Chapter 229
A month later, Camila was set to return to the National Research Institute to continue her work with the professors.
Before heading back, the Stuard family and the Campbell family arranged her engagement to Giovani. Shortly after the engagement, she made a visit to the prison.
Ever since Arthur, Agnes, and the others were arrested and imprisoned, Camila had never visited them. This time, she decided to show them a rare act of “mercy” by paying them a visit.
Once Camila entered the National Research Institute, it was uncertain when she would be able to leave again. Perhaps this visit would be their last meeting, as all of them had been sentenced to death.
Camila was determined to see her enemies suffer before their execution. Only then could she feel she had done justice to her past self.
In prison, the first person Camila met was Arthur.
She had expected Arthur to glare at her with hatred and wish to tear her apart.
To her surprise, behind the thick glass, Arthur looked as though he had aged over a decade. His gaze carried an unexpected hint of guilt.
In his eyes, there was even a trace of fatherly affection.
Camila narrowed her eyes and pieced together a possibility.
She picked up the phone, and Arthur did the same. Before she could speak, his trembling voice came through.
Arthur said, “Camila, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I should never have hurt you for the sake of those bitches Ivanna and Agnes.
“I was blind, so blind. Will you forgive me?”
Hearing his sincere apology, Camila let out a sharp laugh. “So, you’ve remembered everything from the previous life, haven’t you, Arthur?”
Arthur’s face twisted with guilt and regret.
The daily beatings in prison had awakened his past memories, forcing him to relive the torment Camila had endured.
He regretted that his realization came only after he was thrown behind bars instead of when Camila was born.
It was all too late. Having been sentenced to death, Arthur had no chance to make amends to Camila in this lifetime.
He said in his heart, ‘God, did you bring back my memories just to punish me?‘
Arthur stared at Camila with tears of regret streaming down his face. “Camila, I know I did terrible things that can’t be forgiven. I’m not asking for much, just for your forgiveness. Could you forgive me?”
Camila looked at him with cold eyes. She said, “Forgiveness? Do you think you deserve it?
“Arthur, look at how generous I am. You’re sitting in prison, and I still bothered to come visit you. But your Jackson family threw me into prison in my previous life for five years and never once came to see me.
“Compared to all of you, I’m still far too kind.”
Arthur winced at her cutting words, and his chest tightened with pain. “Can’t you let it go, just this once? I’m about to die, Camila.”
Camila talked back. “You committed crimes. Isn’t death exactly what you deserve?”
Camila’s eyes glinted with mockery. Even now, on the brink of death, you’re still trying to guilt–trip me?
In my previous life, all my suffering was your doing. I wish you’d pay for it in all your lifetimes. This is only your second life. What makes you think I’d forgive you?
Let me make this clear, Arthur. I came here today for one reason to see you at your worst.
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“Now I’ve seen it. It looks like prison life has been extra harsh on you. That’s a relief.
“After all, your Jackson family told me more than once, ‘It’s just five years in prison. What’s the big deal?‘
“Exactly. My five years in prison were no big deal. So, Mr. Jackson, why not experience it for yourself? After all, not everyone gets the privilege of experiencing prison life firsthand.
“Once you’ve had your fill, it’ll be time for you to die. If there’s a next life, I’ll make sure you suffer in every life you live, over and over again”
As Arthur heard Camila’s ruthless words, his eyes widened, and his body trembled. He knew that Camila hated him very much.
He also knew he had committed unforgivable sins, but he felt that he had already paid the price because in his previous life, he’d suffered a stroke, been paralyzed, and abandoned in the mountains to endure endless forment.
He wondered, ‘Haven’t I suffered enough? Why won’t she let it go?
Even in this life, my crimes have earned me a death sentence, Isn’t that enough? Why does she still curse me to suffer across lifetimes?‘
Arthur cried uncontrollably. “Camila, I know I was wrong. Why won’t you forgive me, even now?
I’ve paid for my mistakes both in this life and last. Isn’t that enough?
“If there’s a next life, I swear I’ll be a good father to you. Please just believe me.”
No matter how badly he cried, Camila’s resolve was unshakable.
For Camila, forgiving someone who hurt her was not forgiveness. It would only be cruel to herself.
Time didn’t heal wounds. It just turned them into scars etched deep in her heart. For this reason, she would never forgive Arthur, not in this life, nor in any other.
Camila looked at Arthur and laughed, “Arthur, your credibility means nothing to me.
“You once said 1 bullied Agnes because the leopard cannot change its spots. Well, let me return those words to you exactly as they are.
“Someone as vile as you, no matter how many lives you get, will always be scum. You deserve nothing but a miserable end.”
“No, I won’t Camila, please give me one more chance,” Arthur pleaded desperately.
However, Camila had already hung up the phone. She stood up and walked away without sparing Arthur another glance.
Arthur slammed his fists against the glass window, but Camila kept walking, Until the day of his execution, Arthur never saw her again.
As for Ivanna, Claude, and Agnes, the trio faced “special treatment” from the other inmates every single day.
Agnes, whose kidney problems had already weakened her, didn’t even make it to her execution date. She was beaten to death by the prisoners.
When Agnes died, her ears had been deafened, her eyes had been stabbed blind, her limbs and ribs were shattered, and even her skull was crushed, leaving a deep indentation.
She lay in a pool of blood, with her mind replaying scenes from her previous life where she had mercilessly tormented Camila.
Every time Camila had been beaten, scolded, or humiliated by the Jackson family, Agnes would stand by and look at Camila in triumph.
These memories filled Agnes with bitter resentment. She didn’t want to die. She believed she should have been the victor, the one everyone adored and centered their lives around She couldn’t figure out why things had turned out this way.
No matter how unwilling she was, her body couldn’t hold on any longer. In the end, Agnes died with endless regret.
Ivanna and Claude, on the other hand, were physically robust. They endured daily beatings right up until the day before their
executions
Camila visited everyone who had hurt her everyone except Harry
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Harry was the epitome of hypocrisy, pretending to protect Camila while secretly harming her. Just the thought of him made Camila sick, so she decided he wasn’t worth her time.
As Camila walked out of the prison and was ready to get into her car, she saw a group of people escorted by the police.
Leading the group was a man with dyed yellow hair in cheap clothes, exuding a sleazy demeanor. He was clearly a good–for–nothing thug.
Camila froze when she saw him. She knew this man all too well.
In her previous life, it was because of him that she refused to be adopted. That decision led her back to the Jackson residence, where she suffered relentless abuse.
It was also because of him that she was left defenseless in court, ultimately receiving a five–year prison sentence.
This man was none other than Owen.
In her previous life, Camila had scrimped and saved, worked tirelessly, and participated in countless contests to earn money, all to support Owen’s education in law school.
However, Owen had trampled on her sacrifices, using her as a stepping stone to climb to the top. His first move for this was to betray her and send her to prison.
Owen had enjoyed years of glory in Camila’s previous life.
Back then, he lived in a luxurious downtown apartment worth hundreds of thousands in Sancho, drove expensive cars, and wore custom–tailored suits.
From head to toe, inside and out, he exuded the aura of a money–made elite.
But now, Owen was nothing without her sacrifices. He had grown up to be nothing more than a worthless thug.
As the police led Owen toward the prison and passed by Camila, she asked, “Sir, what crime did he commit?”
If it had been anyone else, the police officer might not have answered. But Camila’s special status as a nationally recognized talent earned her a response. The officer answered, “Going whoring.”
Camila paused for a moment. She thought, ‘Going whoring? So, without me, Owen is nothing but a pile of filth.
Looking at Owen now, Camila felt nothing but disgust. He was nothing more than a stain in her life.
Camila was about to step into the car when Owen called out, “Wait. Have we met before?”
Camila turned her head and met Owen’s gaze.
She remained calm and said, “With your status, you’re not even worth my meeting.”
Their roles had reversed. Owen was no longer the celebrated lawyer of Sancho that he had once been. Now, he was just a powerless, penniless drifter.
As for Camila, she was no longer the overlooked and mistreated true heiress of the Jackson family. She was now the beloved heiress of the Stuard family, Ciovani’s fiancée, a prodigy, and a renowned scientist.
In this life, she carried many titles, and with any one of them, no one would dare to trample on her again.
Without sparing Owen another glance, Camila stepped into the car.
As she drove away. Owen felt a hollow ache spreading through his chest, as if the last piece of his soul had been ripped away.
He stared fizedly in the direction her car disappeared. A desperate urge to chase after her surged within him, but with handcuffs binding his wrists and the police officer holding him, escape was impossible.
The best years of his life were destined to be spent in prison.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, ten years had passed. Camila was now twenty–seven
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Chapter 229
In her previous life, she had only lived till the age of twenty–three. Tormented by the Jackson family both physically and mentally, she ended up drinking poison to take the fall for Lucy.
But in this life, she would never meet such a tragic end. At twenty–seven, Camila had grown into a striking, lovely, and alluring beauty.
For the past decade, she had been immersed in scientific research, rarely returning home.
Now, with a major breakthrough in her work, she could finally take a well–deserved break and get married.
Camila’s wedding was a grand affair, attended by the most influential figures in both the business and political worlds. The scale of the event was unparalleled.
Unfortunately, the weather in Northeville didn’t cooperate, and it started to rain that day.
However, since the wedding was held at the seven–star Skyline Hotel, the rain barely caused a ripple in the grand affair.
Inside the hotel, the venue was packed with guests. Nearly everyone had arrived.
Hazel paced anxiously back and forth, unable to resist calling Lucy. Once the phone was answered, she said, “Lucy, the wedding is about to start. Why aren’t you here yet?”
‘Mom, I’m almost there,” Lucy replied, standing at a bus stop with a worried expression.
For the past decade, she had held onto Camila’s encouragement and worked hard to excel in her studies. She had graduated with top honors and, through relentless effort, secured a position at the National Research Institute.
Unfortunately, the institute was vast, and her research field differed from Camila’s. Thus, the two rarely crossed paths, and their busy schedules left little time for reunions.
Today, a critical research task at the institute delayed Lucy. After finally wrapping it up, she rushed out, only to be caught in the rain.
Lucy stood under the bus stop shelter, trying to stay dry while pulling out her phone to hail a ride.
After about ten minutes of her anxious waiting, a sleek black car pulled up.
Without checking the license plate, Lucy hurried over, opened the door, and got in. She said, “Sir, please drive me to the Skyline Hotel.”
Turner, who had just bent down to pick up his phone, straightened up to find a stranger sitting in the passenger seat.
She was wearing a simple white T–shirt and blue jeans, with her long hair tied into a ponytail. Rain clung to her hair and clothes, accentuating her slender figure.
Turner froze. A strange sense of déjà vu washed over him. He felt once there was a girl sitting in his passenger seat on a rainy day, just like this.
For a moment, he was lost in thought. His gaze was fixed on Lucy.
Noticing the car hadn’t moved, Lucy frowned and turned to look at the driver, only to see a man with a clean and handsome face dressed in a black suit.
She said, “Sir, please hurry up. My friend’s wedding is at the Skyline Hotel, and I’m running late.”
Turner snapped out of his daze. He thought, “The only wedding at the Skyline Hotel today is Mr. Campbell and the Stuard family heiress’s. Could this woman be a friend of Ms. Stuard?‘
He glanced at Lucy again and noticed the badge hanging around her neck. He found she was a researcher at the National Research Institute, so he guessed she was likely a colleague of Camila.
Her name, Lucy Clark, struck a chord with Turner, though he couldn’t quite place why.
Realizing she had mistaken him for a taxi driver, Turner found the situation amusing. He then raised an eyebrow and started the car.
As the black Maybach drove off, another car pulled up to the bus stop.
Lary’s phone rang As she answered the call, an impatient voice sounded from the other end. “Didn’t you say you were at the bus stop? Where are you?*
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Lucy was confused. She said, “I–1 already got in a car.”
“What? You got in someone else’s car? Damn it! You should’ve told me earlier. Cancel the ride yourself, then,” the driver grumbled before hanging up.
Lucy turned to Turner and asked, “Well, you’re not an Uber driver?”
Turner smirked. “Do I really look like one to you?”
Lucy’s gaze then fell on the car’s emblem–Maybach.
Her eyes flickered with realization. She finally knew she had gotten into the wrong car.
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