Chapter 412
“Valdoria isn’t a lawless wasteland,” Carol muttered, her voice trembling with disgust. “They received top-tier educations in Cabinda. How can they sleep at night knowing they’re collaborating with scum like that p>
A freezing chill settled in Camilla’s eyes. To put it bluntly, Barnard’s current arrogance was likely built on the corpses of others. “He will face justice,” Camilla said, her tone devoid of emotion. “When the dust settles, we’ll drag him back to stand trial p>
Across the room, Barnard was soaking in the adoration.
The gloomy resentment that had clouded his eyes for weeks was completely eclipsed by raw, burning ambition. Glancing down at his crippled legs, he felt not a shred of his former insecurity.
Power really was the ultimate cure.
He had done his homework on Mike’s standing in Valdoria. The man was the undisputed kingpin of the underground, pulling strings in every sector. Calling him the god of Valdoria wasn’t an exaggeration, and Clement was one of Mike’s top lieutenants.
These elites weren’t kissing up to The Williams Group—they were bowing to the shadow of the man behind Clement. And now, as Clement’s trusted confidant, Barnard knew it was only a matter of time before he met Mike himself. One day, Clement’s throne would be his.
When that time came, neither Camilla nor Calvin would ever dare look down on him again.
The man Calvin had sought refuge with was a rank beneath Clement. Calvin hadn’t even qualified for an invitation to tonight’s gala.
The realization that he had skyrocketed past Calvin filled Barnard with a euphoric high.
At this rate, reviving the Carter family’s glory was within striking distance.
His ambitious gaze swept over the crowd, landing on Camilla. He waited to see awe or shock on her face, but she had her head turned, completely ignoring his existence.
A surge of irritation twisted in his chest.
He maneuvered his wheelchair, rolling directly up to her. “Camilla. Why are you hiding in the corner? Want me to show you around p>
He extended the offer with a sickeningly condescending tone. It immediately dragged Camilla’s memories back to their university days, when they first met.
Barnard had hosted a charity lecture on campus. He had been exactly like this—smug, arrogant, radiating an air of untouchable wealth while soaking up the students’ admiration. He had treated the podium like a pedestal he built for himself.
Camilla had been the outstanding student representative that year, and the university’s prime candidate for the Carter Foundation’s scholarship.
She had assumed her interaction with Barnard would begin and end at that lecture. She accepted the funds, intending to treat him solely as a benefactor.
But after the event, in front of the entire student body, Barnard had approached her just like this. He smoothly asked for her number, telling her to reach out if she ever needed anything.
He was older, a wealthy returnee from abroad, and wore a mask of gentle maturity that was incredibly deceiving. Camilla had naively viewed him as a reliable mentor.
His public attention had instantly turned her into a target. Rumors spread like wildfire, with everyone obsessing over her relationship with the wealthy heir.
Just like now.
The few words Barnard spoke to her had already sparked a wave of hushed whispers across the ballroom.
Before Camilla could issue a sharp retort, Clement strode over. “Barnard, what are you doing all the way over here? I’ve been looking for you p>
He didn’t wait for an answer. “Come on. There’s a very important VIP I need to introduce you to p>
Clement didn’t give Barnard a chance to decline, gesturing for his bodyguards to wheel him away. As they left, Clement cast a lingering, indecipherable look at Camilla.
Meeting that gaze made the hairs on the back of Camilla’s neck stand up.
After Barnard left, he didn’t return for the rest of the evening.
However, several guests who wanted to get in Barnard’s good graces assumed he and Camilla were intimately involved. They actively approached her, striking up conversations.
By the end of the night, Camilla had managed to glean quite a bit of intel about The Williams Group.
When the banquet concluded, Carol went down to the underground garage to pull the car around.
Camilla waited at the hotel entrance. When Carol didn’t appear after a while, she decided to head down and find her.
She barely made it to the garage entrance when a sudden, blinding pain exploded at the back of her head. The world tilted, her vision going black as consciousness slipped away entirely.
When Camilla finally opened her eyes, she was lying on a plush mattress. Her wrists and ankles were bound tight, rendering her completely immobile.
The room was suffocatingly dark and filled with a cloying, sickly sweet scent that made her throat itch.
It was eerily quiet, but she could sense she was the only one in the room.
Faintly, the sound of footsteps echoed from outside the door, followed by a muffled conversation.
“Is everything set p>
“Relax. We did exactly what Clement asked. It’s flawless p>
“Good. Keep guard here. I’m going to bring him over. It’s going to be one hell of a surprise p>