Chapter 281
Camilla picked the dinner spot herself, taking them to a restaurant she used to visit with Jasper all the time. After they finished eating, she dragged both Lance and Jasper out to do some shopping for clothes. By the time they wrapped up at the mall, it was late. Jasper, nestled in Camilla’s arms, looked ready to drift off, and Lance offered to get the car from the parking garage.
As Camilla waited at the mall entrance with Jasper resting against her, a sleek black Rolls-Royce rolled up and stopped right in front of them. The window slid down, and inside sat Darwin.
He looked straight at Camilla, his brows knit together. There was something off about his tone. “So, I heard my good-for-nothing grandson is letting you keep him now p>
Camilla’s throat tightened in surprise. She almost choked, coughing a few times before she finally managed to answer. Her eyes were wide as she tried to explain, “Darwin, it’s not what you think. We— ”
Darwin cut her off with a wave of his hand. “Enough. I don’t really care to know every detail between you two. But, Camilla, no matter what you did to make him so loyal, he’s still the eldest grandson of The Charles family. There’s a whole family business waiting for him at home. You can’t just keep him by your side, playing some cozy little house with your son p>
When Darwin mentioned Jasper, his eyes flicked to the sleepy boy in her arms, a look of thinly-veiled impatience on his face. Jasper’s face was buried against her shoulder, so Darwin couldn’t quite make out his features, and honestly he didn’t care to. It wasn’t that he liked Camilla, either. The only reason he was being civil right now was because Lance was so stubborn.
“My mom didn’t force Lance. He’s here because he wants to be,” Jasper suddenly piped up, wide awake in an instant, always quick to jump in and defend his mom when someone talked down to her.
Camilla reached up and gently pressed Jasper’s head back down into her shoulder, not letting him turn around and face Darwin. But Darwin’s mood had already soured. He grumbled, “This is your son? Interrupting when grown-ups are talking. No manners at all. How is a kid like this supposed to join The Charles family? He— ”
“Darwin, you specifically waited for Lance to be gone before coming over to talk to me. I’m guessing you didn’t just come to make trouble for us, did you?” Camilla interrupted, matching his energy. Just like Jasper stood up for her, she refused to let anyone pick on her son.
Her attitude clearly grated on Darwin, who flashed her a look of dissatisfaction. “I used to think you were smarter than this, Camilla. Turns out I was wrong,” he shot back. “Lance is the only heir The Charles family has. The entire family fortune is basically sitting there waiting for him. Isn’t it unfair for you to keep him here with you, playing family with your son? If you really care about my grandson, shouldn’t you come visit the family instead of keeping things so vague p>
His words stung, but Camilla only laughed softly. “Are you asking for an official title for your grandson? If that’s really what you want, then I guess I was being inconsiderate. I should probably come over for a formal visit. Why not tomorrow p>
Darwin had planned to put Camilla in her place and shame her into backing off. He thought she’d hang her head, maybe even use the opportunity to distance herself from Lance. He knew his grandson’s temper, so he couldn’t intervene directly. But if Camilla left on her own, then no one could blame him.
What he didn’t count on was Camilla playing by her own rules, turning the whole situation around on him. She didn’t just stand up for herself—she went as far as to suggest the Charles family should be grateful for her. The way she said it made it sound like they ought to come to her if they wanted Lance to be happy.
Even though Darwin knew there was some truth to her words—especially with the way his shameless grandson was acting—he still felt a sting of embarrassment as an elder.
“Always so sharp-tongued,” Darwin muttered, frustrated.
Camilla didn’t bother responding to that. She just kept going, politely, “Sorry, Darwin, I really have been caught up with things lately. Maybe I haven’t shown you proper respect. Are you free tomorrow? We could— ”
He cut her off, “Camilla, do you really think someone divorced and with a kid can marry into The Charles family p>
His eyes, cold and sharp, lingered on her. She was dressed well, looked elegant and pretty enough, but he didn’t see anything special aside from that. His gaze moved back to Jasper tucked into her arms, and his attitude soured even further.
Their last meeting hadn’t left much of an impression on him. He’d even thought if Camilla was willing to marry Lance and have another child, maybe he could accept her. After all, Lance was famously stubborn, and there was no point in making a scene that would embarrass the family. Today, Darwin had come after talking things over with Dane, confirming that Lance really was dead set on being with Camilla. He wanted to settle everything that had been left unsaid the last time they met.