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    Instinctively, Cam stepped in front of Connor, nervously guarding the painting he was holding.


    She was worried that someone might identally bump into him and damage the precious artwork.


    They stood face to face. Their proximity was such that they could clearly feel each other’s breath


    and heartbeat.


    Connor looked down at her. Feeling his gaze, Cam lifted her head and met his intense eyes. At


    that moment, it seemed as if the entire world had vanished, leaving only the two of them.


    The air seemed to stand shill, the surrounding noises fading away. Cam felt her blood rushing to


    her heart, which was pounding wildly. She blinked frantically, overwhelmed by this unfamiliar


    sensation. She quickly lowered her head, unable to meet his gaze any


    longer.


    The elevator ride down felt unbearably long, each second stretching like half a century. Finally, they


    reached the ground floor. As the bustling crowd flowed out of the elevator, Cam held the door


    open until Connor stepped out, and she sighed in relief.


    The drive home was unusually silent, filled only with the sound of soft music ying in the car. As


    usual, the driver dropped Cam off at Cedarhill Estate first.


    “Mr. Connor, here we are,” Cam said, her head slightly bowed.


    Connor handed her the painting without a word, merely giving her a brief nce.


    “Thank you, Mr. Connor. Goodbye,” Cam said cautiously as she took it.


    “Uh–huh,” Connor responded.


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    After closing the car door, the vehicle slowly disappeared from Cam’s view. She stood there,


    clutching the painting tightly, her mind in turmoil.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    “Ms. Cam, heading home?” the passing security guard greeted her. Cam’s thoughts were


    pulled back, and she nodded with a slight smile. “Yeah.*


    “Do you need help carrying that upstairs?” the guard asked, noticing the painting.


    Cam smiled and shook her head, “No, thank you. I’m heading up now. Bye.”


    “Goodbye.”


    That night, Camy in bed, eyes closed, trying to clear her mind, but the more she tried, the more


    her thoughts raced.


    She touched her now calm heart, wondering if there was something wrong with it.


    “I need to make a doctor’s appointment this weekend!”


    She needed to make a lot of money to ensure her mother could enjoy herter years worry–free.


    “My heart, you need to stay healthy, absolutely no getting sick!” Cam firmly told herself.


    She tossed and turned with her plushie bear. It took ages before she finally drifted off to sleep.


    The chirping of birds outside the window woke her abruptly, and she quickly grabbed her phone to


    check the time. It was 6:05 AM. Her rm hadn’t even gone off. She pped her forehead andy


    back down.


    When the rm finally rang, Cam got up, got ready, and walked to Cedarhill Estate.


    It’s workout time. As usual, Cam stepped onto the treadmill and began her daily routine.


    However, today, her demeanor was exceptionally serious, a stark contrast to her usual self. Her


    eyes sparkled with determination, silently telling herself, “Cam, you need to be healthy.”


    Connor nced at Cam, surprised by her unusual seriousness today. Normally, Cam would be


    panting andining treadmill. But today, she seemed like a different person, not uttering a


    singleint and running with even more vigor…