The room fell into a comfortable, quiet silence. The awkwardness slowly faded away, replaced by the normal, easy bond they shared in the morning.

Zade turned his head slightly. The afternoon sunlight coming through the window highlighted Camilla’s face perfectly. For the first time, he noticed the small, thin red line near her cheekbone.

"Does it hurt?" Zade asked. His voice was no longer embarrassed. It was gentle and full of brotherly concern. He remembered the terrifying thugs in the tavern.

"I mean your cheek." He added.

Camilla reached up. She lightly touched the small scratch on her cheek with her fingertip.

"This?" Camilla asked, dropping her hand. She smiled a soft, dismissive smile. "I’m fine. It is just a tiny scratch. It will be gone in a few days."

Zade watched her face carefully. He felt a sudden surge of pride in his chest.

"That’s good," Zade continued, his voice growing stronger. He tried to puff his bruised chest out under the thick blankets, attempting to look like a strong, protective man.

"If those hooligans ever come back to harass you," Zade said bravely, narrowing his dark eyes in a tough expression, "just let me know."

He weakly raised a shaking, bandaged fist into the air.

"I’ll teach them a lesson they won’t forget in a hurry," Zade declared proudly. "Nobody messes with the Kennedy family."

Camilla stared at his weak, shaking fist. She looked at his mummified face and his broken ribs.

She tried to hold it in, but she couldn’t.

Camilla burst out laughing. It was a loud, bright, highly amused laugh that filled the quiet bedroom. She covered her mouth with her hand, her shoulders shaking with pure humor.

Zade frowned behind his bandages. He slowly lowered his fist. "What is so funny?" he grumbled.

Camilla stopped laughing, but a huge smile remained on her face.

"With you looking like this?" Camilla teased him, gesturing to his completely wrapped body. "I’m afraid they will be the ones to teach you another painful lesson. You cannot even sit up without groaning and you want to teach someone a lesson."

Zade felt his pride deflate instantly. He felt a little hurt, but he knew she was absolutely right. He was completely useless in a fight. He pouted his split lip slightly, looking exactly like a sad puppy.

Camilla stood up from her chair. She walked over to the bed. She leaned down and gently pulled the thick wool blanket higher, wrapping it securely around his shoulders so he wouldn’t catch a cold from the wet hair.

"Just take care of yourself," Camilla said softly, her voice full of true affection. "Focus on healing your bones. I can handle a few street thugs on my own."

Zade pouted again, but he nodded his head obediently.

Suddenly, the quiet moment was interrupted.

Knock, knock.

A polite knocking sound came from the door.

"Come in," Zade replied, assuming it was just a maid bringing fresh water.

The door pushed open.

A tall, handsome young man stepped into the bedroom. He had bright blonde hair that was perfectly styled, and warm, expressive brown eyes. He was wearing an expensive, perfectly tailored light brown coat that matched his eyes. He had a bright, very charming smile on his face.

He was holding a large, beautiful woven basket completely filled with expensive, fresh fruits—shiny red apples, sweet green grapes, and rare oranges.

The young man was Garren Sheffield. He was a close family friend. His family lived in a massive estate just down the street. Garren had known Camilla and Zade since they were all little children playing in the gardens.

When Garren saw Camilla standing next to the bed, his eyes widened in pure, delighted surprise. His charming smile grew even wider, showing his perfect white teeth.

"Camilla?" Garren said, his voice smooth and full of warm affection. "It’s a wonderful surprise to see you."

He walked gracefully into the room. He walked over to a nearby wooden table and gently dropped the fruit basket down.

He turned his attention back to the bed. He looked at Zade’s bandaged face with an expression of deep concern.

"I heard Zade was injured," Garren said, shaking his blonde head sadly. "News travels fast in the upper city. I came as quickly as I could to see him."

Garren turned his body slightly, focusing entirely on Camilla. He looked deeply into her eyes. His expression shifted from concern to a look of profound, heartfelt guilt. He reached out his hand, as if he wanted to hold hers, but stopped just a few inches away.

"It is my fault," Garren spoke softly, his voice dripping with honey-sweet regret. "I should have been paying closer attention to the family. I didn’t take good care of your brother while you were living with the General. Please, forgive me."

Zade, lying in the bed, smiled weakly at his old friend. He completely bought the act. He thought Garren was a wonderful, caring man.

But Camilla did not smile back.

She stood perfectly still next to the bed. She looked at Garren’s perfectly styled blonde hair. She looked at his expensive coat. She looked at his charming, sorrowful eyes.

Inside her head, her mind immediately pulled up the character files from the web novel she had read.

"Garren Sheffield," Camilla thought to herself. Her internal voice was completely cold and deeply calculating.

She recognized him instantly from the plot.

"He is the original Camilla’s childhood friend," she recalled accurately. "The loyal, handsome best friend who was always secretly crushing on her from afar."

Garren was currently talking to Zade, asking him about his broken ribs and acting incredibly sympathetic. He poured Zade a glass of water, playing the perfect, caring guest.

Camilla crossed her arms tightly over her chest. She watched his smooth movements. As she watched him, a look of pure, unhidden disgust slowly curled the corners of her pink lips.

"He looks like a perfect prince charming," Camilla thought to herself, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "But I know the absolute truth."

She remembered the later Chapters of the long, dramatic book.

"In Chapter 356," Camilla’s thoughts continued, reviewing the plot with absolute clarity, "his true character was finally exposed to the readers."

She stared at the back of his blonde head as he joked with Zade.

"On the surface," she thought, scoffing internally at his fake smile, "he acts like a deeply affectionate, warm-hearted, wonderful guy. He acts like he secretly loves the female lead and just wants her to be happy. He plays the tragic second male lead perfectly."

Garren turned back to Camilla, flashing her another warm, brilliant smile. He gestured to the fruit basket, offering her an apple.

Camilla did not move to take it. She just stared at him.

"But he is actually a dirty, scheming, highly manipulative guy," Camilla concluded in her mind, her internal voice dripping with absolute contempt.

The real plot was dark and greedy.

"All of his sweet advances toward Camilla," she remembered clearly, "all his childhood friendship, all his fake concern... it was never for love. It was completely for her family money."

She knew his dark secret.

"He secretly found out that the original Camilla still holds a small, but incredibly valuable, hidden share in the Kennedy family estate,"

Camilla thought, putting the pieces together. "Her parents left it to her in a secret will. If she stays married to the General, the General gets the money. But if she leaves..."

Camilla glared at Garren’s perfectly tailored cost.

"He has been secretly trying to get Camilla divorced from Damon this entire time," she realized, understanding his hidden motives. "He wants her to leave the General, take her hidden fortune, and marry him instead. He doesn’t want her heart. He just wants her gold."

Garren, completely unaware that his dark secrets were being exposed in the mind of the woman standing in front of him, took a step closer to Camilla.

He lowered his voice, making it sound very intimate and supportive.

"Camilla," Garren said softly, his eyes full of fake sympathy. "You look so tired. Living in that cold Benson mansion must be terribly hard on your gentle spirit. If you ever need a place to stay... a place where you are truly valued and loved... my doors are always open to you."