Chapter 348
He brought up Tessa and her husband with zero respect, his words edged with impatience.
Most people in their world knew Lance was someone you didn’t mess with. That’s what Camilla used to think too. She always figured Lance was born at the very top, the kind of guy who’d never run into trouble. With how arrogant he could be, it just seemed impossible for him to ever feel wronged.
But watching him now—how he treated Sarah, how he acted around his own parents—something clicked for Camilla. Maybe Lance’s past wasn’t as perfect as everyone thought. Maybe that was why he kept so much distance from his family.
She realized she really didn’t know him, not as well as she wanted to. After all this time living together, it felt like Lance was always the one making the effort, trying to keep the peace.
Even now, Lance wasn’t loud, but you couldn’t ignore him, not with his status, not with Sarah being the center of the night. With the two of them standing there, every eye in the ballroom landed right on them. The room was quiet, with everyone sneaking glances at each other, not daring to actually speak up. Still, you could see the curiosity flickering in everyone’s eyes.
Lance had always shown up for Sarah’s birthdays, even when he was away in the military; he’d send her gifts. Everyone just assumed they were close—some even whispered that, since they were about the same age and seemed to get along, maybe something more would happen between them in the future.
That’s why it blew everyone’s mind when Lance walked in with his arm around Camilla. And now, hearing Lance and Sarah talk with not a bit of warmth, people were finally starting to realize that these two probably weren’t that close after all.
Sarah’s eyes were red. She tried to keep things polite, even if her voice was shaky. “Lance, Camilla, don’t just stand there. Come over and have a seat p>
Usually, Shirley would’ve been by Sarah’s side, ready to back her up, but Shirley had gotten into trouble and, feeling guilty, made an excuse to skip the party tonight. That left Sarah looking stranded.
Lance, for once, didn’t argue back. He started to guide Camilla toward a table, but just then someone called out that Tessa had arrived.
Camilla looked up and saw Tessa walking over arm in arm with a man. He was tall, with a presence so much like Lance’s that it was easy to tell they were family. Still, age had softened his features, giving him a cool steadiness that Lance’s younger, raw pride just didn’t have.
As soon as he entered, his gaze swept across the room to Camilla. He didn’t say anything, but she could feel the weight of it.
Tessa’s eyes turned cold when she saw Camilla. She went right for Lance, her voice sharp. “Lance, you really are getting more and more out of line. Do you think just anyone can walk into Sarah’s birthday party p>
“What do you mean, ‘just anyone’? Tessa, let’s be clear. If Camilla hadn’t asked, I wouldn’t have bothered coming to your adopted daughter’s party at all. Now that we’re here, unless you need something else, I’m taking Camilla and we’re leaving. You all can go on with your celebration p>
He said it with a bitter smile, brushing off Tessa’s words completely.
Oscar, standing next to Tessa, frowned. “Lance, is that any way to speak to your mother p>
“Tell me what I said that was wrong. Everyone here knows Camilla’s the woman I love, and all you do is judge or make things hard for her. Last time, I told Darwin straight up, if you didn’t want me and Camilla together, I was ready to walk away from this family. You people were the ones who called and asked me to come, but you’re the ones who haven’t changed. So I’m not the one with the problem p>
He never planned to just swallow his frustration. Now, he wasn’t even bothering to save face for Oscar and Tessa.
Some of the city’s elite had been trying to find their moment to stand out, but after hearing that, their faces went stiff and awkward.
Oscar’s own expression soured, but he clearly didn’t want to make a scene here. “Today is your sister’s birthday. Since you’re here already, just wait till after the party to leave p>
He threw Camilla a look, silently asking her to help smooth things over with Lance.
Lance chuckled, a sound that wasn’t friendly at all. “If this was a real invitation, you wouldn’t be looking at her like that. She’s the woman I love, not some object for you to look over and decide if she measures up p>
Sarah saw things spinning out of control and rushed to calm things down. “Lance, you’re taking this the wrong way. Oscar didn’t mean anything by it, really. The party’s about to start. Why don’t you both just sit down? You’ve come this far, at least stay until I cut the cake p>