Max stared at her, simulating despair. He was feeling even more pressured, and he knew he couldn't make a decision like that, without being able to sort out his thoughts. It was the life of someone he loved at stake. And he couldn't understand his feelings at that moment. It was an internal conflict. Part of him wanted to get rid of Camille, yes, but another part was roaring for him to do justice to the young woman. Perhaps a deal so that she wouldn't denounce him. But he couldn't think straight, with his feelings diverging like that, and he couldn't let Anna, who showed the same coldness as her father, find out, because the minute she suspected that he wanted to protect Camille, because of some feeling inside him for her, he would break into the house and kill Camille, without a second thought.
"What about her family, Anna? E... I feel guilty, because I'm the one who put her in this situation."
"Get her to put on a wedding dress, get one of the men to put on a suit, take a photo and send it to her family, with her handwriting on the back of the photo, saying that she found love in the arms of an American, and that she was going to stay here because you were going back to Scotland, and she didn't want to leave her husband. You have a knack for everything, Max. You just have to think about it. And as for the guilt you feel, it's good that you do, but she's no saint either. She agreed to be your mistress under my roof. I'm dying to kill her with my bare hands. But I'll let you decide what to do."
"Anna... Would you accept it if I chose to keep Camille as my mistress?" Max asked, finally finding the light.
"To do the things you do with her... I know it would be hard for you to live without it, but I don't care. I've already discussed all the negatives with you. If you still want to risk everything, just don't let me know. Do it in hiding. And get her off the property. Don't ever tell me about her, I don't want to know. I'll sweep her into oblivion. And you, you must make an effort so that I don't remember, so that I don't realize that you're still seeing her. And I'll pretend I don't know."
"The next time we see each other, I'll have solved that problem."
Anna stared at him in disbelief. But she no longer wanted to argue with him about Camille. The hand that held hers on the table finally turned her thoughts around. She could feel Max's warmth and remember, as if it were something that had happened a long time ago, how good the love and desire was between them. How much she missed lying with him, making love, going to sleep and waking up next to him... She loved him so much, she felt like the love couldn't fit in her chest and spread to every cell in her body. She was totally dominated by that feeling.
...
Adam entered the kitchen at that moment and stared at the two of them, furious, when he saw their joined hands and the looks they exchanged in silence.
"Anna! Let's go now!" He ordered, in an authoritative and threatening tone.
Maxwell stood up quickly, before Anna even understood what was happening, and approached his brother, staring at him face to face. Anna looked at them intrigued. They were practically identical. Why hadn't she noticed that before? Same height, same physique, same athletic body...
"You're not going to talk to my wife like that!" Maxwell said, also angry and threatening.
Adam moved even closer to Maxwell, coming within centimeters of him, and stared at him in mockery.
"And who's going to stop me?"
Anna stood up, rolling her eyes.
"Calm down, gladiators." She said, unable to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. "It really is time to go." She said, turning to Maxwell. "We'll talk later."
"Just over my dead body." Adam said, glaring at her.
"Don't keep whetting my imagination, Adam. I'm not totally against this idea of yours..." Anna replied simply, and Adam's face softened, his eyes becoming amused, and he turned to Maxwell.
"You see, what are you missing? Anna is mine now. And that sharp little tongue of hers will only be for me. You'll never get her back. No matter what you think or plan. Anna's best will always be mine. I was the first man in her life, and I'll be the last. Her first child is my blood, and the last ones will be too. Anna is like a balm in all the madness I live in. Unlike you, I risk my life every day, and I deserve to have the most special woman there is. As fate would have it, we both fell in love with her, but I won't share her with anyone else. Take a good look at her, Maxwell, because you'll never see Anna in person again. Not alive." Adam said and took Anna's hand, who was still rolling her eyes.
Maxwell felt his heart burn at Adam's words. Many of the things he said were true. He was Anna's first man, and he also had her first child, but he was wrong about the other things. His brother didn't understand that the love between him and Anna was insurmountable. Unfortunately, he would find out one day, and he wouldn't react very well. He was deluded by the idea that he could take Anna's love for himself by force. He didn't know that in a few days, Anna would be back in his arms.
...
Adam allowed Anna to say goodbye to the children and to her whole family. Anna's father took her into the bedroom to see Jenna, as he didn't trust Adam around her. They said a tearful goodbye and Anna left, feeling that Jenna was hiding something from her.
Ian chattered all the way back about the presents, which he finally opened and which he decided, in an unusual reaction, to share with his brothers. But they didn't go straight home.
Adam took them to the mall and they had ice cream. The conversation revolved around the triplets, and was even pleasant when Adam got up and went to pay the bill.
Ian closed his eyes and looked at Anna.
"Mom. Something's happened to Tayme."