Chapter 4
As soon as he finished speaking, Peter turned and bolted out of the airport.
Josephine numbly took out her phone.
Sure enough, the top post on her social feed was from Camila Heath.
She didn’t say a word–just posted a photo of the painting.
And Peter, without the slightest hesitation, had broken his promise and walked away.
“Miss, boarding ends soon.”
Snapped out of her daze by the staff’s reminder, Josephine didn’t look back. She turned and walked in the opposite direction.
After landing in Tibet, she received a text from Peter.
“I’ll be two days late. Go ahead and have fun first.”
She was a little surprised. Late? Not canceling?
So, he was actually still planning to come, just in a hurry to finish their ‘tasks‘ and finally get rid of her.
Josephine didn’t wait. She hired a local guide and joined a tour group.
But her body couldn’t keep up. Most of the time, she was alone in her room, resting.
By the time Peter arrived, she had packed and was preparing to leave.
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“You dragged me all the way out here, had me drop everything just to mess with me?” he snapped, kicking her suitense over in frustration.
Clothes spilled out across the floor. Josephine stared at the mess, then let out a bitter laugh.
“Mess with you? Isn’t Camila staying in the room next door?”
Peter stiffened. He faltered.
“She’s just here to paint. Stop making everything about her.”
Josephine’s fingers curled slightly. She didn’t reply. She simply bent down. to gather her clothes.
“Am I interrupting something?”
Camila appeared in the doorway.
The anger on Peter’s face vanished instantly.
It was replaced with concern. With urgency.
“You said you weren’t feeling well. Why’d you get up?”
“I can’t just lie around all day. And I heard your voices–it sounde loud, so I thought I’d come to see.”
a little
At her words, Peter finally glanced at Josephine again.
“It’s nothing. Are you hungry? I’ll get you something to cat.”
Camila gave an embarrassed nod.
Just as Peter was about to leave the room, he suddenly paused and turned back.
Chapter 4
11
He looked annoyed.
“What about you? You want anything?”
Josephine was sweating from the effort of packing. Even that small task had left her drained.
She heard the shift in his tone, the change in warmth between speaking to her and to Camila.
Her voice was flat. “No.”
Peter scowled at her refusal.
“Then starve for all I care. You look like a damn ghost.”
The door slammed shut behind him, leaving only Josephine and Camila in the room.
This wasn’t the first time Josephine had met her.
The Heath family had risen quickly in Atlanta as nouveau riche, and naturally, the Garrison family looked down on them.
Camila had always been proud and resented how the Garrison family judged her.
So she left in a huff, trying to make something of herself abroad.
But now she’d slinked back home, and the first thing she did was reconnect with her old flame.
To Josephine, watching it all from the outside, it was laughable.
With Peter gone, Camila didn’t even bother keeping up the act.
“Ms. Sinclair. Long time no see.”
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Chapter 4
She kicked over the suitcase Josephine had just spent all that time packing.
Watching her neatly folded clothes scatter across the floor, something in Josephine snapped.
She knew Camila was doing it on purpose.
And she fell for it anyway.
Without hesitation, her hand flew out and slapped Camila hard across the face.
Peter walked in right then. He saw Camila’s red checks and her teary eyes.
The bowl of spaghetti in his hand–meant for Josephine–crashed to the floor.
He didn’t ask what happened. He stormed across the room and slapped Josephine hard across the face.
“Josephine, that’s enough!”
Camila sobbed and turned to him.
“It’s my fault. I accidentally knocked over Ms. Sinclair’s suitcase. I know. I’m not welcome here. I’ll leave.”
She rushed out.
Peter immediately turned to follow.
But Josephine’s voice stopped him cold.
“Peter!
“The third thing–I want you to stay.”
Chapter 5
Chapter 5
