Chapter 157
Barnard caught the way Camilla’s expression flickered, how she still reacted to his words. Something about it gave him a secret thrill. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, looking at her with an intensity that almost made the air feel thick.
His stare was so hot and heavy that Camilla felt a chill run down her spine. Her voice came out cold and sharp, each word icy and clear. “Let me give you some advice. Don’t even think about using Jasper. If you do, no matter what happens to me, I promise I’ll make you pay p>
Jasper had always been her boundary. Just hearing Barnard mention his name was enough to set her on edge.
Barnard gave a little shrug. “Camilla, why are you so dramatic? Jasper is my son too, at least in public. I wouldn’t do anything to him.” He paused, his tone turning smooth. “But what about my offer from before? Have you thought it over? Can you pick now p>
Pick? She stared at the smug tilt of his lips and for a second, she couldn’t shake the feeling he was in this just to provoke her, just to get a rise out of her. It was like she was a game to him.
It felt as if he’d tossed a burning ember straight into the middle of a frozen lake, just to see what kind of ripples it would make. The urge to hurl her laptop at his face was almost too tempting, to see if she could wipe that smirk away forever. But that was just a fantasy. She couldn’t afford to blow up like that, not yet.
She knew exactly what offer he meant. Camilla laughed, low and mocking. “Does Davina know you’re planning this p>
“That’s between us. It doesn’t concern her.” Barnard looked almost bored.
It left her stunned for a second, how thick-skinned he was. He called her his wife but that never stopped him from running around with Davina. Now Davina was pregnant with his child, and he still turned around and expected something from her—it was honestly unbelievable. He wanted everything, the doting wife, the mistress, every bit of control.
Barnard leaned in a bit, eyes fixed right on her. “Camilla, I’ll say it again. No matter if you’re doing it for Jasper, or just want a way to keep me in check, having another child with me would be the smart move for you. It’s in your best interest p>
There was a new kind of weight in his gaze, as if he was sizing her up. Usually, he’d only ever treated her like a partner, someone useful to have around. Now, though, he was actually seeing her—the way a man sees a woman.
Suddenly, he noticed how striking Camilla really was. Her skin looked soft and almost luminous, her features perfectly clear, her whole presence radiating poise and confidence that made her even more attractive. She wore an oversized blazer, and even sitting on the tiny hospital couch, she kept her back perfectly straight. Some strands of glossy black hair tumbled down, hiding half her face. From where Barnard sat, it gave her this sense of mystery, like there was something hidden, waiting to be discovered.
His fingertips tingled with a restlessness he didn’t understand.
He found himself wondering, back on that night when everything changed, had she been this distant, too? He’d never cared before, but now he felt something tight in his chest, something that refused to let him go. When he looked at her, there was a need, an urge to possess her that he hadn’t realized before.
Camilla noticed the shift in the air. Her brows knit together, and she shattered the illusion he was trying to create. “I don’t care what scheming you’re up to,” she said flatly. “Stop saying things like that. I’m sick of it p>
She didn’t even bother with whatever ugly look he threw her way. She just slid her headphones on and started dealing with work, acting like he wasn’t even in the room.
But Barnard wasn’t done watching her. She felt like a hedgehog, every quill up and pointed his way, daring him to get any closer. He almost welcomed the challenge; it made him want to win her over, all over again.
He didn’t believe for a second that the woman who once loved him so much could really forget about him. If he’d gotten through her walls once, he could do it again. He just had to wait her out, convince her. Make her want what he wanted, eventually.
Time ticked by, the only sound in the little hospital room coming from the steady clatter of Camilla’s keys. Barnard didn’t interrupt, not anymore. The whole space felt strangely peaceful for a minute, the sunlight from outside spilling across Camilla’s shoulders and making everything a little softer, almost gentle—almost.
Then a knock at the door shattered that peace in an instant.
Davina stood in the doorway, holding a box of food, nerves written all over her face.
“Davina, why are you here?” Barnard’s voice was sharper than before. “Didn’t I tell you to stay home and rest p>
He didn’t even realize how irritated he sounded. He’d messed things up enough lately, scandals swirling and the company’s board practically breathing down his neck. Bringing Camilla in was all about damage control—and only happened because Calvin himself had insisted.
This was not the time for Davina, the heart of the whole mess, to show up in public. She should have known better. Instead, here she was, just making things worse.
In that moment, Barnard realized Davina had never once thought about how all this was affecting him.