My Two Billionaire Husbands: A Plan for Revenge-Chapter 253: Heartbeat To Heartbeat

The car rolled to a gentle stop at the gates of Pearl Resort. The ocean breeze greeted them like an old friend, warm and familiar. As soon as Ric stepped out of the car, a cheerful voice called out.

"There you are!"

Ellie, the resort manager, stood just outside the main lobby entrance, waving them over with a wide smile. Beside her were her two daughters—Queenie and Elizabeth—who immediately ran forward the moment they saw Dylan.

"Dylan!" Queenie shouted, her ponytail bouncing as she dashed ahead.

Dylan gasped dramatically and flung open the car door. "Queenie! Elizabeth!" he called, hobbling out with the help of his crutch.

The three kids embraced with squeals of delight, completely ignoring the adults, as if no time had passed between them.

Ellie laughed, her eyes twinkling with affection as she looked at Cammy and Ric. "I made something special for dinner when you texted. I figured you’d all be tired and hungry by the time you got here. Come eat with us at the house."

Ric nodded gratefully. "That sounds perfect. We’ll just drop off our things first."

Cammy smiled, brushing a few strands of wind-blown hair from her face. "Thank you, Ellie. We’ll follow in a bit."

Ellie nodded and her gaze moved to Dylan. "Come on, young man. You can tell me all about your adventures on the way." She extended her hand to Dylan, who eagerly took it. He waved back at his mom. "See you later, Mommy!"

Cammy waved, then turned toward the path leading to the familiar staff housing at the back of the resort, her bag slung over one shoulder.

But just as she took her first step down the walkway, Ric’s voice stopped her.

"Where are you going?" he asked, not unkindly, just... firm.

Cammy paused, blinking. "To our usual room. You know, where Dylan and I always stay?"

Ric smirked and strode toward her, the edge of amusement tugging at his lips. "No, you’re not."

Cammy looked at him, puzzled.

"You’re not just some guest here anymore, Cammy," Ric said, lowering his voice. "You’re my fiancée. You stay in my villa."

The words hit her squarely in the chest—simple, but heavy.

Cammy’s mouth opened slightly in surprise. She didn’t argue. She couldn’t. There was something in Ric’s eyes—certainty, quiet protection, and maybe something more—that made her heart flutter for a fleeting second.

"I... Okay," she said softly, nodding.

Ric gave her a warm smile, then gently took her bag and turned toward the villa. Cammy fell into step beside him, a quiet storm of emotions brewing behind her eyes as they made their way across the landscaped paths.

In the distance, laughter from the children echoed under the setting sun—warm, pure, and free.

The moment they stepped into Ric’s villa, Cammy felt the shift.

It wasn’t just the cool air conditioning brushing her skin after the humid drive—it was the feeling of stepping into a space that felt so unlike the rest of Pearl Resort.

Unlike the warm, wooden textures and open-air breeziness of the other tropical villas, Ric’s villa was sleek, modern, and masculine. Wooden design, tiled floors, muted gray and emerald tones, clean lines. It was minimal yet undeniably elegant.

It still has a touch of tropical design, but in a modern style. Everything was in its place. Everything had a quiet kind of strength—like Ric.

Cammy glanced around, eyes quietly scanning the space. Her feet moved slowly, almost reverently, across the polished floor.

Despite all her visits to Pearl Resort, this was her first time inside his villa. Somehow, it felt like she was stepping into a part of Ric she had never seen before.

The nanny came in behind them with Dylan’s suitcase in tow, and Ric took both hers and Cammy’s bags into the rooms.

"You can take that one," he called from the hallway, pointing to the door on the left. "There are only two rooms here—one’s mine, of course. You and Dylan can take the other. There’s enough space for an extra mattress if the nanny wants to stay with you. Or she can use your usual room in the staff quarters."

Cammy turned her head and nodded. "She can stay with us," she said softly. "Dylan prefers having her close by at night."

The nanny gave a grateful nod and went to settle the bags.

Cammy wandered further into the villa, and something on the console table near the living room caught her eye.

Framed photographs.

She walked over and gently picked one up. A family photo—Ric as a child, sitting on his father’s lap, while a woman with kind, almond-shaped eyes and the same soft smile as Ric’s cradled his shoulder from behind. The warmth in the picture was unmistakable. A captured moment of love.

Ric returned to the living room just in time to see her standing there, holding the frame. He slowed his steps, watching the way her fingers brushed the glass.

"That’s my mom," he said quietly behind her.

Cammy turned halfway, startled but still holding the photo. "She looks... more like you. She’s beautiful."

Ric stepped closer, his voice quieter now. "Yeah... she is." His eyes lingered not on the photo, but on Cammy. "Like you."

Cammy blinked. The compliment caught her off guard, soft and unexpected.

She turned to look at him fully—only to realize how close he was. Barely inches separated them. Her breath caught as she looked up into his face, his eyes steady and unreadable.

Neither of them moved.

The air thickened around them, the only sound was the low hum of the air conditioner and the distant laughter of children somewhere far outside the villa walls.

Cammy didn’t know who would move first—or if either of them even wanted to.

Ric lifted his hand and slowly ran the back of his fingers along Cammy’s cheek, so lightly it was almost like a whisper.

"I don’t want to see you crying anymore, Cammy," he murmured, his voice low, almost breaking. "Every time I see you cry, my heart clenches... like I’m about to have a heart attack."

Cammy froze.

The warmth of his touch burned into her skin, and yet she couldn’t move. She didn’t know what to do—didn’t know how to respond to the storm of emotion in his voice, in his eyes. Her breath hitched, but her body remained still, her heart thudding painfully inside her chest.

She could feel the weight of his gaze—his eyes no longer on hers.

They dropped... to her lips.

And then, so slowly she didn’t realize it at first, Ric began to lean in. His face moved closer, the world outside fading to silence, as if it were holding its breath with her.

The space between them vanished, breath to breath, heartbeat to heartbeat.