Chapter 517
The hospital room returned to a heavy silence.
But Tanner’s gaze remained fixed on the spot where Camilla had just stood.
He knew exactly the kind of person Elise was. She was far too easily swayed by others, and she didn’t possess the strength to hold their family together on her own.
Over the years, hidden from his view, Camilla must have sacrificed so much.
He still remembered the day he left. His Camilla was just a little girl, a clingy shadow who followed him everywhere. Now, she had become so composed and deeply guarded, entirely shedding the innocent warmth of her childhood.
The more she had changed, the more it broke his heart.
If he had just been a little more careful back then, a little more cautious, would the ending have been different?
Would he have been able to watch her grow up?
But the world didn’t operate on ‘what ifs p>
All Tanner could do was stare at the empty doorway, lost in a daze.
When Mahoney walked in, he was met with total silence.
He glanced around the room and pulled up a chair next to the bed. “Where’s Camilla? Did she leave p>
A look of helpless resignation washed over Tanner’s face. “It’s been too many years since we last saw each other. Maybe she’s forgotten how to be around me p>
During their brief conversation, he had felt it vividly—the space between them was filled with nothing but awkwardness and an undeniable, painful distance.
“It hasn’t been easy for her all these years,” Mahoney sighed. “Shortly after you went missing, Elise fell seriously ill. Camilla carried the weight of the entire family on her own shoulders. She… well, it’s her private life, so I shouldn’t say too much. When you get the chance, you can ask her yourself. She just doesn’t know how to express it, but she cares about you deeply. From the moment we got a lead on you, she didn’t rest for a single day. She stayed right on the front lines with us. She p>
Thinking of Camilla inevitably brought Barnard to Mahoney’s mind, but seeing Tanner in his current state, he couldn’t bring himself to talk about that ordeal.
Tanner’s eyes softened with profound sorrow. “I’ve failed them. What about the syndicate? Is it finally over? That bastard, Clement p>
“You can rest easy on that front,” Mahoney reassured him. “We completely eradicated them this time. The base is completely dismantled. Tanner, you’ve sacrificed over half your life for this case. Put it behind you now. It’s time to start thinking about yourself p>
Out of habit, Mahoney reached out to pat his old friend on the shoulder.
But as his gaze drifted downward to the empty space where Tanner’s arm should have been, he froze.
A tough, hardened man, Mahoney suddenly found himself fighting a losing battle against his emotions. His eyes grew misty.
Tanner, however, brushed it off casually. “What are you crying for, Mahoney? I managed to claw my way out with my life and survive all these years. That’s a massive win. You should be happy for me. Come on, you’re a grown man, dry your eyes. Even Camilla didn’t cry in here. She already promised to get me set up with prosthetics. Once they’re attached, I’ll be just like my old self. Good as new. Hell, maybe I’ll even spar with you again. Those scumbags are finally facing justice, and that’s worth celebrating. Once I’m out of here, we’ll grab some drinks. By the way, the kid who was with Camilla today… is that her boyfriend p>
He changed the subject somewhat abruptly, deliberately trying to ease his friend’s obvious guilt and sorrow.
Mahoney caught on and followed his lead. “You could say that. They’re probably getting married soon. Your timing couldn’t be better. You’re back just in time to walk her down the aisle p>
“Tell me about him. What kind of man is he?” Tanner asked.
How could a father not care about his daughter’s future? But the chasm between him and Camilla was so wide that he had to learn about her life through someone else.
Shortly after leaving the room, Camilla’s phone rang. It was Elise.
Recently, Elise had been calling constantly to ask if there was any news about Tanner. This time was no different.
The second Camilla answered, Elise’s trembling voice came through the speaker. “Camilla, you’ve been gone for days. Have you found your father yet? Didn’t you say he was with Barnard? Why won’t you let the police deal with him? How is your father doing? You left and haven’t given me any updates. I’m dying of anxiety here p>
Camilla had just seen him with her own eyes, but she couldn’t say a word. Faced with her mother’s desperate questions, her chest tightened with suffocating guilt.
She had no choice but to lie through her teeth. “We haven’t found him yet, but we’re getting close. Mom, don’t panic. Just focus on resting and getting better. I promise you, the second I find him, I’ll bring him straight home to you p>
“How am I supposed to rest? Camilla, maybe I should fly out there. I p>
“You coming here won’t help anything. If you exhaust yourself and collapse on the way, it’ll only make things worse. Listen to me. Stay at the hospital and rest. I promise it won’t be long. I will bring him home p>
On the other end of the line, Elise pressed her with question after question, all of which Camilla deflected with vague reassurances.
She was determined to respect Tanner’s wishes, which meant doing everything in her power to keep Elise in the dark.
It took a full half-hour of exhausting persuasion before Camilla finally managed to convince her mother to hang up the phone.