Camellia tried calling Dr. Sirimon for the next couple of days, but the nurse told her he was out again. Furious that the doctor would not speak to her because of James, she closed the phone and went out of the house to persuade Sam to take her to the clinic. Sam refused, telling her Mr. Shaw had requested it. Not knowing what to do, she went to visit Leek by the flowers.

A sports car pulled up to the driveway. Mark got out of the car and whistled at Camellia. She disgustedly looked at him and asked Leek who that was.

"That is Mr. Mark, Miss. He is probably here to collect his check. It is the end of the month."

Camellia looked in disgust as Mark came toward them.

"Are you our new maid here?" he asked as he came up to Camellia.

Camellia glared at him coldly and then smiled in pretense as she saw that he was flirting with her.

"No," she began, "I'm the new girl in your household."

He looked in disbelief.

"Why are you dressed like that?" he asked unintelligently.

Camellia looked at her clothes. She was wearing a plain shirt and pants, which obviously made her look plain like a maid.

"Is something wrong?" she asked him rudely.

He laughed.

Camellia looked at him as if he had gone insane.

"I thought you would look more like Amy," he began, "or even Teresa."

Camellia continued to glare at him as if he were crazy.

"Who is Teresa?"

"James's girlfriend."

Camellia frowned.

"You don't hate me for being here?"

"Of course," he replied with a twinkle in his eyes. "Nobody wants an unwanted guest. But I can learn to like you if you want me to."

Camellia slowly smiled, not knowing who she disliked more—James or his brother.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Camellia strolled into the house and tried to climb the stairs to her room, but Mark followed behind and stopped her.

"Why do you leave so quickly? I can be your friend in this house," he remarked, blocking her way to the stairs.

"Thank you for your offer, Mr. Shaw, but I don't need your friendship."

"My name is Mark, and may I call you Camellia?"

She looked at him in disbelief and climbed the stairs. He blocked her again.

"Will you go out with me tonight? I know many fun places in the city."

"Wouldn't your brother disapprove?" she questioned him.

"Not if I pick you up outside the gates. My brother wouldn't even know," he stated, making her sound unclean.

Hating his thinking, she smiled and said with mischief in her eyes, "Fine, pick me up outside the gates if you want."

Mark's eyes glittered in triumph.

"I'll pick you up at nine then?"

Camellia knew what he was asking, and she gave him a seductive smile.

"All right then."

With that she passed him and climbed the stairs, uncaring that he watched her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not surprised to find his brother home, James came to sit by him as he watched TV in the family room with snacks.

"How is school?"

"Fine. Fine."

"Where is Amy?"

Mark jumped and yelled at the game he was watching, then settled back down and looked to his brother.

"Amy said she'll be here tonight with some friends."

James nodded. He was about to leave when Mark commented, "Miss Quintana is very attractive."

James glared at his brother as if he had gone insane.

"You've met her?"

"I've met her, and she seems very nice."

James disapprovingly looked at him.

"She is not nice, Mark. She is an intelligent woman who knows what she wants," he plainly remarked.

"I know," Mark plainly replied.

James looked displeased at his brother's expression.

"Don't be fooled by a pretty face, Mark. You have gotten yourself in much trouble over them. I do not want you to have the same with Miss Quintana. She is claiming half of Father's wealth. She may also claim yours."

With those words, he left him there. Mark turned and unhappily looked at his brother's departure.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Camellia stayed in her room and she listened to the voices of Amy and her three girlfriends down in the family room greeting James and Mark. After a moment, Sara came and informed her that dinner was ready. She refused to go down, because she knew it would only be a battle ground, and she was alone in it.

When Sara returned a second time to inform her that Mr. Shaw requested her presence, Camellia knew she could not cower away. Intentionally changing into more seductive clothes, she came down and met them in the dining room. The four girls were chatting away when Camellia entered the room. Amy saw her and sneered. Her three girlfriends followed her and whispered among themselves as they gave Camellia a dirty look. They laughed silently as they whispered in each other's ears with disgust.

Mark saw her and bounced up in relief. James saw her and was shocked at her choice of clothes, and unkindly told her to sit. He looked unhappy as he glanced at his brother, who stared at her in delight. Care-freely, Camellia took the seat next to Mark, who graciously stood up to get the chair for her. She smiled in seduction and thanked him.

"Mark, you needn't get the chair for her," Amy quickly remarked, irritated at her brother's action.

Her brother ignored her and smiled toward Camellia, who noticed Amy's disgusted look and James's stern look.

Deliberately, she laid her hand on Mark's arm and sweetly replied, "Mark, you're such a gentleman. I am honored to sit next to you, and know, as a gentleman, you will help me with anything I ask for on the table?"

Mark quickly nodded his head and grabbed some food onto her plate. Amy looked at her deadly. Her three girlfriends looked at her deadly.

"But what is on the table isn't worth anything. What you really want from my brother is his money, isn't that right, Miss Quintana?" Amy retorted.

Camellia controlled her anger.

"You seem to be jealous, Miss Shaw. Mark is like a brother to me and you make it sound as if we were lovers," Camellia looked at Mark and smiled seductively. "But perhaps who knows."

Mark looked as if he was flying. Camellia slowly and teasingly grabbed some food from a plate and placed it on his plate. The four girls across the table looked in mute horror. Not liking the tension, James cleared his throat in irritation and gave Amy a look to be silent. He looked deadly over to Camellia, who calmly sat on her chair and began eating, disregarding what he thought of her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Camellia held onto Mark's arm as they came out of the dining room. Amy and her three friends rushed after them and blocked their way. Amy came up to Camellia and pushed her away from her brother.

"How dare you touch my brother?!"

Camellia let go of Mark's arm and glared at her in anger as she stood her ground, ready to defend herself. Mark came in between them.

"What is your problem, Amy?" Mark replied, pushing Amy away from Camellia.

"You dare protect her too, Mark? She's robbing us of our wealth, and you are helping her?" Amy exclaimed angrily to her brother as she pushed her brother away.

Camellia clung unto Mark's arm and said, "Don't let her harm me, Mark. I'm scared."

Amy screamed and raised her hand to hit Camellia, but Mark blocked her and pushed her aside.

"What is going on here!?" James came in, angry at seeing the sight. Camellia finally let Mark's arm go and stood firmly in place, grinning that she was dividing his family. Knowing her intention, James narrowed his eyes. He turned to his sister.

"Here's your check. I believe you have a place to stay for tonight or will you be sleeping at home?" he firmly asked.

Amy roughly took the check and hatefully glared at Camellia. She then turned and ordered her friends and her to leave immediately. James then turned to his brother. He first looked at her, who boldly faced him without a tinge of fear. Then he turned to Mark.

��Take your check and return to school. I will send you your checks from now on. You won't need to return here," he firmly remarked.

Mark took the check and looked at her.

"Leave now and do well in school, Mark. You owe father that much," James replied, clearly disgusted that his brother was falling for a girl who would use him.

Mark frowned and turned to leave, but he turned back and looked at Camellia.

"I'll be waiting," he remarked.

Camellia did not reply. She was silent. She also wanted him to leave, for she knew he was more trouble than his brother. They both watched him silently leave in his sports car and James finally turned to her. She coldly looked at him and walked away, but he grasped her arm.

"What did he mean he'll be waiting?"

Camellia shrugged, and remarked, "How am I supposed to know? I am not your brother."

James looked angrily at her, knowing she was playing with them.

"If you dare make a move on my brother, I'll see that all that money waiting for you be drained as quickly as you can think," he stated with venom.

She roughly pulled her arms away.

"I need not make a move on your brother for him to drool all over me," she icily remarked. "He is smarter than you when it comes to girls, Mr. Shaw."

He grabbed her abruptly back.

"If you think that I am too soft on you, then I can assure you that I can also be cruel, Miss Quintana," he remarked, bringing her closer.

"You have always been cruel, Mr. Shaw," she remarked angrily, pushing him away.

"But isn't that what women want? A man who is mean and cruel?" he roughly stated as he forced her to his chest. He quickly looked to her body, clearly outlined by the thin clothes she wore.

"I see you are even dressed for the occasion."

She pushed him, as he held her tightly around the waist, and without another word, he forced his lips on hers. He kissed her and held her firmly against him. When he finally let her go, she pushed him so hard that she managed to pull his arm away from her waist. With all the anger and humiliation in her chest, she raised her hand and slapped him on the cheek.

He was stunned. When he looked at her, he saw tears on her cheek, which shocked him more. She calmed her shaking lips and spoke, "If you want to ruin my life, go ahead, Mr. Shaw. But don't ever touch me again!" Camellia wiped her lips roughly and ran up the stairs in disgust.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Camellia entered her room and laid on her bed. She could not help the tears falling from her eyes. She hated him and she wished she could leave this house, but she had no money. She quickly dried her tears and remembered she was to receive $5,000 a month from the late Mr. Shaw. Quickly, she stood to pack her things. She would receive her money and leave this house and never return. She will only return when she turned twenty-five years old and Mr. Jenson would have no choice but to give her father's paper to her and read whatever Mr. Shaw left her in the damn Will.

[Author: uniqnovels.com]