Chapter 153
Barnard pulled over as soon as they’d left the Carter estate. He ran his hands through his hair and let out a frustrated sigh. “Davina, I seriously don’t get you sometimes. Do you enjoy making my life tougher? Are you bored or do you just want me to have more problems? You know my parents can’t accept you right now, so why would you just show up at the estate p>
It wasn’t the first time. Honestly, he wouldn’t even have problems if not for Davina’s uncanny ability to create them from nothing. He was exhausted, completely drained. Especially tonight. He was still feeling the sting of the whipping, the world spinning a little out of focus, but instead of resting, he was out here cleaning up Davina’s mess again. Even that punishment, all because of her. Just thinking about it made him feel like Davina didn’t care about him at all.
Davina’s eyes were already rimmed red. “Barnard, of course I know Laura and Calvin don’t like me. But I was scared, okay? Camilla told me you guys weren’t getting divorced. And you stopped answering my calls, so what else was I supposed to do? I came because I care about you… I needed to know what was happening. Please, don’t be mad at me p>
“So you came to the estate because Camilla told you to?” Barnard picked out the most important bit from Davina’s rambling. He looked at her with an odd little smile, half amused and half skeptical. “What else did Camilla say to you p>
“She said you weren’t answering me because you’ve been with her.” Davina’s voice wobbled with tears. “Barnard, you know you’re all I’ve got. That’s why I lost control tonight… I just, I panicked, I p>
She didn’t notice Barnard’s expression changing until he actually laughed, a sharp, tired little laugh that cut her off mid-sentence.
He shook his head. “Davina, if you’re going to make up lies, at least pick one that makes sense p>
Since the day he’d told Camilla the truth, she’d wanted nothing to do with him. She was desperate to cut ties—so, really, why would she go bragging to Davina about any of this? He just couldn’t believe her story. The more she talked, the more unreasonable she sounded.
Davina saw him doubting her and fumbled for her phone, desperate to prove she was telling the truth. “I’m not lying, Barnard. I swear, I have the chat records. Camilla really did tell me p>
Her hands shook so badly she could barely open her messages. But when she pulled up her chat with Camilla, the screen was empty. Just blank.
How could it be gone? She was sure she’d seen the messages, that was why she’d come here. She froze completely, clueless that for someone like Camilla, getting a hacker to erase a few texts was hardly a challenge.
Barnard’s pale cheeks went pink, this time out of anger. “How long are you going to keep this up, Davina? Don’t you realize you’re making everything so much harder for me p>
His words landed hard. Davina stopped crying, her voice rising instead. “So now it’s my fault? You really think I want any of this? I don’t like feeling this insecure! You’re the one who slept with me, got me pregnant, and now your mom even knows. I’ve got nowhere to go! Of course I’m scared! Didn’t you promise to take responsibility? Are you seriously backing out now p>
The sharpness in her voice made Barnard’s head pound. He stared at her, baffled by how much she was falling apart. There was a time, not that long ago, when her insecurity made him want to comfort her. Now, it just left him exhausted.
Camilla would never act like this. Even after finding out her five-year marriage was a complete lie, Camilla had never once lost her self-control, never caused a scene, never shouted and cried no matter how much it hurt her.
Davina wouldn’t stop pushing. “Barnard, will you say something? Do you regret everything? Are you in love with Camilla p>
Her shrill voice made everything inside him waver. He forced a tired answer. “Davina, can you please stop? You see for yourself, my parents can’t handle you or this baby right now. I have to take things one step at a time. Can’t you just give me a little space p>
Davina, caught up in her panic, gripped his wrist tight and shook him as she raised her voice. The pressure made his wounds throb, sweat breaking out on his forehead. His reply came softer, almost fading. The pain left his mind floating somewhere between consciousness and darkness.
He barely registered it when Davina asked, “So you’re not giving me a proper title because of Laura and Calvin, not because of Camilla p>
“No.” His answer was short and breathless, just before the world went dark. He thought he heard Davina’s scream, but he was already out.
Davina really wasn’t like Camilla at all. A little problem was enough to send her into a spiral. There was no way she could ever be the anchor of the Carter family, or ever take the place of Mrs. Carter.
That was Barnard’s last thought before everything faded away.