Chapter 202
Abelard had been waiting outside for quite some time.
He knew the restaurant was closed off for some sort of game, with the doors locked tight. The last thing he wanted was to make a scene and draw attention, so he chose to linger quietly, hoping to catch her when she came out.
Camilla glanced at him and said, “He’ll be out soon. The Charles family p>
Before she could finish, someone’s angry voice cut through the hallway. “Camilla! So, the guy who’s been hanging around behind your back all this time is Abelard? I thought you two hated each other. When did you start cozying up? Has this whole rivalry just been an act to hide your affair p>
Camilla rolled her eyes. She honestly wanted to ask if Darwin’s hunt for Lance had anything to do with her, but Barnard barely let her get a word out.
Barnard was suddenly right there, charging from the side, grabbing her by the wrist. His grip was tight, his stare burning—a man on the edge, desperate and angry, like he could set her on fire with a glance.
Camilla shook off his hand. “Quit talking nonsense. Nothing is going on between Abelard and me. We’re clean p>
Barnard’s accusation left Abelard speechless for a moment. He rushed to defend himself. “Barnard, don’t twist things. I respect Camilla. I wouldn’t dare cross that line p>
Truthfully, Abelard thought, this is madness. The guy waiting inside could show up any minute. No way would he risk getting tangled up with Camilla, not in this lifetime.
Barnard scoffed. “Clean? You expect me to believe that? What are you doing in a place like this together? Don’t kid yourself, I know exactly what kind of restaurant this is. It’s for parents and kids. What’s going on, Camilla? Are you really that eager? We’re not even divorced, and you’re already bringing Jasper and him along. Does he even know p>
He started to mention Jasper’s parentage again, but Camilla saw it coming. Before he could finish, she slapped him hard, stopping him cold.
Barnard stared at her, completely stunned. Camilla’s voice was icy. “So you know this place because you come here with Daisy and Davina, right? When our marriage was falling apart, I was out making deals for you, helping you stay on top, while you played house with someone else behind my back. And now you stand here acting like the victim? Don’t forget, I’ve already filed for divorce. Sooner or later, we’re finished p>
Barnard rubbed the spot where she’d hit him, face tense. When he met her eyes, he laughed bitterly. “Divorce? I don’t think so. You really think a lawsuit will get you out? As long as I say no, you’ll always be Mrs. Carter. Don’t even think about cutting ties. Come here. We need to talk p>
He reached for her arm again. Jasper didn’t hesitate this time. He clutched the big teddy bear he’d just picked out and started hitting Barnard with it. “Don’t touch my mom! You’re a bad man. She doesn’t want to go with you p>
Barnard finally noticed Jasper and shot him a look full of disgust. “Back off, you little brat. This is between me and Camilla. Stay out of it p>
His words hung in the air, ugly and mean, making everyone stop and stare. Camilla went to slap him again, but Barnard blocked her hand.
“Camilla, don’t test me,” he said coldly. “The Carter Group is a mess right now. I don’t care about saving face, but what about your new man? Do you think he wants the world watching p>
He looked straight at Abelard, challenging, as if daring someone to step in. Abelard just gazed back at him, bored and unimpressed. He wasn’t here to argue. Let Barnard make a fool of himself. Honestly, knowing the guy inside, he barely lasted more than a few minutes away from Camilla. The higher Barnard jumped, the harder he’d fall in the end. And as for whether the man inside cared about public opinion—he really didn’t, as long as it meant sticking close to Camilla.
Camilla didn’t know what Abelard was thinking. She was honestly just worried about dragging Lance into her messy life. “What do you even want?” she asked, exasperated.
Barnard squared his shoulders. “Come back with me. You’re still Mrs. Carter. I can act like none of this ever happened. Even Jasper…I’ll treat him like he’s my real son p>
Camilla stared at him like he’d lost his mind.
The two of them were a disaster. At this point, even ending things quietly was impossible, and now he expected her to just go back to being Mrs. Carter? She wondered if he was actually losing it. Maybe spending so much time with Davina had made him delusional.
What made him think she’d ever go back? That they could share a house and pretend everything was fine again?
“Are you out of your mind?” she shot back.
Barnard’s eyes narrowed. “Think about it, Camilla. You wouldn’t want anyone else getting hurt because of you, would you p>
His gaze was dark, intense, and consuming, like he wanted to swallow her whole.