Chapter 174
They weren’t just coming for Camilla now. The whole internet was dragging her family, calling them rotten for raising a daughter like her.
Elise could barely breathe. Darkness closed in at the edges of her vision, and the next thing Camilla knew, her mother collapsed, her hand slipping right out of Camilla’s grasp.
Everything felt dreamlike as Camilla struggled to get up, her brain numb with panic. She wanted to run for a doctor, but her legs almost gave out beneath her. She caught herself on the bed rail, holding on so she wouldn’t hit the ground. Her whole body felt drained, as if she’d just run until she had nothing left. She tried to speak, but no words came out.
The door swung open and Magee burst in, instantly taking in the scene. He called for doctors and nurses, and Elise was quickly whisked away toward the operating room.
Only then did he turn to Camilla, pushing a glass of warm water into her trembling hands. “Dahlia sent me. Take a sip. She’ll be here soon, okay p>
Camilla forced herself to breathe deeply. She managed to steady herself a little, then started, “I have to go back, I p>
She wanted Magee to look after Elise, just for a while. But she stopped herself—things had never been comfortable between them. She didn’t trust him, and she worried he’d try to use Dahlia as leverage again. Even now, with her world coming apart, she couldn’t risk putting Dahlia in a tough spot for her own sake.
Before Camilla could figure out what to do next, Dahlia rushed in. “I just saw them wheel Elise into surgery. Was it because of what’s all over the web p>
Camilla nodded, completely at a loss for words. Everything had crashed onto her so fast, she didn’t even know where to begin.
Dahlia came and sat beside her. “Don’t panic. I’m here, okay? Do you have to go to Jasper now? Come on, let’s go. Elise will be safe. Magee can keep an eye on her p>
That’s when Magee finally spoke up. “I’ll stay ahead of everything here at the hospital. I’ll call if something comes up p>
He shot Dahlia a look that Camilla didn’t miss, and Dahlia’s voice got tighter. “Just promise me you’ll keep Elise safe. Even if Barnard comes, don’t let him anywhere near her. You do that, and you can talk to me. That’s the deal p>
Camilla shook her head, worried. She knew the history between Dahlia and Magee—she didn’t want Dahlia sacrificing for her, not now.
Dahlia gave her a steady look. “Camilla, after all this time, there are things I need to say to him anyway. Don’t worry about me. Let’s go find Jasper first p>
She’d guessed right away, just from the headlines, how bad things must be for Camilla. She’d come running, scared Camilla might crash the car if she drove alone.
Inside Dahlia’s car, Camilla couldn’t let it go. She kept calling Barnard, desperate to know what he was trying to do. Each call ended with the same cold robotic message. No answer. Just emptiness.
She had thought she’d run out of ways for Barnard to disappoint her. She thought she knew just how low he could sink. But it still hurt, deeper than she’d expected.
Dahlia could see Camilla twisting herself up. “Hey, slow down. Don’t fall apart because of them. Jasper needs you right now. Don’t let any of this take you away from him p>
The phone hung up on her again. Camilla’s grip on her phone was white-knuckled, veins standing out on the back of her hand.
Dahlia was right.
She didn’t even know yet whether any of this had gotten to Jasper. Her mother needed her. Jasper needed her. She couldn’t afford to break right now.
Pressing her hands together, she dug her nails into her skin until they left tiny crescent marks and drew a sharp crackle of pain. It hurt, but it grounded her, forcing scattered thoughts back into focus. Steadiness returned to her eyes.
They finally pulled up in front of Brookfield Manor—only to see the place absolutely swarmed. Reporters, photographers, lights flashing everywhere. Camilla’s heart sank as she realized her home address was out in the open now.
Even if Jasper didn’t have his phone, he could definitely hear the chaos from inside.
Dahlia glanced at her. “Maybe we should call the police first? With all these people, there’s no way we’re getting up there easily p>
If this had only been online rumors, maybe she could ignore it. But having a mob outside her home—someone was clearly targeting her, trying to ruin her completely.
The so-called journalists weren’t just chasing a scoop anymore. They felt feral, wild-eyed. The cameras in their hands looked more like weapons than tools. Dahlia had no doubt that if Camilla so much as stepped outside, she’d get torn to pieces.
They didn’t even have time to figure out a plan before someone spotted the car. The crowd surged over, shouting and pressing in, boxing them in tight.