30. Chapter 30
Chapter 30
Camila Flores
T he moment I see Vicente walk out of his studio, sharing a smile with his father, I feel like I can breathe again. Although his father said he came to apologize, I wasn’t sure if Vicente would throw him out or if they’d end up fighting again.
Carla has been playing with Ava and chatting with me in Ava’s playroom. This woman is pure class and heart. She’s made me feel welcomed in her family, and I’m so grateful for that.
“How’s everything going over here?” Vicente’s father asks as the two men take a seat on the sofa in the playroom.
“Wonderful, dear. I’ve been playing dolls with Ava. She’s such a sweetheart,” Carla shares with her husband, and my daughter beams at the praise.
“How about you, wife. Are you alright?” Vicente asks.
I smile. “More than alright. Your mother is an amazing woman.”
Carla squeezes my hand, and I squeeze back, a silent exchange of gratitude and understanding.
“Well, I’m glad to see everyone is getting along. How about we go out to celebrate this impromptu reunion?” Vicente asks.
Ava jumps up and down excitedly. “Maybe we can go see the duckies today?” she asks Vicente with puppy eyes.
He agrees immediately. She’s had him wrapped around her little finger since day one.
“Let's freshen up and meet in thirty minutes. I’ll make a couple of phone calls to set something up,” Vicente says.
His parents make their way to one of the guest rooms, while Ava comes upstairs with us.
“Do you think you can choose a pretty dress and get ready while Vicente and I go change?” I ask.
She nods and runs excitedly to her room.
I make a note to let Annette know to keep an eye on her. I’m dying to ask Vicente how it went with his father.
“You want me all to yourself, huh, wife?” Vicente asks against my ear as he lifts me off the ground, and I wrap my legs around his waist.
“I just really need to know everything that was said in your studio.”
He chuckles as we make our way to our room. “He said he was truly sorry he believed Owen over me, and wanted to make sure we were in love—and that’s all that matters.”
My eyes go wide, and Vicente snorts.
“Yeah, I’m just glad everything resolved itself in the end.”
He drops me onto our bed with a playful grin before pulling his phone from his pocket.
“Let me make two quick calls, and then you can have your way with me,” he says, winking as he makes his first call.
I decide to contact Annette through the Alexa system so she can check on Ava. Something tells me we’ll be here longer than thirty minutes.
“What’s going on? Where are we going?” I ask Vicente as we climb the stairs to his jet.
“It’s a surprise,” he says with a smirk.
I roll my eyes at him. Will I ever get used to these kinds of surprises?
Once the jet takes off, everyone gets comfortable and moves around the plane. Vicente and his dad ask for wine and a cheese tray to share, while Carla stays with Ava and me.
“So tell me, Camila. How did you end up in London?” she asks, turning in her seat to give me her undivided attention.
I tell her everything—from the moment I decided to practice my English to finding a nice job that allowed me to study and travel on the weekends. I know she wants to know the story about Ava’s father, but that’s not something I feel comfortable speaking about around Ava. Especially now, when she’s so happy to have Vicente in her life.
“I love that. So I take it you’ve visited most of Europe?”
“Not really. I traveled a lot in Portugal and Spain and visited a few cities in France. The farthest I’ve been is Athens.”
A lump forms in my throat as I remember the time I went to Athens and visited the places Konstantine mentioned to me. It was after my second trimester, once the morning sickness had eased. I’m glad I was able to go to his homeland and have some sort of closure.
“Oh, then this trip will be a treat,” Carla says excitedly, and I wonder what she means.
“We’re going to Bologna to have dinner with my son Gabo and his girlfriend, Isabella. We’ll be back in London tomorrow.”
My eyes widen at Carla’s words. This is so exciting. But why wouldn't Vicente tell me? I didn’t even pack an overnight bag for Ava or myself.
I’ll have to have a word with him in a minute, but I don’t want Carla to think I’m not interested in getting to know her. On the contrary, I hope we can become good friends over time.
“Carla, how does it feel to have adult kids? I can’t even begin to imagine my sweet Ava all grown up,” I say, my voice softening.
Every time I talk about my baby, tenderness and love spreads through me.
Carla’s face transforms as her thoughts go somewhere else, smiling at a memory playing in her head.
“Oh, dear. You’ll never be ready to see them grow and become the adults you always hoped they would be.”
I smile at her response, thinking about all over Ava’s milestones.
“In your eyes, they’ll always be the little kids who ran around the house, making messes and pulling pranks on their siblings while you tried your hardest not to laugh,” she says warmly.
I chuckle, easily picturing Vicente and Gabo pulling pranks on their little sister, Karina.
“And I’m so happy little Ava will get to grow up in the hacienda, just like Vicente did. It’s a wonderful place to raise happy, healthy children.”
I catch the subtle jab and smile at her knowingly. I hear you loud and clear, Carla. You want more grandkids .
“Thank you for being so welcoming, Carla. You don’t know how much this means to me,” I say, my voice thick with emotion as tears threaten to spill. These past couple of weeks have been so overwhelming.
“Oh, darling. It’s me who has to thank you.”
I frown, confused, but she gives my hand a gentle squeeze, her expression soft with understanding.
“I thought my son was never going to find love. The older he got, the more consumed by his job he became. That’s why my husband told him he needed to get married if he wanted to inherit the vineyard. It was our last attempt to break his fixation on work and show him there’s a life waiting for him beyond his office walls.”
What? This was all a ruse?
“I’m sorry, Carla, but I don’t follow,” I say, completely baffled.
It’s her turn to chuckle. “Dear, we would have never enforced the marriage rule for Vicente to get the vineyard. We just wanted to give him a push in the right direction.”
I know Carla is confirming what I had initially heard, but wow. This is insane.
“Listen, we’re just thankful he found you. I don’t think he could have chosen a better partner.”
Even though I appreciate that she thinks highly of me, I don’t understand why. She barely knows me.
I’m about to ask her, when Vicente sits down beside me.
“Mother, wife.” He greets us, and I lean into him. “I was wondering if I could steal Camila for a few minutes?” he asks his mom, and she gives us a knowing smile.
“Please, Mother. It’s nothing like that. I just need to talk to her.”
Carla dismisses us with a wave as she asks Ava if she needs any help. Ava beams at her, and the two of them start coloring.
“What is it, mi cielo ?” I ask.
He bites his lip, and a fire lights up in his eyes. “Do you know what that nickname does to me, wife?” he asks in my ear.
I shake my head as I stifle a laugh.
“I’ll show you tonight, when I make you come so hard you’ll see stars for days.”
“Can’t wait,” I say as he places his lips against mine.
“Camila, I need you to behave. I can’t be sporting a raging erection in front of my parents.”
I melt into a fit of laughter as he shakes his head.
“But that’s not what I was going to talk to you about. Even though, I can’t lie, I love where this is going.”
The hairs on my arms stand up. Is he going to tell me something bad?
“Please, don’t worry. I promise it’s a good thing,” he says as if he can read my thoughts. “I just got a text from Patrick.”
I open my eyes in surprise. Good news from Patrick? I wonder what it could be.
“Owen just wired you ten million pounds.”
My jaw hits the floor. Already? I thought he was going to take his sweet time—or that I would never see a quid from him.
But now that I have this money, what’s next?
An idea forms in my mind as I smile at my husband.
“I’ve been thinking,” I begin, and Vicente raises a brow.
I laugh at his expression as I smack him gently on the chest. “I’ve been thinking I want to invest some of that money.”
His face transforms with a gorgeous grin.
“I’d like to be equal partners in the cacao project,” I say, my voice steady but hopeful.
“You are already an equal partner. You’re my wife.” He scoffs.
I shake my head gently, leaning closer to make my point. “And that’s so sweet, Vicente, but for the first time in my life, I can do something like this. I want to feel like I’m contributing, not just taking.”
I need him to understand how important this is to me.
He inhales deeply, his expression softening with understanding.
“You’re right. I’m so proud of you for stepping up and taking charge of this new venture.”
Unable to contain myself, I hug him tightly. It's unbelievable how in sync we are, despite knowing each other for only a few months.
“On one condition,” he murmurs against my neck, his breath tickling my skin.
My heart skips a beat, and I pull back slightly, narrowing my eyes in mock suspicion. “What is it, mister negotiator?”
He chuckles, the sound low and warm. “I’ll match whatever amount you invest and put it away in a trust for when our girl is older.”
I stare at him as a tender ache spreads through me, the kind of feeling that makes you feel how lucky you are—how loved you are. And just when I think I can’t love him more, he goes and does something like this.
“I love you, mi cielo ,” I whisper, my voice soft with emotion.
He brushes a kiss against my forehead, cradling the back of my neck.
“I love you more, wife.”