Chapter 133
That night, Camilla came down with a fever.
In her feverish haze, it felt like she had slipped back to that night again. There was that strange, heavy scent in the air, the suffocating darkness, and the echo of a man’s ragged breathing. Her entire body felt trapped in some sticky, sickening fog, as if she were sinking into quicksand. The more she tried to break free, the deeper she was pulled under. She struggled to open her eyes, desperate to escape the nightmare, but her eyelids felt glued shut, refusing to budge no matter how hard she fought.
Somewhere on the edge of consciousness, she heard knocking, and then Susan’s worried voice. “Camilla? Camilla, are you awake? Lance is here, he says he has something urgent to talk to you about p>
The knocking kept coming, steady and insistent.
A sliver of light pushed through the darkness, and slowly, the world started to take shape around her. Camilla forced her eyes open and realized she wasn’t in that nightmare hotel room. She was in her own bedroom, at home. Her head throbbed and her skin was burning, but there was no time to linger on that.
She sat up with sheer willpower, got to her feet, and went to the door. When she opened it, Lance was there, sitting in the living room. The early morning sun streamed through the window, casting a soft glow over his broad shoulders and perfectly cut features. He looked almost unreal, like a statue come to life, flawless and impossible to ignore.
Camilla hesitated in the doorway, standing in the shadow, letting the light hide her a little. When she met Lance’s gaze, she looked away almost on instinct.
Her mind flashed back to his confession, and every lie she’d been fed in the past. They’d never been a good match, and now, after everything, she couldn’t let herself get any closer. Today was as good a day as any to make things clear between them.
Lance grinned and teased her, “What’s the matter, Miss Hedgehog? Am I so good looking you can’t stop staring p>
She kept her voice cool. “Lance, what brings you here so early in the morning p>
She didn’t even need to check the clock. Jasper was still asleep, which meant it was barely dawn. He always woke right at eight, almost like clockwork.
Lance arched an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t I be the one asking? Just because I confessed doesn’t mean you can ignore all my efforts. Those people I brought yesterday are top specialists, here to help Elise. You sent them home out of nowhere last night p>
Camilla cut him off, her tone turning rigid. “Lance, I thought I made it obvious enough. Why put yourself through this again? Yes, what you said was embarrassing for me, so let’s just move on and pretend we don’t know each other p>
She knew deep down that Lance’s team was more reliable than anyone Barnard could find, but she had no real choice. If she let Lance in, she risked Jasper’s secret getting out. For now, she had to go along with Barnard’s plan, no matter how much she hated it.
Her abrupt shift in attitude didn’t escape Lance. He stood up, closed the space between them, and looked at her hard. Her cheeks were bright with fever, her eyes swollen and puffy. A look of concern flickered across his face as he reached out to check her forehead.
Camilla blocked him with her hand. “Lance, please. Respect yourself and me. I’m a married woman. I think it’s better if you keep away from me, for your own sake p>
Lance’s eyes narrowed. “You really think I care about something like that? Camilla, the divorce is happening soon either way. Stop giving me these lame excuses. Be honest with me, what happened p>
She gave him a stiff smile. “What could have possibly happened? Barnard and I just had an argument. I might’ve said a few things I shouldn’t have, but we made up. No divorce is happening. Does that clear things up? You confessed to me, which means I have to keep my distance. I don’t want my husband to get the wrong idea. I need you to leave, Lance p>
She glanced back at Susan. “Susan, if he shows up again, please don’t let him in p>
The room fell silent, the tension making everything feel brittle. Even Susan glanced over, surprised at just how cold Camilla sounded. Yesterday, when Camilla had come home, she’d needed help just to make it to bed. Dahlia had warned everyone not to disturb her. Something strange had clearly happened, even if nobody was saying it out loud.
Lance studied her, his brows drawn tight. “You’re burning up. I’m taking you to the hospital. We’ll talk about everything else later p>
It was obvious he didn’t want to argue anymore.
Camilla let out a mirthless laugh. “How I’m doing has nothing to do with you, Lance. But you—aren’t you embarrassed? The famous heir to the Charles family coming here to throw yourself at a married woman? Don’t you care what people might say p>
Her words came out sharp, almost cruel, but she hoped it would be enough. Someone with a background like Lance’s would never stick around after that. That was what she needed. She couldn’t afford to drag anyone else into her mess.
Her vision blurred and her legs felt like jelly, but she gripped the wall, refusing to let herself fall apart in front of him.
Lance scoffed, lips quirking just a little. “Is that supposed to hurt my feelings, Camilla? If you looked at me properly, you’d know I don’t care about my reputation.” He took hold of her wrist, firm and gentle all at once. “Enough. We’re going to the hospital. You can say whatever you want after you’re better p>