“Camelia, come here,” Raph commanded.
“You should save yourself the embarrassment and leave while you can, Lord Montague.” Camelia glared at the man before brushing past him.
“You’ve gained much more confidence with your title, but you’ll always be a poor man’s daughter,” Lord Montague hissed under his breath so only she could hear.
Camelia’s fists clenched at her sides as she stalked towards Raph. He stepped between her and Lord Montague, then leaned towards the man and whispered something in his ear that made his eyes widen in fear.
“We’re leaving, Camelia. Now,” he grunted, pulling her towards the exit without any further explanation.
His wide stride was purposeful, and Camelia struggled to keep up with him.
“Raph, what just happened?” she asked urgently, but he remained silent. “What did you say to him?” she pressed.
“Just a good old threat to make him stay in his lane,” he replied drily as they walked to their waiting carriage.
“But why did Lord Montague mention Pamela? What’s going on between you two?”
“Nothing, Camelia.”
“There’s a secret here that you need to tell me.”
Raph helped her into the carriage, his movements jerky as he settled across from her.
“Raph, please. Let me in.”
“That’s not an easy task for me, Camelia.” He avoided meeting her eyes.
“Try, because I’m tired of being lost!” she snapped.
Raph sat silently for a few moments, the sounds of the travelling carriage echoed between them before he turned to her with pained eyes. “Lord Montague is a predator, Camelia.”
“I know that, Raph. But why was he asking about Pamela? You don’t mean to tell me that he plans to marry her.”
“No.” Raph gave her a disgusted look.
“Are you going to tell me or leave me guessing?”
Raph lifted his head, and without preamble, he confessed a deeply unsettling truth.
“Lord Montague is Pamela’s real father.”
Camelia gasped. “Heis Pamela’srealfather?”
Raph nodded, his eyes glazed over. “Yes, that’s why I need rules and control. It’s all to protect her, so she won’t suffer the way her mother did.”
Camelia had longed for the truth, but hadn’t expected it to pierce her heart.
“The reason you married me was to get revenge onhim?”
“No, Camelia. I married you to protect you and your family and put an end to his evil schemes.”
His words did little to comfort her after the truth scarred her.
“Raph, I have no idea what to say, but my pain does not matter. Hiding thisfrom Pamela will hurt her even more than it did me, and when she finds out the truth, you might lose her forever. She already feels the distance between you two.”
Raph shook his head, and the coldness returned to his eyes. “You don’t understand, Camelia. This truth would break her. I’ve built a life to shield her from him.”
“Oh, but I do understand. More than ever. What it’s like to be lied to by you!”
