Entangled With My Rival CEO

Chapter 33

The Kings' family had all gathered together in the expansive living room of Camilla's parents' mansion, basked in the warm glow of flickering candles atop a towering birthday cake.

As the final notes of "Happy Birthday" faded away, Camilla cast a glance at the wall clock and felt a twinge of restlessness.

Her grandmother, who had just blown out the candles with a beaming smile, cut a small slice of cake for herself and then began serving generous portions to each family member, starting with the oldest, Eduardo, and ending with the youngest, Veronica, whom everyone affectionately called Baby Vero - the daughter of Amara's younger sister, Stella.

The air was filled with the hum of conversation and the sound of plates and cutlery clinking together.

Camilla had eagerly anticipated her grandmother's birthday celebration for weeks, but as the evening drew to a close, she felt a growing restlessness, and became anxious to leave.

She took a small bite out of the slice of cake, hoping to quell her impatience, and observed her relatives chatting among themselves.

Despite her desire to be present in the moment and savor the company of her family, her mind was unsettled.

As she struggled with her inner turmoil, her father, Fernando, noticed her restlessness and approached her.

"You've seemed restless all night. Is everything alright?" he inquired, his voice laced with concern. "I've noticed you checking the time frequently."

"What's the point in telling you? You'll just report back to Mamma," Camilla retorted sharply.

Fernando gazed at his daughter with a pained expression. "You know I hate to see you upset. Please, tell me what's on your mind."

Camilla let out a deep sigh, feeling conflicted about sharing her troubles with her father.

"It's nothing important," she said hesitantly. "I don't want to bother you with it," she added, her reluctance showing.

Although Camilla's restlessness was apparent, she didn't want to reveal the underlying reason for it, especially not to her parents..

Fernando's expression softened with concern. "Please, tell me what's on your mind. I'm here to listen and support you."

Camilla hesitated for a moment before glancing at the clock. "It's getting late, and I have to leave soon," she said, avoiding the question.

Fernando raised an eyebrow. "Is there a reason you're in a rush to leave?" he asked, hoping to understand his daughter's feelings better.

"I just have something I need to attend to," Camilla replied evasively, her tone unconvincing.

Fernando nodded sympathetically. "I understand. Just make sure you let us know when you get home safely, okay?" he said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Camilla managed a weak smile. "I will, Papá. Thank you."

After saying her goodbyes to her family, Camilla walked out of the mansion and headed to her car, feeling a weight lifted off her shoulders as she slid into the driver's seat.

As she drove home, her mind kept going back to the conversation she had with Alexander earlier that day, and the unresolved issues between them.

She knew they needed to talk, but she didn't know if he felt the same way after the way he left her house.

Letting out a deep sigh, Camilla pulled over to the side of the road and parked her car.

She took out her phone and scrolled through her contacts until she found Alexander's name.

Her thumb hovered over it for more than ten seconds before she abruptly put the phone back into her purse and placed both hands on the wheel and gear, ready to start driving again.

However, she soon had a second thought.

Taking out her phone again, she repeated the same action, only to stop at the last minute once more.

"Grrrrr!" She growled in frustration and closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths to calm down.

"Just call him and say... Doesn't matter, just call him."

With renewed determination, she picked up her phone from the storage compartment beside her, unlocked it, went to her contact list, scrolled down until she found Alexander's name again, and pressed the call button.

Her stomach was in knots as she waited for the phone to ring, and her disappointment was palpable when it went to voicemail.

Camilla sighed heavily and dropped the phone back into the storage compartment.

"Well, at least I finally managed to get him off my back," she muttered sarcastically.

As she was about to start driving, her phone rang, and she quickly picked it up to see that it was Alexander calling back.

"He's calling back?" She mouthed to herself in disbelief, surprised that he had called back almost immediately.

Camilla hesitated for a moment before answering the phone, taking a deep breath as she brought it to her ear.

"Hello?" Alexander's voice was low and rough, and there was a short pause before he spoke again.

"Camilla?" His voice brought her out of her thoughts, and she took a moment to compose herself before responding.

"Hey," she replied sharply, mentally calculating what she wanted to say next.

After a short breath, Alexander asked, "You called... is there a reason why?"

Camilla hesitated before asking, "Are you busy tonight?"

There was a moment of silence before Alexander responded curtly, "No I'm not."

Camilla took another pause before speaking, "Do you mind if I come over to your place then?"

Alexander was momentarily taken aback, and Camilla could hear him shuffling on the other end of the line.

"You want to come over?" he asked carefully.

Camilla felt her face flush with embarrassment, but she pushed past it and said, "Yes...are you saying no?"

"Of course not," Alexander said quickly. "I'm just a little surprised, that's all."

Camilla breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for his understanding.

"Great," she said, "if you could just send me your address, I'll head over there now."

"Sure thing," Alexander replied,

"I'll text you the details." And with that, he hung up the phone.

With a small smile creeping onto her lips, Camilla gazed down at the device in her hands.

"Now that wasn't so hard," she mumbled to herself, feeling a sense of relief wash over her.

Her phone vibrated in her hand, signaling a new notification from Alexander.

As she read the message, her smile broadened even more, warming her from the inside out.

Finally, feeling a renewed sense of energy, she started the car and drove off into the night.