The Miracle of You

Camille felt her blood run cold. Indeed, she shouldn’t have underestimated Christian’s multiple sources of information. He knew everything that went on. He was meticulous like that.

She wouldn’t even be surprised if he had sent someone to track her every move. He had done it several times before. He probably even knew that she was aware of it, but kept doing it anyway because it was fun.

‘Sadistic bastard.’

If she could name one of the things that Christian Callahan loathed the most, it was a betrayal. He wanted everyone under him to follow his orders and not question them. If they opposed, their lives were doomed.

So when it came to punishments, he had no qualms about giving them out.

Just like his father.

“I am right, aren’t I?” he said. “It was him that you met earlier, the ‘old friend’ that you mentioned.”

She should’ve known.

He had been behaving suspiciously, after all. She had suspected it the moment he made her take the afternoon off, saying that he had an important confidential meeting to attend and that she wasn’t needed.

She doubted that he did that just to make her get some rest. It was Monday, after all.

But she had known better than to question him about it, especially when he mentioned the ‘confidential meetings’, so she thought that she shouldn’t mind it. As long as she wasn’t involved, she wouldn’t be able to know anything crucial.

And now, his actions all made sense.

“…Yes, he’s my friend,” Camille admitted. She knew very well that there was no use in lying to this man. “But that’s all we are. I didn’t tell him anything, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Oh, I’m not worried. Not worried at all.” Christian smiled. “After all, our agreement is not something that you can easily break. You wouldn’t betray me like that, would you, Camille?”

The sound of her name coming out of his lips almost made Camille shiver from revulsion. She still couldn’t believe that she was going to get married to this man.

The true nightmare was going to begin the moment the official announcement was going to be made. She didn’t even want to start counting the days until she completely lost her freedom.

The reason why Christian was delaying it for a while was because he needed to make ‘preparations’ to inherit the company from his father first.

Though Camille knew that he only wanted to relish the freedom he had left before getting ‘tied’ to her.

Sometimes, she wondered how he managed to hide his affairs from Greg. He probably had some solid alibis or maybe he bribed the men that Greg paid to keep an eye on him.

She would never understand this family’s cutthroat methods.

Patricia was the only innocent one among the three, but she dreaded to think about what might happen once Greg and Christian tainted her mind with manipulative teachings.

“Of course not,” Camille said quietly. “My loyalty remains tied to your family.”

“Good. Then you’ll have no problem doing this little mission for me, right?” Christian said, his voice turning chipper.

Which only meant that bad news was coming, Camille dreaded.

“What is it?”

“I want you to get close to Michael McGregor.”

“You want me to… what?” Camille repeated blankly. Surely she must’ve heard it wrong, right?

Because why in the hell would Christian Callahan ask her to get close to his known competitor in the industry?

“Your history with him is quite convenient for my plans,” Christian said. “That way, he won’t suspect you so easily. He probably thinks that you’re a righteous woman with good morals and principles.” He chuckled at that. “And that’s why I need you to gain his full trust. You’re the perfect person for this mission.”

Camille stared at him. “Wait a second… you want me to know his secrets, gain inside information about the McGregor company, and then betray him in the end?”

“Bingo!” Christian said happily. “You’re a smart woman. I knew you could figure it out easily.”

“No.” Camille shook her head. “I am not doing it.”

Christian raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Such a direct way of refusing.”

“Mr. Callahan, I am not going to betray my friend just so you could reap the benefits of my torment,” Camille hissed. “I am not going to partake in any unethical means. It’s one of my principles. I am a righteous woman with morals. It’s the only thing that makes me feel sane and human.”

“I think you’ve misunderstood something here, Miss Parker,” Christian said, shaking his head. “You don’t have a choice in the matter. Have you forgotten already? I control you. You do not have the right to refuse me.”

Camille felt like a bucket of ice water dropped right on her from above, turning everything in her body cold. Her heart was racing from anxiety at this point.

“No,” she whispered. “You can’t force me to do something I don’t want to do.”

“Oh, but I can.”

“No. I won’t do it.”

Silence fell between them for a moment, a silence so heavy and oppressive that it seemed to permeate her skin. Camille’s gaze was fixed on the ground while Christian folded his arms across his chest, looking thoughtful.

“…All right. If that’s how you feel,” he finally said.

Camille couldn’t help but raise her head, staring at him in surprise. Of all the things that she had expected, it certainly wasn’t this.

“What?” she said lamely.

Christian shrugged. “You’re right that I can’t really force you to do anything. I am a gentleman, Miss Parker, no matter what you might think of me. I do have my principles, too.”

Camille did not like where this was going. “What are you trying to say?”

A slow smile spread on Christian’s face. He went over towards the briefcase that he had placed on the nearby coffee table and opened it.

Camille watched as he took out a folder from inside and then walked back towards her.

“Unfortunately, according to this contract that you signed…” he said, eyes skimming over the document. “…you agreed that you would prove your loyalty to the Callahan family and to your would-be husband, namely me, by following our orders. That you fully trust we would have your best interests at heart and that you would not question anything.”

Camille instantly felt a cold shudder in her body. Had she missed reading that part of the contract? She couldn’t remember that clause being in the terms and conditions.

She hated to admit it, but it was possible. After all, when she signed the contract back then, he had told her to put her signature at the bottom and skip the reading, for it would only be wasting too much time.

In a small act of rebellion, she skimmed through it anyway, but only for a few minutes before begrudgingly signing her name.

“Best interests…?” she repeated. “In what way is getting close to my old friend and sabotaging his business means having my ‘best interests’ at heart?!”

“It’s for your own good and for the good of our company,” Christian said patiently, sounding like he was explaining something to a child. “This company will soon belong to you as well, Camille. Even though the marriage is for show, everyone will know that you belong to me. The company’s success is going to be our success.”

“I don’t care about the company,” she hissed.

“But if we rise to the very top, you’ll have all you’ll ever need. I can give you everything you want, and I’ll even let you keep them after our eventual ‘divorce’. If you want ten luxury cars, consider it done. If you want to own several villas, you’ll have them, and even own them without any strings attached.”

Christian smiled.

“Well? Aren’t you tempted?”