CHAPTER 3 THE SHOCKING REVELATION

Samantha had yet to receive the response she had anticipated. Instead of the prepared list of potential replies, Jake burst into a very unsettling and irritating laugh that somehow infected Camila, who struggled to stifle her laughter. What is so funny, Samantha couldn't tell. It irked her to no end to be caught up in such awkwardness and not even know what was so amusing to them. Was it her mannerism? Or maybe her words? What the heck was so funny? Samantha turned red with anger as he glared at both siblings, who looked more alike than they ever had at that moment. Samantha's hand balled into a fist as she tried but failed to control her anger. "I'm sorry. Oh, God.........I'm so sorry." Was all Camila could say between feats of laughter. She had tears coming from the sides of her eyes as she took another look at her best friend and couldn't help herself. At first, she had only chuckled because Jake's laughter was contagious, and it had been so long since she last heard him laugh sincerely, but once she had taken a look at her friend, she had to admit it was a pretty funny scene. "You're despicable." Samantha didn't know what else to say and wasn't sure who she was angrier at. She felt overwhelmed with anger and embarrassment and wanted nothing more than to be out of their sight. She made to leave but was stopped by Jake, who took hold of her hand. A strange electric shiver passed through her veins, and although her first instinct was to shrug off his hand, she couldn't bring herself to do so anymore. "Where are you going?" Jake thought she was being overly dramatic. She had no right to be upset as she wasn't the one whose space was invaded. “Anywhere but here!" Samantha exclaimed, her rage momentarily subsiding as she wrenched her hand free from Jake's grasp. His face, once alight with joy and amusement, darkened with anger, a familiar scowl that made Samantha's heart race. "You can't go—" Camila began, but a withering glare from Jake silenced her. His eyes blazed with a fury that seemed to simmer just below the surface as if he might erupt into flames at any moment. "Do whatever you please," Jake finally said before storming out of the room and leaving the two of them to ponder what had just happened. How had he gone from laughter to so much anger? Samantha quickly concluded that Jake must have bipolar disorder. He had always been that way. He derived joy from getting her pissed and found his amusement in her embarrassment. Samantha was upset not just with Jake but also with Camela. Samantha turned her angry gaze at her best friend from the retreating form of her sworn enemy. "I'm sorry." Camila's apology did nothing to ease her anger, even though she looked like she was just about to burst into tears. "Lead the way, Cam," Samantha said curtly. Camila knew better than to try to persuade her to stay back. She had grown up with Samantha and knew very well that she would never stay back, not even in her dreams. She honestly wished Jake had just stuck to the plan and stayed away. She felt somewhat guilty for not making it clear to him what she wanted him to do. When she had told him to 'stay away,' he had interpreted it as staying out of sight, but that wasn't what she meant. Maybe she was wrong for blowing up in anger, but then again, “What was even wrong with those two? '' She muttered. Samantha followed after Camila rather silently. She wanted to justify all her actions so severely and believed they were justifiable, except for one. She should have jumped to Camila's defense, immediately tried to maintain his privacy, and evacuated the room. It was Camila's fault for taking her there in the first place, but what happened afterward was not her fault. She had heard of his dislike for hotels but hadn't thought anything of it. There was news that he spent a lot of money buying houses wherever he did business, and she thought it ridiculous. He still did, but… maybe she had been too harsh on him. Samantha quickly caught herself, irritated by her thoughtfulness. She had always been too willing to give people the benefit of the doubt, prioritizing their feelings over her own. It was a habit she had hoped to break during her ten-year journey, one that had taken her far away from her past. Yet, here she was, still struggling to put her own needs first. The realization left her feeling frustrated and defeated. Because of this personality trait, she was always easy prey for Jake. She would not feel guilty for what happened today. She was determined not to. "We're here," Camila announced, tired. She lowered her eyes to the tiles as she pushed open the front door. She knew very well how emotional Camila was. Suddenly feeling like a terrible person, she hugged her tightly. "I'm really sorry about how things turned out," Camila confessed, trying her hardest to hold back her tears. "I know," Samantha admitted. "Where'd you go?" Camila asked. "My dad's?" It sounded more like a question. "Oh". Came Camila's short reply. " Have you told him you are?" "No." She sighed heavily. She wasn't her father's greatest fan, but she didn't hate him. She did dislike him, though. All he ever cared about was that stupid job of his "Okay," said Camila. "Yeah." The two women burst out laughing, and they couldn't even tell what was so hilarious, but it helped them clear the awkward air around them. "Call me?" Camila couldn't hide the sadness in her eyes. "I will," Samantha promised as she hopped into one of the waiting cars. She felt a tiny pang in her chest for Camila. She hardly spoke to anyone other than her and her brother. Her parents had been close friends with her dad, but shortly after they entered high school, they both died in a car crash. She wished she could claim that Jake had changed after that, but he was often rude to her, just as her childhood self remembered. On the other hand, Camila had locked everyone else out, and even now, she still couldn't tell exactly what happened that day. Staring up at her father's colossal gate, Samantha was starting to second-guess her decision to return here. She should have gone to the hotel. She was already here, so she might as well go in. Her father's most trusted guard, whom she had always remembered as stoic and sufferable, finally smiled at her. Samantha never thought he could carry an outfit, and it made her truly happy that she had somehow earned his rare smile. She got into the house, overcome with so many memories, and there were also a lot of new faces among the house staff. In an attempt to make it to her father’s study, she ran into a familiar face, freezing as emotions overwhelmed her.