Chapter 190
The worries that weighed on her heart had finally started to fade away. She wasn’t alone in facing Barnard anymore. Her son had grown up and was there to support her now.
Barnard still stood by, waiting for Camilla to say something. He reached out, as if by habit, trying to pat her shoulder. She swatted his hand away without hesitation.
“You put your money on the wrong bet,” Camilla told him calmly. “Jasper’s not a scared little boy anymore. He’s way braver than you think. All your petty tricks don’t scare him at all. Actually, I should thank you. Thank you for giving me Jasper p>
Barnard stared at her, completely thrown off. Just a few days ago she seemed different. Before, even if Camilla looked determined, he could always find her weak spot. But now, somehow, she seemed like she was wrapped in armor he couldn’t even scratch, much less break into. Even her feelings seemed out of reach.
For the first time, Camilla felt like a stranger to him, slipping further and further away. A wave of anxiety crept in. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something major had changed around her when he wasn’t looking.
He still didn’t want to let her leave. Just then, two men in black showed up. They stepped between him and Camilla, pushing Barnard aside before giving Camilla a respectful nod.
“Camilla, our boss sent us to take you home,” one of them said.
“Boss? Camilla, who are these guys? Are you seeing someone behind my back?” Barnard’s face twisted in anger. He lunged to grab her wrist, but one of the bodyguards stepped in and blocked him.
“Our boss told us not to go easy on anyone who tries to touch you,” the bodyguard said coldly.
He grabbed Barnard’s arm and twisted. There was a sickening crack and Barnard’s wrist broke, leaving him doubled over in pain, his face twitching.
The second bodyguard turned back to Camilla, his tone instantly respectful again. “Should we take you home now, or do you want us to rough him up some more p>
Camilla shook her head. “Let’s go home.” She didn’t want to make a scene, not here at the police station. Even though Lance probably wouldn’t care, she didn’t want to cause any extra trouble for him.
Barnard was trembling, clutching his broken wrist, but he still shouted after her as the bodyguards led her away. “Camilla! You made such a fuss about me cheating, but are you so innocent yourself? Who are you running around with behind my back p>
The car door closed, cutting off his voice. Suddenly the world around him felt silent, making Barnard seem even more ridiculous and pathetic.
Staring at his limp wrist, Barnard finally dialed Aaron, asking him to pick him up and check into who Camilla had been spending time with lately.
Inside the car, Camilla sat quietly for a moment before asking, “Where did Lance tell you guys to take me p>
The driver looked back through the mirror. “Our boss just told us to make sure nothing gets in your way. Wherever you want to go is your choice p>
That was so typical of Lance. He was straightforward and bold, but he always gave her room to breathe. He never pushed or pressured her, just quietly went along with whatever she wanted.
She asked the bodyguards to stop by her studio first. She needed to pick up a pendant she’d made, one she’d been saving for Lance. She wanted to thank him properly, maybe over dinner.
Opening her phone, she noticed something new. Lance’s profile picture had changed to a cartoon dog with giant, watery eyes. She recognized it instantly. Jasper had called him a “simp” just yesterday, and now here it was, right in her contacts list.
She saw that Lance had messaged her only ten minutes ago, asking if she liked his new avatar. Her finger hovered above the screen for a second, but she skipped his question and simply sent him her location.
She hadn’t been waiting long before Lance pulled up, a huge bouquet of pink roses in his arms. As soon as he saw her, he grinned and stuffed the flowers into her hands.
“These are for our brave and unstoppable Miss Hedgehog,” he said.
The flowers were so big they almost hid her face, and the sweet scent was dizzying. For a moment, she was too surprised to react.
Jasper piped up. “Mom! Lance and I picked them out together. Do you like them p>
She smiled. “What made you guys think of buying flowers p>
Lance laughed softly. “Heroes deserve rewards, right?” He turned his hand and, like magic, a bracelet set with aquamarine stones appeared.
As a jewelry designer, Camilla knew what they meant. Aquamarine stood for courage and happiness. She looked down at the detailed blue stones, carved into the shape of tiny roses, and her heart skipped a beat. She just realized that the pendant she made for Lance was also set with aquamarine. Maybe it was fate.
While she was still lost in thought, she felt the cool metal against her skin. Lance had slipped the bracelet onto her wrist.
Not missing a beat, he asked quietly, “You said you had something for me earlier. What is it p>