Chapter 180
Even if Camilla asked, Barnard wouldn’t tell her the truth. So she decided to find out on her own.
The moment Camilla said she wanted to check the dashcam footage, Barnard’s face tightened. His voice grew stiff. “Camilla, what exactly are you up to p>
She lifted her chin, looking him right in the eye. “What am I up to? Shouldn’t you know by now, Barnard? Don’t forget what you used to keep me under your control. Now that you and your precious girlfriend have blown all your leverage, why would I bother being scared of you p>
Barnard fell silent, but Camilla could see he understood. She knew he realized everything had come out into the open.
“Camilla, none of this is what I wanted,” Barnard said. “It’s the truth. Davina went behind my back and started all this. I feel really bad about it. I already punished her. She’s not allowed back in Saddlebrook Estates. Can’t we just let it go p>
His words sounded so fake, they actually made Camilla laugh.
“Jasper isn’t your son, so you don’t care if this mess messes with his head. My mom isn’t your mom either, so if she ends up back in surgery because of all this, that’s not your problem. But it is mine. I warned you before, Barnard. I told you to make sure Davina stayed away from me. You can’t handle her, so I’ll do it myself p>
“Camilla, got it,” a bodyguard said quietly, “the car just came from Afterglow p>
Camilla glanced at Barnard. The nervous look on his face told her everything. He’d hidden Davina as far away from Saddlebrook Estates as he could, pretty much across the entire city. He was trying to protect her until the very end.
“Let’s go,” Camilla said.
Now that she had a rough location, finding exactly where Davina was staying wouldn’t be hard.
Barnard tried one last time. “Camilla, do you really have to do this? Can’t you show a little mercy p>
She almost rolled her eyes. “Mercy? Did either of you ever show me any mercy? Ever since this started, you’ve had me under your thumb. Even when you cheated on me right in front of my face and had a child with her, I was still supposed to just turn a blind eye. But you still had to drag my mom and Jasper into it. The two of you are the ones who started this war, so don’t talk to me about mercy p>
Barnard hesitated, eyes flickering. For a moment, Camilla wondered if he was wavering. But in the end, he sided with Davina as always. “Are you really going to fight the Carter family over this?” he said sharply.
“This isn’t against the Carter family, just you,” Camilla replied, her voice steady. “And don’t try to use their name to scare me. Davina isn’t important enough to drag your whole family down p>
She gave her bodyguard a quick nod. He stepped between her and Barnard, gently but firmly moving him aside. Camilla ignored Barnard’s angry glare as she slid into her car.
By the time they were on the way to Afterglow, Davina’s address was already in Camilla’s hands.
She didn’t waste a second. “Break the door down,” she instructed.
Lance’s bodyguards were built like tanks. Crashing through a door was child’s play for them. The thunderous bang rocked the hallway, drawing neighbors out in droves.
Camilla called out clearly, “Sorry to trouble everyone. Please bear with this for a moment. Once I’m done here, every apartment in this building will get a twenty-thousand cash token of my apologies p>
The neighbors, who’d been about to make a scene, instantly cooled when they saw how generous and put-together Camilla looked. Instead of anger, everyone’s faces turned curious. They gathered around, whispering excitedly.
“That’s quite the entrance. You think she’s here to catch the homewrecker p>
“Looks like it. The real wife sure means business. That woman inside is toast p>
“If you ask me, people who break up families deserve whatever they get p>
“Go, Camilla! Make her pay p>
A few of the braver neighbors even started cheering her on.
A final, deafening crack echoed up and down the corridor as the door was bashed open.
Inside, Camilla looked straight into Davina’s terrified eyes. Davina’s hand shook around her phone. The screen was lit up, still on a call. She must have been desperately calling Barnard for help. The instant she saw Camilla, her phone hit the floor, her face frozen in panic.
“Camilla, what are you doing here?” she squeaked, fear all over her face. “What do you want p>
Just looking at the bodyguards behind Camilla was enough to make Davina tremble. She finally understood that this wouldn’t end easily for her.
Camilla stepped forward, her voice cool. “I figured you were the type to play dirty behind my back, so you probably weren’t afraid of me. Turns out I gave you too much credit p>
Davina’s eyes darted everywhere. She swallowed hard, for the first time feeling just how overwhelming Camilla’s presence was. She couldn’t even bring herself to look up.
Suddenly, Daisy burst out of the bedroom, rushing between them. She glared at Camilla. “I’m warning you, don’t you dare touch my mom. Barnard’s on his way. He won’t let you get away with this p>
Camilla let out a sharp laugh. “So, I guess that means I’d better hurry, since he’s not here yet, right p>
Before either of them could react, Camilla marched over and grabbed Davina by the throat, slamming her head down hard onto the corner of the table. “That’s payback for the day you shoved my mom in the hospital,” she said, her tone icy. “Last time, Barnard protected you. I let it slide. Looking back, that was a mistake. When it’s not your pain, you never bother to learn p>