Say Yes, Senator

I rubbed her shoulder with my thumb, offering her a tentative smile. “It wasn’t me who did this, but we will find the one who is responsible for this. We’ll get to the bottom of this mess. I promise you that.”

I could see her struggling to believe me. I cupped her cheek ever so tenderly and wiped off one tear after another.

“Please, don’t cry. We’ll figure out how to minimize the damage.”

“So… It really wasn’t you? You didn’t hack my phone?”

“I didn’t. I was so furious when I found out about the article, thinking you were the one who was responsible for it because the photos were from your phone.”

“I didn’t give them those pic

tures,” she was quick to reassure me. “I would never do something like that.”

“I know.” My thumb grazed her lip, and she let out a gasp. I looked at her lips, wishing I could kiss her. “I was a fool for doubting you. I’m sorry.”

She let out a sigh. Then, surprising me, she leaned into my hand and closed her eyes. “I’m sorry too. I doubted you as well, and you didn’t deserve it. Just, I’m so scared. This is a mess, and I don’t know what to do to fix it.”

“Don’t worry. I’m going to take care of everything.” I took her hands into mine and peered into her eyes. “We’re in this together, okay? We’re going to solve this no matter what it takes. I got you.”

She nodded, a smile spreading across her face. “Thank you. You have no idea how relieved I feel right now.”

“No need to thank me.” I planted a kiss on her forehead. “I told you, I really care about you. I feel like shit when you’re not happy. And I’m not giving up on you,” I told her and drew her into a hug. Her scent was so sweet, making me desire her more than anything. “This doesn’t change anything between us. Okay? Stay with me.”

“Okay,” she muttered into my shoulder, her arms wrapped tightly around my waist. “I’ll stay with you.”

Relief exploded in me, and I felt like I could deal with anything if I had her by my side. We were in a difficult situation, but we had each other, and that mattered the most. So even if all hell broke loose, it would be alright because I was with Camilla.

I leaned in to finally kiss her, wanting to show her just how much she meant to me, but before I could do that, the door burst open, and Marissa strode into my office, carrying a paper with her. Camilla and I separated immediately, but Marissa had already caught on what would have happened if she hadn’t interrupted us.

“Marissa? Where’s the fire?”

“Ha ha,” she replied, her gaze stopping on Camilla. “What is she doing here?”

I raised my eyebrow. What was with that attitude? “Marissa, slow down a little. I don’t know what your problem is, but don’t talk to Camilla using that tone.”

She didn’t even blink. “I thought we agreed that you will break all contact with her right away.”

I could sense Camilla turning rigid next to me. I sent her a gaze that said, It’s going to be alright, trust me.

“We didn’t agree to anything. I just told you that I would think about it, and now that I have, I have made my decision. I’m not giving up on Camilla. We are staying together.”

She shifted on her feet, placing her hand on her hip. “I told you about the consequences—”

“I don’t give a shit about the consequences, Marissa. And I don’t give a shit about what you think. This is my life and my career, so if you can’t respect my decision, we’re done.”

She tightened her jaw, looking as if she wanted to say something but was fighting hard not to. She was giving me an accusatory eye for allowing Camilla back into my life, but she remained silent. A smart choice.

“So? Why did you come?”

“We’ve just received a call from the police station. There’s a ransom for all of the evidence on Camilla’s phone. It seems that Camilla wasn’t the one who sold those photos to that tabloid.”

“I know I didn’t sell them,” Camilla sneered at her.

Marissa didn’t even glance at her, continuing to look between me and the paper she was holding. “Camilla was hacked. We still don’t know for sure who the perpetrator is, but the police are already investigating, and they think that they have a suspect.”

I looked at Camilla. “That’s good news!”

She returned my smile. “Thank God.”