Falling For The True Heiress

Morning sunlight spilled across the school parking lot as Camila’s black sedan rolled through the entrance; Daniela slouched comfortably in the passenger seat beside her.

Students crossed between rows of parked cars, laughter and chatter floating through the crisp morning air.

Car doors slammed shut one after another while teachers made their way toward the main building with steaming cups of coffee in hand.

Camila pulled into her usual parking space and switched off the engine.

The quiet hum of the air conditioner faded, leaving only the lively sounds of another school morning outside.

Daniela looked around through the windshield. "It looks like Lia isn’t here yet," she said.

Camila simply nodded as she pulled her phone from her bag.

"Are you going to wait for her," she asked while absentmindedly scrolling through her screen, "or are we heading to class?"

Daniela reached for her seat belt. "Let’s go. I’ll meet her in class."

Camila’s thumb froze halfway across the screen.

She slowly lifted her head. "...You?"

Her eyebrows furrowed in disbelief. "You agreed to go to class that easily?"

Daniela paused halfway through unbuckling her seat belt.

Normally, every single morning, she’d find a convenient excuse to stay around the parking lot until Amelia arrived, then pretend their meeting had been nothing more than a coincidence. But today, she was giving up without a fight.

Daniela stared quietly through the windshield. Students continued walking past the car, their voices muffled through the glass.

After a moment, she rested her fingertips against the cool window.

"...Because I think I’m a bad person."

Camila immediately lowered her phone. Her teasing smile disappeared.

"What do you mean by that, little rascal?"

Daniela didn’t answer. She simply sighed, finished unbuckling her seat belt, and lowered her gaze.

Seeing her unusually quiet, Camila’s expression softened. She reached over and gently patted Daniela’s head.

"There, there—"

The words hadn’t even finished leaving her mouth before—

"Pfft!"

Daniela burst into laughter.

Camila froze. Her hand was still resting on Daniela’s head.

Slowly, she narrowed her eyes. "...Don’t tell me you tricked me again."

Daniela grinned from ear to ear. "I got you."

She pushed open the car door, jumped out, then stuck out her tongue and wiggled it playfully before taking off across the parking lot.

Her laughter echoed behind her.

Camila remained seated for another second, staring at the empty passenger seat. Then she let out a long sigh.

"...Little rascal."

Shaking her head, she climbed out of the car, locked it with a soft beep, and hurried after Daniela before she could disappear into the crowd.

The classroom buzzed with the sound of students chatting as chairs scraped lightly across the tiled floor. Morning sunlight streamed through the tall windows, warming the rows of plastic desks.

The moment Camila stepped inside, her eyes landed on Daniela.

She was sitting comfortably on Amelia’s desk, one leg swinging lazily while she tapped her fingers against the desk.

Camila walked over, her footsteps fading beneath the chatter around them. She stopped in front of Daniela and folded her arms across her chest.

"...Why are you sitting there?" she asked.

Daniela leaned back slightly, tilting her head as she looked up at Camila with an innocent smile.

"Because I want Amelia to sit with me today."

Camila blinked, and then she let out a slow sigh, rubbing her temple as though a headache were already beginning.

"You’re impossible."

Daniela’s grin only widened. She rested her chin on one hand, looking far too pleased with herself.

Camila shook her head, unable to hide the tiny smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

There was no point arguing. Because trying to understand Daniela’s way of thinking was like trying to catch the wind, which is completely impossible.

With another quiet sigh, she turned and walked to her own seat, her chair scraping against the floor as she sat down.

The classroom gradually settled into silence as the lesson began. The soft hum of the air conditioner blended with the scratch of pens against notebooks as Miss Olivia’s calm voice filled the room.

Camila’s eyes kept drifting to the empty desk beside Daniela for what felt like the tenth time.

Amelia still hadn’t arrived.

A knot tightened in her stomach. Amelia was never late without telling her.

Daniela glanced at the empty seat before leaning back toward Camila.

"Did Lia text you that she wasn’t coming to school?" she whispered.

Camila slowly shook her head. "No."

Her fingers tightened around the pen in her hand. Something didn’t feel right. She also noticed Sylvia wasn’t in school either.

She immediately pushed her chair back. The legs scraped softly against the tiled floor as she stood.

Miss Olivia paused in the middle of her lesson and looked up from the whiteboard.

"Miss Everton," she said gently, lowering the marker. "Is everything alright?"

Camila met her teacher’s gaze. "May I be excused, Miss Olivia?"

Miss Olivia stared at her for a moment before her eyes shifted to Amelia’s empty desk, and she immediately understood her reason for excusing herself.

She gave a small nod. "You may. But please leave quietly—"

Before she could finish, Camila had already turned. The back classroom door clicked open, then shut a second later as she disappeared into the hallway.

Daniela stared at the closed door for a moment before looking at Amelia’s empty seat once more before slowly turning back to the front of the classroom.

The playful smile that was usually on her face slowly faded.

Camila walked through the hallway and entered the girls’ restroom.

She stopped in front of the sink and pulled out her phone and dialed Amelia’s number.

Ring!

Ring!

Ring!

The call connected almost immediately.

"Hey, Cam," Amelia answered.

The moment Camila heard her voice, she quietly let out the breath she’d been holding. At least she knew Amelia was safe.

"What happened, Lia?" Camila asked, her voice calm. "Why aren’t you in school?"

"I’m sorry, Cam. I should’ve texted you earlier." Amelia said, sensing how worried Camila was through her voice.

Camila leaned back against the sink. "What happened?"

"Sylvia’s sick," Amelia replied, sounding worried. "She had a high fever last night, and I can’t leave her alone."

Camila tightened her grip on her phone. "So..." she said quietly. "You skipped school because of Sylvia?"

"...Yeah. I’m sorry, Cam."

Camila closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again.

"I understand," Camila said, lowering her head. "Take care of her."

"Hey, Cam, I—"

Before Amelia could finish, Camila ended the call.

The restroom suddenly felt too quiet. She stared at the dark screen in her hand before looking up at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were already beginning to sting.

"It looks like..." she whispered, forcing a smile that disappeared almost immediately.

"...I don’t matter anymore, Lia."

She lowered her head and closed her eyes, forcing the tears back before they could fall.

After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and turned on the tap. Cool water flowed over her hands, but she barely noticed it. Her mind was somewhere else.

Somewhere with Amelia.

She turned off the tap, pulled a few tissues from the dispenser, and dried her hands slowly. Then, she turned and quietly walked out of the restroom.

The final bell rang, its sharp chime echoing through the classroom.

Almost immediately, students laughed as they packed their bags. Chairs scraped across the floor as conversations filled the room as everyone hurried toward the door.

Camila didn’t move. She remained slumped over her desk, her head resting on her folded arms as if she hadn’t even heard the bell.

Daniela watched her for a few seconds before pushing herself away from her own desk.

She stopped beside Camila and gently tapped her on the back. "Camila."

Camila lifted her head just enough to look at her.

"What?" she asked quietly.

Daniela folded her arms. "School’s over."

She glanced around the classroom that was now nearly empty.

"Everyone’s gone, and you’re still lying here," Daniela said with a frown.

Camila didn’t reply. She simply lowered her head back onto her arms.

Daniela sighed. "You already called Amelia. And you know she’s okay."

"So why do you still look like someone stole your happiness?" She leaned closer to Camila.

For a long moment, Camila said nothing. The only sound between them was the distant chatter drifting in from the hallway.

Finally, her quiet voice broke the silence. "...None of your business."

Daniela stared at the back of her head, then shook her own with a helpless smile. "So that’s how it’s going to be today."

Daniela rolled her eyes before walking over to Camila. She grabbed her wrist and pulled her lightly.

"I’ll send you the Bitcoin you asked me for last week..." She paused, looking at her for her reaction.

"...if you get up right now."

Camila’s head shot up immediately. "Really?" she asked, her eyes lighting up for the first time all day.

Daniela couldn’t help laughing. She shook her head, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"You’re such a money-hungry bitch."

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