked in one after another, only to catch the courier opening up the boxes for inspection.

As soon as Lucas realized what was inside, he rushed over and asked, "Camila, can you tell me what's going on?"

Camila looked at him, her expression unreadable. Then she said, "The storage room was getting way too crowded. I'm clearing some stuff out."

Lucas reached for the box in the courier's hands, but Camila stepped in front of him, blocking his way.

His tone softened as she said, "It's not like we don't have space at home. These are all the gifts Julian and I gave you."

Lucas chimed in, "That's right, and we made some of them with our own hands."

Julian looked at the packed boxes, his heart aching, and burst out.

Camila let out an amused laugh, unfazed by their reactions.

Camila found it pretty funny because they had acted as if she were a ghost in the room.

For Sophie, they humiliated and bullied Camila, time and time again.

But now, when it came to a pile of old things, their hearts were all torn up about it.

She couldn't help but wonder what kind of reaction Julian and Lucas would have if they learned she was heading back south.

She smiled and said, "Out with the old, in with the new."

"Well, I guess we'll get you more gifts next time," Lucas said, making the best of a bad situation.

Julian quickly added, "Yeah, I'll go buy some for you and Sophie tomorrow."

Hearing that, Camila let out another self-mocking laugh.

Julian and Lucas assumed she was okay with it, and both of them relaxed.

As they were about to head inside, they noticed all the antiques and paintings in the living room were gone. They were sure they'd been there that morning.

"Where's the group photo from the wall?" Lucas asked, a frown tugging at his brow.

Without looking up, Camila replied, "I'm planning to put something else there."

Julian looked around, noticing how the place felt stripped bare. He asked, "It's gotten empty here. Where did all our stuff go?"

That same uneasy question started creeping into both their minds.

Camila was acting out of character today, and for some reason, a strange sense of unease crept up on both Julian and Lucas.

Lucas was about to say something more, but a sudden ringtone cut through the tension in the room.

Julian answered, and on the other end, Sophie's voice sounded anxious and at a loss.

"Julian, it's pouring out of nowhere, and I can't get a cab. Can you come pick me up?" Sophie pleaded.

Lucas's expression changed, and he cut in before Julian could reply, "Don't worry, Sophie. I'm coming right now."

Outside, the rain kept pounding down, thunder rolling louder and louder.

Julian's brows were furrowed tight. For someone who usually acted like he didn't have a care in the world, the tension in his face couldn't be more obvious.

As soon as Lucas left, Julian couldn't wait any longer. He barely glanced back before jumping in his car and speeding off.

Camila, on the other hand, was calm as ever. After they left, she casually took out her phone and dialed Lily Foster, Lucas and Julian's mother.