Chapter 5

“Let me introduce you—this is Camila. She’s Javier’s younger sister.”

I could only manage a faint smile and a slight nod as Adriana introduced me to some of her male friends at this luxurious villa. Honestly, the atmosphere here immediately made me feel uncomfortable. A sudden sense of awkwardness tightened around my throat. What’s more, I really didn’t like the way those men were staring at me.

Even though I’d deliberately chosen to wear very modest, conservative clothing, their stares—which seemed to be undressing me and judging me like a piece of merchandise—truly made my skin crawl with discomfort.

“You’re so beautiful. “Let me introduce myself—I’m Pedro.” One of the men stepped forward, extending his hand with a smile that struck me as far too self-assured.

I shook his hand halfheartedly out of politeness. But I quickly and roughly pulled my hand back when Pedro’s fingers deliberately brushed the back of my hand for a split second. That brazen act instantly set off alarm bells in my head.

“Camila,” I replied curtly and as briefly as possible.

“Well, she doesn’t have a boyfriend yet, you know. Who knows, maybe one of you guys will hit it off with her, so you can go ahead and make a move,” Adriana said again, her voice brimming with enthusiasm. Her words were, of course, immediately met with wild cheers from several single men in the room.

I chose to remain silent, stealing a glance at Javier, who was sitting not far from us. He just sat there quietly, sipping his drink as if the commotion around him were merely a passing breeze. Deep down, I’d briefly hoped he’d speak up. Hoped he’d stand up for me, act like a protective older brother when he saw his little sister being flirted with by a stranger.

But then I suddenly came to my senses. I cursed my own stupidity in my heart. Little sister? I laughed bitterly to myself. I wasn’t his biological sister. I was just an orphan, all alone, whom his mother had brought to be raised in their home twelve years ago. In Javier’s eyes, I was probably nothing more than a stranger living off his family.

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As my unease grew more and more overwhelming, I chose to walk away from the crowd. My feet carried me toward the balcony area that looked directly out onto the open ocean. Back in the living room, the scene had felt utterly sickening. Especially when Adriana’s friends, who had brought their partners, began hugging each other tightly and kissing passionately in public, as if such intimate activities had become commonplace within their circle of friends.

I crossed my arms over my chest, wrapping my arms around myself to ward off the night breeze that was starting to chill me to the bone. My eyes stared straight out at the dark, vast expanse of the sea. This place, which should have looked beautiful and soothing, somehow made my chest feel even more constricted and empty.

“Hi…”

I turned my head slightly when I felt a breath of air and a shift in weight beside me. A man from the group was suddenly sitting on the balcony railing, right next to me. I had no intention of chatting, so I just gave a stiff, single nod.

“How come I’m just now finding out that Javier has a younger sister as beautiful as you? I always thought he was the only child in the Villareal family,” he said, trying to strike up a conversation with a flirtatious tone.

I just gave a faint, blank smile at his question. It was only natural that he didn’t know. Indeed, not a single outsider was aware of my status in that family. I’d simply been raised there, provided for, but never officially introduced to the public as part of their family. I still used my own birth surname instead of taking the prestigious Villarreal name. So, clearly, no one knew of my existence except those closest to me.

“Why? Do you feel uncomfortable here?” the man asked again when he noticed my silence.

I glanced back briefly, then gave a slight shake of my head as a false answer. I chose to break eye contact and turned my gaze back to the vast beach, hoping the man beside me would quickly realize that I wanted to be left alone.

The night was getting late, and the atmosphere inside the inn’s hall was getting wilder by the minute. I just sat quietly in a dimly lit corner of the room, watching the scene before me with a heavy heart. Some people had started downing alcoholic drinks, laughing loudly with flushed faces, and shamelessly getting cozy with their partners.

And right in the middle of the main sofa sat Javier and Adriana.

I desperately looked away, forcing my eyes to stare at the floor or any wall—anywhere but at them. My chest felt too tight, as if it were being struck by a huge sledgehammer every time I saw Adriana deliberately sitting on Javier’s lap. The woman had her arms affectionately draped around Javier’s neck, whispering sweetly at the nape of his neck as if marking her territory and declaring to the world that Javier belonged solely to her.

“Camila, here’s a drink.”

A glass filled with alcohol was suddenly thrust in front of my face. I looked up to find Pedro standing right in front of me with a sly smile. “Thanks, but I don’t drink alcohol,” I declined, politely pushing the glass away.

“It’s good, Camila. Just try a little—you won’t get drunk right away,” Pedro insisted again, even deliberately bringing the glass closer to my lips.

“Yeah, Camila. You’re twenty-two years old—how come you’ve never had a drink at all? Don’t be so uptight; this is a party,” chimed in one of Adriana’s female friends from across the room, sparking mocking laughter from the others.

“Hey, don’t force her. She’s never dated anyone, so she’s never been kissed either, right?” another one interjected, heating up the atmosphere.

Pedro chuckled softly, his eyes fixed on me with a distinctly condescending glint. “Camila, how about you kiss me tonight? Want to learn how to kiss properly from me?”

My ears rang at the blatant harassment hurled at me. I didn’t say a single word. My tongue was tied by a mix of shame and anger. Yet, amid the swirl of mocking laughter, my eyes immediately scanned the room for Javier.

The man stood motionless where he was. He just stood there silently watching his sister being humiliated and made the butt of a cheap joke right before his own eyes, as if it weren’t a big enough deal for him to care about. To make matters worse, Adriana—that woman—was actually smiling smugly on Javier’s lap, as if this humiliating situation were exactly what she’d planned from the start to destroy my self-respect.

An excruciating pain instantly pierced my chest—far more painful than the taunts of these despicable men standing before me. Javier truly didn’t care. He left me to be preyed upon right here without the slightest intention of reaching out to help.

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