Chapter 413
After a brief rustling sound, the hallway fell dead silent.
A dull, throbbing pain pulsed at the back of Camilla’s head, making it hard to think straight. Still, she managed to latch onto the crucial words the men had spoken.
Clement.
Surprise.
An absurd realization began to form in her mind.
Barnard was now Clement’s golden boy, his right-hand man. The entire banquet had been orchestrated just so Clement could introduce him to the elite.
It wasn’t hard to guess who this “surprise” was meant for.
Carol had warned her that Clement was likely a ruthless former cartel member, but this crude, barbaric tactic still left Camilla reeling.
Kidnapping an ex-wife to gift to her former husband. That had to be a first, even in the criminal underworld.
She tested her restraints. Whether it was the drugs in her system or the suffocating incense, she couldn’t muster an ounce of strength. The more she struggled, the tighter the coarse ropes bit into her skin, cutting off her circulation until she gasped for breath.
After a few futile attempts, she realized brute force wasn’t going to get her out of this. She forced herself to go still, opting to conserve her energy.
The curtains were drawn tight, blocking out all light, but she guessed not much time had passed. If Carol couldn’t find her, she would definitely sound the alarm.
And then there was Barnard p>
The mere thought of his name sent a wave of anxiety crashing over her.
Time trickled by in agonizingly slow seconds. Finally, urgent footsteps approached the room. There was no distinct hum of a motorized wheelchair. Camilla immediately squeezed her eyes shut, feigning unconsciousness.
A sharp click echoed as the lock disengaged.
Light spilled into the pitch-black room as the heavy door swung open.
The footsteps rushing toward her were heavy and frantic. Camilla discreetly peeked through her lashes. For a split second, she thought the drugs were making her hallucinate. How could Lance be here in Valdoria, right in front of her?
“Camilla, are you hurt? Where does it hurt?” Lance demanded, his voice tight with raw panic as a blade sliced cleanly through her bindings.
Hearing his deep, familiar voice anchored her to reality. This wasn’t a dream. Lance was actually here.
“Lance? How are you here?” she gasped, panic setting in as she grabbed his sleeve. “We have to get out of here right now. This is Clement’s territory p>
“He’s the one who took you?” Lance’s face didn’t show a flicker of fear. Instead, a chilling, predatory darkness overtook his eyes.
Camilla didn’t deny it. “I’ll explain everything later. Please, we need to leave p>
“Don’t be afraid. If he has the guts to touch you, I’m going to make sure he bleeds for it,” Lance said, his tone icy.
“Lance, please, let’s just go,” she pleaded.
He had mentioned having some influence in Valdoria, but Camilla didn’t believe his reach could suppress a local crime boss on his home turf.
Especially when Clement had a monster like Mike backing him.
Seeing how pale and trembling she was, Lance didn’t argue. He leaned down and scooped her effortlessly into his arms.
As he carried her out of the room, Camilla noticed two men in black suits crumpled on the floor by the door. Clement’s guards.
Lance didn’t even break his stride as he delivered a vicious kick to the ribs of each unconscious man before stepping over them.
Down in the underground garage, Carol was pacing anxiously by the car. When she saw Camilla, relief washed over her face. “Camilla! Are you okay? You terrified me. Thank God Lance showed up. Why did they take you? Was it Barnard p>
“Barnard? What does that piece of trash have to do with this?” Lance had clearly rushed straight from the airport, exhaustion etched into his features, but the mention of Barnard made his gaze turn razor-sharp.
Carol quickly filled him in on everything that had happened, explaining how Barnard had embedded himself in The Williams Group’s upper echelon.
Lance let out a dark, mocking scoff. “A pathetic front like The Williams Group dares to act this brazen? Mike really is getting too old for this if he can’t keep his dogs on a leash p>
“Lance, you know Mike?” Carol asked, stunned by the casual contempt in his voice.
Lance ignored her, his intense stare locking onto Camilla. “Why didn’t you contact the people I gave you p>
Camilla averted her eyes, a flush of guilt rising in her cheeks.
Reading her silence, Lance didn’t push it. He turned to Carol. “We have some history. Drive us back to the hotel. If you want to dig into The Williams Group, come find me tomorrow. I’ll take you straight to him p>
Carol didn’t mind his commanding tone at all. Given the absolute dominance of the Charles family, this man was practically royalty. Giving orders was just in his blood.
In fact, her eyes lit up at the prospect of Lance stepping in.
They had spent days in Valdoria desperately trying to find a way to meet Mike, only to discover that a VIP pass had been sitting right in front of them the whole time—and Camilla had refused to use it.
Carol shot Camilla a look of exasperated disbelief. She knew Camilla was fiercely independent, but there were times when you just had to lean on the powerhouse in your corner.
The drive back to the hotel was swift. Lance carried Camilla directly to her room. Seeing the unyielding coldness on his face, Camilla’s guilt intensified. She tried to ease the tension. “Lance, how did you find the time to come out here? Where’s Jasper? And my mom p>