Austin blinked. "Wait... so Aurevia Biotech is where Cam works?"
Vincent nodded. "Yes, sir."
And just like that, it clicked.
Austin turned the camera back to himself, smiling at the screen. "Cam, yeah-it''s me. I''m the one trying to acquire Aurevia Biotech."
Cameron''s expression remained t. "Why?"
Austin headed upstairs, speaking as casually as if it were small talk. "Cam, if I buy Aurevia Biotech, that means you''re technically working for me. I can give you a great sry and the easiest job you''ve ever had."
She stared directly at the image of his handsome, grinning face on the screen. "Do you have any idea that Aurevia Biotech is mypany?"
Austin froze.
"You mean... thepany is yours? As in, you own it? Am I hearing that right?" he asked, stopping mid-step, his eyes fixed on Cameron''s face through the screen-beautiful, calm, and unreadable.
"You heard me," Cameron said, calm and direct. "I''m the actual owner of Aurevia Biotech. So now you want to acquire mypany? You really think I''m going to agree to that?"
Austin''s face stiffened. His smile vanished.
A few secondster, he scrambled to recover. "Okay-okay, this is a total misunderstanding. I''ll tell Vincent to call off the acquisition immediately."
He rushed back downstairs to deliver themand to Vincent.
Then, phone still in hand, he returned upstairs.
"Cam, you''re incredible. I can''t believe you started a wholepany without anyone knowing."
There was a flicker of awe in his amber eyes that couldn''t be missed,
But Cameron didn''t respond to thepliment. "I have things to do. I''m hanging up."
"Wait, Cam-" Austin quickly cut in.
Cameron said nothing, simply waiting.
Austin exhaled. "Are you still mad about the other night? I''m sorry, Cam. I shouldn''t have told Xander anything."
Now that he was bringing it up himself, Cameron''s tone turned icier. "Then tell me, what exactly was your motive for stirring up drama?”
Austin gave a helpless smile. "Do you know how it felt when I saw Bradley
shing that message you sent him-bragging that you asked him toe back? Do you know how much that hurt?"
Cameron''s eyes narrowed. ''Bradley showed him that message?''
Even if that were true, it still didn''t justify dragging Xander into things. And it wasn''t the first time, either.
Austin stared into the camera with a wounded expression. “Cam, we''ve been through life-and-death together. I always thought, out of everyone in Room 316, I was the one who meant the most to you. But now I see it''s Bradley, isn''t it?"
Cameron looked confused. "What is there topare?"
"Cam, Austin said softly, "you''re the most important person I have in this world."
Cameron stared at him, stunned. ''What? I''m the most important person in his life? We''ve known each other... what, three months? How have that important?''
Austin continued, “I''m not asking to be the most important person in your life. I just want to be your best friend, is that too much?"
Cameron didn''t respond for a moment.
Your best friend? Is this... how guy friendships work? Well, I''m not a guy. I don''t get it.
"Austin, the way you''ve been using Xandertely-it really makes me ufortable. Even if we were friends once, I think it''s best we leave it at that.
Austin''s eyes widened slightly. "Leave it at that? Cam, what do you mean?" "Exactly what it sounds like," Cameron replied,
"You mean... you''re cutting ties with me?" he asked, unable to believe it. "You got it."
Austin froze.
''Cut ties? No. No way. He''s the most important person in my life. How could I possibly let him go? Does he want me to die of loneliness?"
His eyes began to redden. "Cam, don''t say that. I get it-I was wrong, I''ll fix it, okay?"
His voice had turned desperate, even pitiful.
Cameron said calmly, "You don''t have to be like this. With your status now, people are lining up to be your friend. Having me in the mix shouldn''t make any difference."
"I don''t want them!" Austin suddenly yelled. "Cam, I don''t need anyone else—I just want you! If I don''t have you, I can''t function. I literally can''t live without you."
Cameron frowned.
''Is he seriously saying this?''
"Austin, nobody''s life ends just because one person walks away," she said. "We''re just friends. That''s all this ever was."
"No, we''re not!" Austin shook his head. "You''re not just a friend. Other than my mom, you''re the only person who''s ever treated me well. I need you, Cam. You can''t just walk away from me like this."
Cameron stared at the screen, silent.
''Did I ever give him the wrong idea? Was it that time I stood up to Samuel during the Fraser family mess? Or maybe when I happened to step in at the park, when that guy pulled a knife on him?''
For her, those were just small moments-nothing more.
"Austin, I don''t know what you mean when you say I''ve treated you well," she said. “But I never thought I was doing anything special for you. I think you might''ve misunderstood."
"No," Austin said, his voice thick. "No misunderstanding. You''re the only person besides my mom who ever cared about me. Cam, where are you? I''lle see you right now. I can''t exin this through a screen."
Cameron shook her head. "I don''t think there''s any reason for us to meet."
10:08 Thu, 12 Jun
Cam..." Austin''s amber eyes were full of pain.
"He won''t even see me? What did I do? So I messed with Xander a little-so what? That''s it? That tiny thing, and now he wants to cut me offpl mean so much to him... but to him, I''m just... nothing?''
Cameron added, "Oh, and Austin, I think I should correct something. Even if you hadn''t pulled all that drama with Xander, I still wouldn''t be your besi
bro.""
Austin''s voice dropped. "Why? Because I''m not good enough?"
''Just one mistake, and he''s erasing mepletely?''
His heart ached.
It physically hurt.
Cameron looked him in the eye. "Because I''m a girl."
Austin froze.
His amber eyes, still heavy with emotion, flew open in disbelief. "Cam, what did you just say?"
''Did I hear that right? Cameron... is a girl? No way. That can''t be right. Cam looks
like a guy-maybe a little pretty, a little delicate, but still... Wasn''t he even engaged to Amelia?''
"I think you heard me clearly," Cameron said.
Austin''s eyes went wide.
She wasn''t joking. Her expression was dead serious.
''That''s real? Cameron... is a girl? So all this time... I wasn''t crazy? I wasn''t
broken? I thought about him every day-a million times a day-and now it actually makes sense? I''m not confused. I''m in love.''
"That''s all I have to say." Her tone was t, unreadable.
And the screen went ck.
Austin stared at the chat window, lips parting slightly.
''She''s a girl.''
Austin had doubted himself before.
When he realized he was thinking about Cameron more and more-smiling at
photos, zoning out during meetings-he knew something was off.
It was Vincent who finally made him face it-the feelings weren''t just tonic.
But even then, he couldn''t bring himself to admit it.
It felt wrong.
nat
So he buried it. Locked it down. Told himself it was just because Cameron was
kind to him. Just because he mattered. He had tried to be ''But it wasn''t wrong. I''m not broken. I''m not confused. I can like him-I mean her. I can want her. We could be together. Forever. We could even have
kids.''
But-
10.08 nu, 12 JUN
The joy drained from his face.
Because now, Cameron had decided to cut ties with him.
He stared at the call screen, lip''s tightening into a line.
''Cut me off, huh?
Austin gripped his phone tightly, eyes lowering.
Everyone he loved-his mother, now Cameron-they all left him.
''No.''
He wouldn''t let that happen again.
He wouldn''t let her walk away.
If it came to it, he''d use whatever means necessary.
Because now that he knew Cameron was a girl, there was no reason to hold
back.
Now, they could be together for real and forever.
84%
That evening, Lance stood outside Cameron''s door, knocking for a long time
without a response.
"Still at work?" he muttered under his breath.
After a moment''s hesitation, he called her.
Cameron was in the car with Bradley, on their way back to Silvermoss Castle. She
hesitated for a few seconds before answering.
"Hello?"
"Cameron, you''re not home?" Lance nced down at the four gift boxes by his
feet.
Cameron had refused to return to Yates Manor.
But the Yates family already knew about her.
All four of them-her parents, Gavin, and Lance-had prepared individual wee
gifts. And since Lance was the only one who had met her, the task of delivering them naturally fell to him.
"I''m not at Noble Vista," Cameron replied. "Is something going on?"
"I brought a few small gifts," Lance said. "They''re from my parents, Gavin, and
me. Just something to say hello."
"That''s not necessary," Cameron said tly. "Take them back."
Lance frowned. "Cameron, I came all this way. I''m not taking them back. If you
don''t want them, toss them. That''s your choice."
Cameron didn''t respond.
Lance continued, "Look, we''re all victims here. None of this has been easy on you
or our parents. You don''t want toe home, we won''t force you. I''ll just leave
the gifts at your door."
Still, she kept silent,
He didn''t wait for her response. He hung up.
Lance didn''t want to push her further. Right now, he was the only one in the Yates
family who could still talk to her.
Cameron stared at the screen after the call ended and let out a sigh.
Lance had a way of cornering her without raising his voice.
She couldn''t just toss the gifts.
"Do you want to go back?" Bradley asked, ncing at her from the driver''s seat.
He''d caught most of the conversation.
Cameron thought for a second and then nodded. "Brad, can you turn around?"
He did.
They headed back, pulling into the underground garage at Noble Vista. Bradley apanied her upstairs.
As the elevator doors opened, they saw the gift boxes neatly arranged in front of
her apartment door.
Cameron walked up, gave them a brief nce, then picked them up, and carried
them inside. Bradley followed.
She set the boxes down on the coffee table.
Bradley gave a slight smile. "Four gifts. One from each-your dad, mom, and two
brothers. Aren''t you curious?"
"You want me to open them now?" she asked.
He adjusted his sses. "Aren''t you the least bit curious?"
Cameron didn''t answer, but of course she was.
She opened the topmost box.
Inside was a house key and a handwritten note.
Levi: [Cam, I''m your father. I heard you got a perfect SAT score and were epted to Stenford University. I''m so proud of you.]
Levi: [This is the key to an apartment we own right across from campus. I thought
it might make your life a little easier once school starts. Whenever you''re ready,
we can transfer the ownership. I really hope I get to meet you soon.]
After reading it, Cameron quietly handed the note to Bradley.
He took it, ncing over the message with a slight smile. "If you went back to
Yates Manor, your dad would probably spoil you rotten." Bradley had asked someone to look into the Yates family after Cameron
mentioned them. But they''d found nothing-no public records, no background
data.
Now Levi had gifted her a property across from Stenford University. Not exactly affordable real estate. Clearly, the Yates family had serious means.
Bradley knew some families kept a low profile on purpose. Their wealth wasn''t just quiet. It was nearly invisible.
Cameron looked down at the key in her hand emotions twisting in her chest. Bradley nudged her gently. "What''s in the next one?"
Cameron set the key aside and opened the second box. Inside was a crest brooch, old and polished with care.
10:08
Thu, 12 Jun
There was another note.
Jacqueline: [Cam, I''m your mother. This brooch has been passed down through
generations in the Yates family. It''s meant to protect its bearer-to bring health and safety. I hope you''ll keep it close.
Jacqueline: [Cam, I want so badly to see you. I just don''t know when you''ll be
ready.)
Cameron held the brooch gently in her hand.
It stirred something in her chest.
She had been hurt.
But Jacqueline had suffered too.
For a mother, there was no pain more unbearable than losing her child.
Cameron couldn''t even imagine how her mother had survived it.
Bradley noticed the flicker of emotion in her expression. "Want to see what''s in the
third one?"
She carefully set the brooch down and opened the next box.
Inside was a Patek Philippe men''s watch-limited edition, worth over 300 thousand
dors.
A notey beneath it.
Gavin: [Hi Cameron, I''m your older brother, Gavin Yates. This watch is just a small
gesture. I hope you''lle back to us soon.]
Cameron didn''t pause. She reached straight for the fourth box.
This one held a car key.
A Ferrari.
Lance: [Cameron, you''re about to get your driver''s license. I got you a car. Hope
you like it.]
Cameron stared at the gifts on the coffee table in silence.
Bradley patted her gently on the shoulder. "It''s pretty clear your family cares about
you."
"I can feel that,” Cameron said softly.
Bradley nodded. “Cameron, I really think you should see them just once. You
don''t have to decide anything right now. But meeting them doesn''t mean you''re
giving in."
He meant it. Bradley hoped she''d at least consider going home.
The affection from the Yates family was real. That much was obvious.
And Cameron had nothing to lose by hearing them out.