Chapter 296: Calvin has commitment-phobe?"

Words : 1719 Updated : Oct 15th, 2025

Chapter 296: Calvin has commitment-phobe?" "Camilla?" Not hearing a response, Tiffany tentatively called out again. "Are you still there?" "I am," Camilla replied, snapping back to reality. "Fanny, what are you going to do now?" A long silence stretched on the other end of the line before Tiffany finally spoke, her voice deliberately light, as if brushing off something trivial. "Nothing, really. It was just an accident. Once Calvin recovers, we’ll naturally go back to being two parallel lines—never meant to cross." Outside the door, Calvin’s raised hand froze mid-knock. The smile on his lips faded slowly. A few seconds later, he turned away, footsteps deliberately quiet. His strikingly handsome face was unreadable. "Fanny, Calvin isn’t as reckless as he appears on the surface," Camilla spoke softly, voicing her thoughts. "And if he didn’t have feelings for you, he wouldn’t have let you get close or allowed any of this to happen." Truth be told, given how things had unfolded, it wouldn’t be so bad if Fanny ended up with Calvin. "Feelings?" Tiffany curled her lips into a faint, bitter smile. "If love can fade, what do feelings even mean?" Her gaze drifted to the window, where the picturesque scenery stretched beyond the glass, her tone detached. "Camilla, I’m not a child anymore." Not a child—so she knew better. The story of a prince falling for Cinderella only happens in fairy tales and novels. Camilla’s beautiful eyes narrowed slightly as she sighed inwardly, choosing to remain silent. She understood all too well—Fanny was sensitive and insecure when it came to love. And after what happened with Arlo, the scars ran deep. Convincing her to open her heart again wouldn’t be easy. "Let’s meet up and talk after we wrap up these matters in the next couple of days." "Alright." After hanging up the phone, Camilla removed the noise-canceling headphones from Sinclair’s ears. "Sweetheart—" She looked up at him, her voice soft yet deliberate. "There are some things I need to ask you." Since Fanny had no other relatives, there were certain matters she had to clarify as her family. Sinclair slowly opened his eyes, his gaze steady and clear as it settled on Camilla. "About Calvin?" Surprise flickered in Camilla’s bright, expressive eyes. "How did you know?" "A couple of days ago at the hot spring resort, when I called Calvin, a woman answered," Sinclair said, the corner of his lips lifting slightly as he watched her with warmth. "She sounded tipsy, but there was still something familiar about her voice—like Tiffany’s." Besides... The capital was filled with his informants—some things didn’t even need to be asked. Camilla narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly, feigning annoyance as she gazed at her husband. "Then why didn’t you tell me at the time?" "Just a hunch," Sinclair replied, his sharp eyes narrowing as he lowered his head to look at his delicate wife nestled in his arms, his voice warm and gentle. "I couldn’t jump to conclusions without being certain." Of course, Camilla wasn’t truly upset with him. Back then, she had been far away in N City. Even if he had told her, all she could have done was worry—there wouldn’t have been time for anything else. Sinclair reached out, smoothing her hair with his fingers, his expression tender as he watched her. "Sweetheart," Camilla murmured, leaning into the embrace that always made her feel safe. "Fany is my best friend. For years before I met you, we were each other’s only support. I’m practically her only family. I have to put in extra effort to help her." Her voice was soft but earnest. "What kind of person is Calvin, really?" "The real Calvin," Sinclair tightened his embrace around the woman leaning against his chest, his deep, magnetic voice resonating slowly. "He is completely different from how he appears on the surface—in fact, you could say he’s the exact opposite." His dark eyes, half-lidded, revealed everything his beloved wife wanted to know. Only then did Camilla realize. The seemingly flirtatious and promiscuous Calvin, whose romantic history was too extensive to count, had actually never been in a real relationship. The one who appeared the most untamed and indifferent was, in truth, the most loyal among the three of them. But one detail made Camilla furrow her delicate brows. "You mean... Calvin is a commitment-phobe?" A commitment-phobe—someone who had no intention of ever getting married, as the name suggested. Of course, not marrying didn’t mean no relationships, no children. "Mhm." Sinclair’s dark gaze lingered on Camilla, swirling with unspoken depth. Camilla lowered her beautiful eyes, falling silent. Because of her family background, Fany longed most for a warm and happy marriage of her own. Camilla sighed inwardly. From this perspective, their values were polar opposites. What could be done? Just then, the ringtone of a phone pierced the quiet. Buzz. Buzz. The phone beside Camilla vibrated again. Sinclair glanced at the device before shifting his gaze back to her, his dark eyes simmering with unspoken intensity. "Someone’s popular," he murmured, his long, elegant fingers idly tracing the curve of her slender waist. "It’s Melissa," Camilla said with a soft laugh. "She probably heard I’m visiting the Taylor family and decided to call." Sinclair arched a brow, his inscrutable gaze lingering on her, silent yet brimming with quiet amusement. Unlocking the screen decisively, Camilla realized it wasn’t just a call—Melissa had sent a video request. After a brief hesitation, she answered. The screen lit up with Melissa’s beaming face, adorned with a playful Minnie Mouse headband. Behind her, the iconic silhouette of Disney’s fairy-tale castle stood in all its glittering glory. "Camilla—" It had to be admitted, Taylor had indeed done an excellent job protecting his younger sister. Watching Melissa’s adorable, bubbly demeanor, Camilla couldn’t help but smile. "You’re in Tokyo?" "Yeah," Melissa nodded repeatedly, her cute face scrunching up with regret. "I had no idea my brother was coming back, or that you were visiting our place today. Otherwise, I would’ve stayed home like a good girl and waited for you guys." "Don’t worry about it," Camilla replied, her beautiful eyes twinkling with amusement. "We can always meet up when you’re back." "Not likely," Melissa pouted, looking utterly dejected. "My brother caught me sneaking off to Tokyo’s for fun this time. The moment I get home, I’ll be grounded—who knows when he’ll let me out again?" She even mimed wiping away tears for dramatic effect. Camilla burst into laughter, her already radiant and delicate features glowing even brighter. Sinclair’s dark eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Camilla smiling radiantly at her phone. His fingers resting on her waist gradually tightened their grip—whether to draw his lovely wife’s attention or to silently voice his displeasure, it was hard to tell. Even through the screen, Melissa couldn’t hide her dazzled expression. "Ah, if only you were my real sister-in-law," she sighed wistfully. "My brother isn’t bad either, so why doesn’t he have Sinclair’s luck?" As she spoke, a slender figure flashed through Melissa’s mind, but she immediately dismissed the thought. That woman wasn’t worthy of her brother. The moment Melissa’s words left her lips, Camilla instantly sensed the icy aura emanating from behind her. Gazing at the oblivious girl on the screen, Camilla’s lips curved into a helpless smile. *This silly girl, why does she always step right into the line of fire?* She deftly changed the subject. "Is Vicente there with you?" "Vicente is," Melissa nodded and immediately switched to the rear camera. "Vicente, come here." On the screen, Vicente wore a dark gray hoodie and black sweatpants. Even in the most casual, loose-fitting clothes, he couldn’t hide the wild, untamed aura radiating from him—his tall, muscular frame practically oozed raw charisma. Yet, in stark contrast to his sharp, intimidating presence, he held a dozen adorable Disney plushies in his arms. Perched on his head was a Mickey Mouse headband. The look of sheer disdain on his face was unmistakable. But the fact that he hadn’t taken it off spoke volumes. Camilla’s lips curled into a deeper smile as a thought crossed her mind. Perfect match. It was unclear whether she meant the headband—or the man wearing it. As Vicente took the phone from Melissa, Sinclair also reached for his own device, pulling Camilla closer with his other arm. "President Luther—" "The border situation—" Sinclair’s dark eyes narrowed slightly, his handsome features cool and detached. "Any updates?" The voice was flat and devoid of inflection, yet it carried an unmistakable aura of authority that only those at the pinnacle of power could command. This wasn’t the first time Vicente had felt the overwhelming presence of this man, and once again, he couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. The legend of the uncrowned king was indeed no exaggeration. "Grandpa Rodriguez is currently in Country E. We’ll need to dig deeper for a more precise location." Country E? At the mention of her grandfather, Camilla’s hands, resting on the table, clenched into tight fists. Sinclair reached out and enveloped her trembling fingers with his own, his warm palm steadying hers. "Keep searching," he said, his expression unreadable, his gaze icy and resolute. "Money is no object." "Understood," Vicente replied, his eyes narrowing slightly. In their line of work, there was nothing money couldn’t accomplish. And if it couldn’t, it simply meant the price wasn’t high enough. But this clearly wasn’t a concern for the Luther Family’s heir. The call ended. Watching Vicente set down her phone, Melissa finally gathered the courage to speak up, her voice tentative. "Is the call over?" Had she known Sinclair was on the other end, she wouldn’t have dared entertain the thought of stealing her away. "Not quite." A faint, knowing smirk flickered in Vicente’s eyes as he handed the phone to her. "President Luther has something to say to you." What?! Melissa’s beautiful eyes widened in shock. She didn’t want to take the call—but she didn’t dare refuse. After a brief internal struggle, she swallowed hard and resignedly accepted her fate, pressing the phone to her ear. "Sinclair, I’m sorry! Everything I said earlier was nonsense—please don’t take it seriously." Her voice dripped with sycophantic sweetness as she forced a laugh. "You and Camilla are a match made in heaven. No one could be more perfect for each other."

Chapter 296: Calvin has commitment-phobe?"

Comments (0)