Chapter 532
“What could possibly be more important than the fact that he survived?” Elise sobbed. “I haven’t lost my mind. I can think clearly. We are husband and wife. In a situation like this, I should be by his side, not shut out while you help him hide the truth from me. What do the two of you take me for p>
“I p>
Camilla was left speechless by her mother’s tearful interrogation.
Tanner had only seen Elise’s fragility and wanted to spare her the worry. Camilla had blindly followed his wishes, failing to consider what Elise actually wanted.
At the end of the day, Elise was the one who deserved the truth the most. Camilla realized she had made the wrong choice from the start. Instead of helping Tanner hide it, she should have told Elise the truth and let her make her own decision. Neither of them had the right to strip away her agency just because she was ill.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I was foolish,” Camilla said, skipping the excuses and offering a sincere apology.
Elise’s turbulent emotions had settled slightly. “How is your father doing right now? Tell me the truth, Camilla. Don’t hide anything else from me p>
Camilla pulled out her phone and brought up Tanner’s recent medical records and physical reports. “His condition is completely stable. Following Magee’s treatment plan, he needs to rest and recover for a while so that the prosthetic installation achieves the best possible results. The entire process will take at least a year. But look, Mom, all his vitals are incredibly healthy. He’s honestly healthier than you are. He p>
“Bring him back. Bring him to see me,” Elise interrupted abruptly.
The data on the medical reports proved Camilla’s words. Despite losing his limbs, Tanner was fundamentally healthy and far more capable of enduring a long journey than she was. Now that she knew the truth, there was no reason for them to be separated any longer.
Camilla didn’t hesitate. “Okay. I’ll make the arrangements. I’ll personally go pick him up at dawn. Mom, could you tell me how you found out about Dad p>
Seeing Elise’s defensive look, Camilla quickly clarified, “I’m not trying to be pushy. I just don’t want anyone with malicious intentions lurking around you p>
Elise relaxed. “I… I heard it from a cleaner. She came by to tidy up the room this afternoon and suddenly asked how your father was doing. She said he was a great hero and that it was a tragedy he lost his limbs. Camilla, I don’t think she meant any harm. She probably just overheard the news somewhere and wanted to express her sympathies. I didn’t sense any malice, and she left right after saying her piece p>
No malice? Someone who knew the relationship between Tanner and Elise, and managed to bypass security to deliver those exact words directly into Elise’s room? This was a calculated move designed to trigger a breakdown.
“Get some rest, Mom. Don’t worry about this anymore. I’ll bring Dad home as soon as possible,” Camilla promised.
After comforting her mother, Camilla went straight to hospital administration and requested the cleaning staff’s schedule for the day.
Investigating this was straightforward. Elise’s breakdown had started in the early hours of the morning. All Camilla needed was the security footage from that timeframe to cross-reference the staff.
As Camilla and the hospital manager reviewed the footage, the manager frowned at the tall, gaunt figure on the screen. “That’s not right. The regular cleaner assigned to this shift is Mary. She has a heavier build. This woman is far too skinny. I don’t think we have anyone on the cleaning staff who looks like that p>
Camilla had them zoom in on the footage. The woman wore a medical mask and had a scarf wrapped tightly around her head, obscuring her face entirely.
The manager stared at the screen, confirming, “This person does not work for us. I’ve never seen her before p>
Camilla stared at the grainy footage, a sense of eerie familiarity washing over her.
“Please wait a moment, Camilla. I’ll call Mary and find out exactly what happened,” the manager said.
Camilla didn’t respond. She continued zooming in on the footage, noting the woman’s sharp cheekbones and unnervingly thin frame. An absurd name flashed through her mind.
Davina.
But how could that be? Davina was supposed to be on the run with Barnard. How could she possibly have the time and audacity to sneak into Cabinda just to stir up drama in Elise’s hospital room?
The manager returned from her phone call. “Mary took the day off. She said someone offered to cover her shift right before she left p>
Camilla requested the footage from the past few days. To her horror, she spotted the same suspected figure lurking around the hospital perimeter for the last three days. Davina had been patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.
Regardless of whether the woman was definitively Davina, Camilla immediately reported the incident to the police. She handed over a copy of the footage, trusting the authorities to track the suspect, while also dispatching the Charles family’s private security to quietly investigate Davina’s maiden and marital homes. If Davina had truly returned, Camilla knew her sole objective was revenge. She couldn’t afford to let her guard down.