24. Chapter 24
Chapter 24
Vicente Godoy
S eeing my house through Ava’s eyes is something I never thought I needed. To me, it’s just the place where I sleep, where I have some of my most valued possessions. According to Ava, this is the coolest place in the entire universe.
“And are you sure we can live here, Boss Man?” Ava asks the moment we walk inside.
“Yes, duckling. You and your mum are moving in here with me.”
Her little arms wrap around my neck in a vice grip, but I can still manage to hear her soft words.
“Thank you, Boss Man. You’ve made my wish come true.”
I’m curious to know which wish it is, but I have unfinished business with my father, and I want to tackle it sooner rather than later.
Ava untangles from me and rushes to Camila. “Mum, can I see my new room?”
Camila smiles, one of those smiles that could light up the entire world. “Yes, of course, mi amor . Let’s go.”
Ava nods excitedly as Camila extends her hand for Mrs. Evans to join them. They disappear up the stairs as they head to Ava’s room on the second floor.
“Mum, why don’t you join me and Bella for a snack while we wait for Ava and Camila to come back?” Gabo suggests.
I’m grateful he’s here, acting as a buffer. He truly is the best man.
My mother gives him a kind smile before turning to my father and hugging him as she whispers something only he can hear. He nods begrudgingly, his eyes lingering on me.
I meet his gaze and nod, motioning for him to follow me to my studio.
Without a word, he falls in step behind me.
“Care for a drink?” I ask as soon as he closes the door.
“No, I don’t need a drink to tell my son how I think he just ruined his life.”
I fist my hands as I try to take a calming breath. This conversation is going to be harder than I thought.
“I got married like you wanted me to. So why are you now saying that I made the biggest mistake of my life?” I ask, lowering myself into my desk chair.
My father remains standing.
“Because that woman is simply taking advantage of you. Owen told me everything,” he says, gripping the back of the chair across from me.
I see red.
Of fucking course Owen is the one behind all this shit.
How could have I been so naive? He showed me his true colors when I told him I was marrying Camila, but I still fell for his lies when he came to my office to apologize.
My pulse pounds as I shove to my feet. “And what’s so bad about Camila, huh, Father? You don’t even know her!
“Did you know she’s been a single mother since before Ava was born? That Ava has a genetic condition, and Camila has worked harder than anyone I know to provide for all of Ava’s needs? That the initial reason she agreed to marry me was so she could afford better healthcare for her daughter? How does that make her a bad person?”
I lock eyes with him, but I don’t give him the chance to respond.
“If anyone is at fault in this relationship, it’s me. I was the one who offered her money to marry me so I could satisfy your stupid clause. Because I didn’t want to let you or the family down.”
I let my words sink in before continuing.
“But you decided to trust someone who dated Camila for a short time over seven years ago—someone who lost his mind the moment he learned she was marrying me. Even though he’s a married man and has been for a while now.”
I arch a brow at my father, who’s the perfect picture of shock as he learns all the little details behind Owen’s motives.
“I didn’t know all of that, son,” he admits. “All Owen said was that he dated her a long time ago and had to break up with her because she had drug issues.”
My eyes widen, disbelief flooding through me. If I didn’t know better, I’d say they were about to pop out of my skull.
“Drugs? For fuck’s sake, Father. Do you really think so little of me?”
This time he has the decency to lower his gaze when I look at him.
“Do you really think I would have signed an agreement with someone who wasn’t a good, upstanding citizen? Camila is the best woman I know on earth. And I feel sorry for you that you won’t get to know her or her daughter, because I won’t allow you anywhere near them.”
I hold his gaze, my voice firm. “When we’re ready to move to Chile, I’ll let you know—so you can leave.”
His brows shoot up to his hairline. “But I thought it was an arranged marriage. Why would she and her daughter move to Chile with you?” he asks, puzzled.
“Because as we got to know each other, things changed, and I couldn’t be more in love with that woman and her daughter,” I shout, my voice rising with emotion.
He closes his eyes tightly.
“Thanks to them, I’m a better man. And I have God as my witness, Father, I won’t let anything or anyone hurt them. And I think you’ve done enough.”
My father opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. A whirlwind of emotions battles across his face.
I give him a few minutes to recover, after all, I dropped a lot on him over a short period of time. But when he doesn’t say anything, I know he needs more time. And right now, I need to check on my wife and my daughter.
He can calm down and come to terms with how bad he fucked it up on his own.
I walk toward the door and open it wide. My father nods as he walks toward me and exits the studio.
In the living room, my mother, Gabo, and Isa are talking animatedly. But the moment they see us, everyone quiets.
“I’m going to go get Camila and Ava. We’ll have lunch shortly,” I announce as I make my way to the stairs.
When I reach Ava’s room, I knock twice before a very happy, very chirpy Ava opens the door.
“Yes, Boss Man?” she asks with a smile.
I scan her room until I find my wife. She’s sitting on Ava’s bed with Mrs. Evans. The moment our eyes lock, a pang of guilt hits my heart. Camila looks so nervous. I hate that our wedding day had to go this way.
Fucking Owen.
“Is everything okay?” Camila asks in a small voice as she gets up from the bed and makes her way to me.
I give her my best reassuring smile. “Yes, of course. I’m ready for lunch, and I know the duckling was starving. Let’s go,” I say as I turn to head out of the room, but Camila stops me.
“Vicente,” she says as she raises a brow, making me chuckle.
“Yes, wife. Everything is alright. I had a conversation with my father, and that’s done.”
She doesn’t seem too convinced, but she nods and lets me lead her out of the room, Ava and Mrs. Evans following close behind.
When we reach the sitting room, my parents are nowhere to be seen. And even though I had hope that they would reconsider and stay, I understand.
At the end of the day I didn’t invite them—and that must have hurt.
“I know this is not an ordinary wedding celebration, but I wanted to thank you all for being here for Camila and me. We’re embarking on a new and exciting journey and couldn’t think of better people to share our first day as husband and wife with,” I say as Camila grabs my hand, and Mrs. Evans and Ava join Gabo and Isa.
I’m grateful everyone looks more relaxed now that my parents are gone. I hope we can still enjoy the rest of the day.
Annette, one of the maids, comes into the sitting room with a tray of champagne flutes and a cute cup of juice for Ava.
We all raise our glasses as my brother turns to me.
“As the best man and one of the witnesses, I wanted to say a couple of words as well,” Gabo begins.
I nod, giving my permission, and he inhales a deep breath before continuing.
“When my brother called me and told me he was getting married, I laughed. I thought it was another one of his pranks he likes to pull on me. But today, when I saw him sweating bullets while he was waiting for Camila, I understood that somehow my brother found what only a few, lucky people find in this world.”
Gabo pauses and looks at Isa, whose eyes shine with adoration.
“Then, when I saw Camila getting out of the car—so perfectly in sync with my brother—I knew that what they share is powerful, and I couldn’t be happier. Here’s a toast to the happy couple and to a lifetime of happiness.”
Everyone raises their flutes, murmuring congratulations and good wishes.
Annette informs us that lunch is served, and we move to the dining hall. I help Camila and Ava to their seats, while Gabo helps Mrs. Evans and Isa. Looking at everyone at the table, I feel grateful for their love and support.
Before the meal begins, I stand and say a few words. “Since neither Camila nor I are English, I decided to serve an assortment of our favorite foods for this lunch. There’s chicken casserole for me and plantains with shredded beef and avocado for Camila.”
I motion for everyone to start eating, but as I glance at Camila, I notice she hasn’t moved.
I start sweating. Did I misunderstand what Ava told me about her mum’s favorite dish?
Leaning closer, I whisper, “What’s wrong?”
Her eyes glisten with unshed tears as she shakes her head, unable to speak. Instead, she places her hand on my forearm.
“Nothing is wrong,” she finally says, her voice trembling slightly. “You’re just an infuriatingly kind man.”
Relief washes over me, then before I know it, a laugh bursts out of me.
“I think there’s a compliment in there somewhere. At least that’s what I’m going to take away from it.”
I wink at her and take a bite of the casserole. The flavors are spot on. I wonder how Annette managed to get it so perfect. That’s definitely something I’ll have to ask her about later.
Everyone eats and drinks, even Ava asks for seconds—which makes me so happy I chose something she would enjoy too.
When the cake is brought out, Camila gasps, covering her mouth with her hand.
“Vicente, how did you know this was my dream cake?”
I take her hand in mine, squeezing gently. “A gentleman never reveals his sources.”
Camila chuckles as she looks at Mrs. Evans and Ava, who are doing a terrible job at acting normal.
“Well, I just wanted to say that today has exceeded every single expectation I might have had—tenfold.”
I glance around at the people I love before continuing “Even with the little interruption, I can say with absolute certainty that today is one of the best days of my life.”
Camila’s eyes shine, and I bring her hand to my lips, pressing a kiss to her ring.
I asked Mrs. Evans if she knew what kind of cake Camila liked, and she told me of Camila’s love for cakes decorated with real flowers. It wasn’t hard to find the best bakery in all of London for the special request. I went with a three-tier cake, each tier a different flavor.
I remembered when she made the cookies for work, she mentioned loving the simple vanilla-raspberry combination—so that became the base.
For the second tier, I picked my favorite flavor, chocolate stout.
And the top tier was in honor of Ava—strawberry lime.
The flowers they used are all in different shades of pink, forming a delicate spiral. It’s absolutely beautiful.
Because it was such short notice, I had to pay a rush fee. The cake alone was fifteen hundred quid, but it was worth every single penny.
Camila places a kiss on my cheek, her touch sending a shiver through me.
“If every kiss is a reward, then, wife, I’ll make it my life’s work to fulfill your every desire.” Camila shudders and immediately blushes, and I love that I have this effect on her. I hope she knows it’s mutual.
She trails a few kisses across my cheek, getting dangerously close to my mouth. I know I can’t kiss her like I want to, so I reluctantly turn my face and give her a quick peck on her lips.
We cut the cake and take more pictures. Once everyone has eaten at least a slice, I announce it’s time to dance with my bride.
Camila looks at me with curious eyes.
I nod at Gabo, who connects his phone to the sound system. The opening chords of “Volví a Nacer” by Carlos Vives start playing throughout the house speakers.
Camila lips part in surprise. “I love this song,” she whispers as I slide my hands around her waist.
Her hands find my shoulders, and I bring her flush against me like she belongs there—because she does.
I’ve never been a great dancer, but Camila catches on easily and moves with grace.
“Just follow my lead,” she murmurs in my ear.
And that’s what I do.
I let go of everything and get lost in her gaze as she guides me across the makeshift ballroom.
“When did you have time to plan all this?” she asks, her voice full of wonder.
I brush my lips close to her ear. “That’s easy,” I utter softly. “Every night, after leaving your flat, I would come home so frustrated that I couldn’t sleep with you by my side. I had to deal with insomnia somehow.”
Camila looks at me like I just hung the moon for her.
Then, as the chorus begins, she starts singing like Carlos Vives is in the room with us.
“Quiero casarme contigo, quedarme a tu lado, ser el bendecido con tu amor—” I want to marry you, stay by your side, be blessed by your love.
There’s so much raw emotion radiating from her that it hits me like a tidal wave.
I don’t even think, I just join in, our voices fusing together like a melody meant to be sung.
Gabo and Isa jump in, dancing along with us, filling the room with joy and laughter.
Ava asks Mrs. Evans to dance, and suddenly there is a huge celebration in Mayfair.
I don’t think this day could have turned out any better.
“Ava, would you like to play with Isa and me for a little while before we head back to Italy?” Gabo asks, his tone gentle.
I’m so grateful my brother is taking this seriously.
Ava seems hesitant, her small feet shifting on the floor, before she walks over to where I’m dancing with Camila.
“Do you want me to go with you and see where Gabo and Isa are going to play with you?” Camila asks.
Ava nods, her small hand clutching Camila’s.
We follow them closely behind, just in case Ava wants me around, too.
I had one of the guest rooms turned into a playroom for her. I know we’re leaving soon—hopefully for Chile—but I still wanted her to feel as comfortable as possible here.
When they enter the room, Ava immediately turns back, and the moment she sees me, she dashes toward me.
“Boss Man, all this is mine?”
I smile at her, my chest tightening as her deep brown eyes water with emotion.
“Thank you, Boss Man. You’re the best.”
A lump forms in my throat, and unable to form words, I place a kiss on her head before setting her gently back on the floor.
She rushes to Isa’s side. “I think we can play now.”
Isa giggles and looks at Camila. “She's adorable. Go have fun with your hubby.”
Gabo comes to stand next to me. “We'll try to keep her busy as much as possible. But I can’t make any promises,” he says with a grin.
I pat him on the back as I mouth my thanks. Camila kisses Ava on her cheek, and we leave the three of them in the playroom. I could spend all day and night finally taking care of Camila, but a couple of hours would be a great start.
On our way upstairs, Mrs. Evans says her goodbyes, mentioning she’s spent and wants to be fresh for our trip tomorrow.
After exchanging hugs, thanks, and congratulations, I ask one of my drivers to take her home.
The moment she’s gone, Camila and I hurry to our room.
My body vibrates with need, every muscle coiled tight with anticipation.
Unable to hold back another second, I scoop her up in my arms, carrying her up the stairs two steps at a time—like a man possessed.
She gasps, her arms tightening around my neck. I grin.
I can't wait to unwrap my wedding present.