The Cracks Beneath the Surface

Camilla gazed at her phone, her thumb hovering over Drew's name.

He hadn't called.

After their intense moment in the garden, the chemistry they shared, and the look in his eyes, she was convinced he would reach out.

Her heart raced when Leo texted her that morning, saying Drew had been asking about her. But then came the silence. Nothing.

Frustrated, she tossed her phone onto the couch and began pacing her living room. It felt like a cage, the walls closing in with each passing moment. The memories were vivid here—laughing on the kitchen counter, his shirts still in the hamper, that one coffee mug he always claimed as his.

Camilla clenched her fists. Something was off. He wanted to contact her; she could feel it.

Unless...

Her eyes widened.

Tanis.

She quickly grabbed her bag and keys and made her way to Leo's office.

"She deleted the message," Leo said, not allowing her to sit. "I discovered the data recovery this morning. There was a draft on Drew's phone—a message meant for you. He was trying to get in touch."

Camilla held onto the edge of his desk. "So she has access to his phone now?"

"She's entangled him in so many layers of manipulation that it's hard for him to think clearly. But he's starting to slip, Camilla. The cracks are appearing. He's beginning to question her."

She swallowed hard. "Then we need to widen those cracks. We have to make him remember quickly, before she tightens her grip again."

Leo nodded. "We may need to play a bit more aggressively."

At the hospital, Tanis was curled up on the couch with Drew, feeding him grapes like a queen.

He wasn't smiling.

She noticed.

"You seem quiet today," she said, gently offering a grape to his lips.

"I had another dream last night," he replied softly. "Same woman. Same voice. Same unsettling feeling I can't shake off."

Tanis's smile faded. "Maybe we should increase your medication. You need to rest."

He finally turned to her. "What if I don't want to rest? What if I need answers?"

She tensed up. "Sweetheart, I've been by your side since the beginning. That woman—"

"Don't call her that," he interrupted sharply.

She blinked in surprise.

"Camilla. Her name is Camilla."

Tanis forced a smile, her tone overly sweet. "Okay, Camilla. But you don't really know her. She could be a threat. Obsessive. Don't let her manipulate you."

He rose slowly, gripping the IV stand for support. "And what if you're the one manipulating me?"

Tanis froze, his words hitting harder than he intended.

Without waiting for her reply, he stepped into the hallway, his heart racing.

Camilla waited in the garden where they had met before.

She had no guarantee he would show up. She could only hope.

Dressed in a pale blue gown, the one he once said made her look like a dream, her heart raced with each passing minute. She glanced at the clock. Ten minutes. Fifteen. Twenty.

Then she heard the soft sound of footsteps approaching.

She turned around.

Drew stood there, the wind tugging at his shirt, his eyes filled with turmoil.

Neither of them spoke.

Instead, she moved closer, reaching into her bag. She took out a small leather journal and handed it to him.

"Your words," she murmured. "Your handwriting. You wrote this the week before the accident. You said you were going to propose."

He flipped through the pages, his eyes scanning his own writing.

One entry caught his attention:

"Camilla is the only thing I'm certain of. If anything happens to me, I need her to know she's the love of my life."

His hands shook.

"I wrote this?"

She nodded. "Yes, you did."

He looked at her, his eyes stormy. "Why didn't I propose then?"

She looked away. "You were going to. That night. But you never got the chance."

"Why not?"

Camilla hesitated before answering. "Because Tanis was there. I think she distracted you. Intentionally."

His jaw tightened.

"I need some air," he said quietly, stuffing the journal into his pocket and walking away.

Camilla watched him leave, her heart heavy yet filled with a flicker of hope.

He sensed it. Memories were surfacing.

Tanis was waiting for him when he got back.

"Where have you been?"

"Just walking."

"With her?"

He remained silent.

She stepped closer, gripping his arm. "Don't let her mess with your mind, Drew! She's just desperate. That's all this is."

He looked at her hand on his arm. "I need some distance, Tanis. Real distance."

Her expression fell. "You're shutting me out? After everything I've done for you?"

"Maybe that's the issue. I never asked you to do anything for me."

She swallowed hard. "I love you."

"Do you? Or do you just love what I have?"

She slapped him.

The sound resonated in the room.

He didn't react. He simply turned and walked away.

Tanis stood there, trembling, watching her illusions shatter one by one.

Later that night, Drew sat alone on his hospital bed, the journal resting in his lap.

Camilla's words echoed in his thoughts.

His fingers traced the page once more.

Then it struck him.

A vivid memory.

Her laughter as he chased her on the beach.

The way she kissed him in the rain.

The feel of her skin in the dark.

He gasped, clutching the sheets.

More memories flooded in. Quick flashes. Her face, her moans, her tears.

Real memories.

"Camilla..."

He reached for his phone.

No more drafts. No more waiting.

Just as he was about to call her, the door burst open.

Two men in black suits entered.

"Mr. Millers, you need to come with us."

Drew blinked. "Who are you?"

One of them showed a badge. "Private security. You're being moved to a private facility for your own protection. Orders from your fiancée."

"What?!"

Before he could protest, they surrounded him.

Camilla's name still glowed on his screen.

But the call never went through.

Because Drew Millers was about to vanish.