Chapter 239
Lance’s voice was edged with frustration, and underneath that, Camilla could almost hear a trace of hurt. He had always been the one everyone looked up to, the one out of reach. But with her, he put himself on the line, softened, and always seemed so willing to go along with her wishes. It wasn’t some act, not like the way Barnard pretended. Even with her guard way up, Camilla still felt how different Lance was with her.
Now, listening to him, guilt crept in all over again. She clutched her phone tighter. “I don’t think of you as a stranger,” she said, a little unsteady. “I just felt like it wasn’t a big deal, something I could handle myself, and p>
“You don’t owe me an explanation, Camilla. I just want you to let me know, next time something like this happens. At least let me be in the loop p>
He didn’t want to go through this again, blindsided and stuck worrying because her phone suddenly went dark and she vanished overseas. Knowing she was out there, and feeling helpless like that—he couldn’t stand it.
With Lance talking to her like that, so patient, she just didn’t have it in her to argue. She said yes to everything, gave him a rough idea of when she’d be back, and just like that, he seemed reassured.
After they hung up, Camilla called Dahlia. Dahlia was with Jasper, gaming on the couch, but answered right away and switched to video. Their smiling faces made Camilla pause. For a second, she considered bringing up Pamela, but held back. Pamela’s name was like a curse for Dahlia, and Camilla didn’t want to worry her while she was miles away.
They chatted a while, then Camilla went back to her room and polished up her proposal, focusing on the questions Daniel’s investors had raised.
The next morning, she handed her phone off to Ada for repairs and headed over to Daniel’s company. The moment she stepped into the lobby, she ran straight into Pamela.
Pamela was already coming down the stairs, and as soon as she spotted Camilla, her eyes flared with pure resentment. “Seriously, you again? Do you really think a couple of boring proposals are enough for your little company to stand a chance against The Gates Group p>
Camilla raised an eyebrow and gave Pamela a cool once-over. “Wow, rough morning? Or did Daniel already turn your deal down? Honestly, who’d trust a partner who can’t hold her temper and pays thugs to do her dirty work the second things don’t go her way p>
Here in Ostrovia, only two people would bother to make trouble for her—Barnard or Pamela. After yesterday, she was pretty sure those guys hadn’t been sent by Barnard. That only left one person.
Camilla’s stare went cold. Pamela hadn’t changed at all. The first sign of trouble and she was ready to pull some underhanded stunt, just like always. But Camilla wasn’t that broke, helpless student anymore.
“Camilla, you bitch. You dare laugh at me?” Pamela snapped, backing her words with pure fury. “I swear, I’m going to shut you up for good.” Fueled by rage, she reached out, aiming for Camilla’s face.
Pamela couldn’t handle being challenged, and this outburst was basically admitting she’d sent those men after Camilla.
But Camilla was just as ready. She caught Pamela’s wrist and, with one crisp slap, sent shock through the whole lobby.
Pamela froze, stunned. “You hit me! I p>
“What, gonna send more thugs?” Camilla shot back, her voice icy. “Pamela, if that’s the best you can do, I’d suggest you skip coming back to my country. You’ll regret it p>
The frost in Camilla’s words, the confidence in her posture—Pamela just stood there, completely thrown, long after Camilla walked away. Why did it feel like Camilla, of all people, had the upper hand? Wasn’t she just a nobody, a poor girl who’d barely lucked into a couple years as some rich guy’s wife? Since when did she have that kind of presence?
Pamela gritted her teeth. Let Camilla threaten her—she’d go back just to prove her wrong. She wanted to see how Camilla would handle things without Barnard helping her.
By the time Camilla stepped out of the elevator, she’d already pushed aside all that anger. She knocked on Daniel’s door, calm and collected, and handed him her revised proposal.
Daniel glanced up. “Camilla, I heard about your meeting with my investors yesterday. And I’m guessing you bumped into Pamela just now. You were right. There’s more to a partnership than short-term profits. We met last night and decided to give BLC a quarter-year trial order. Don’t let us down, okay p>
He got straight to the point. No dragging it out.
“Thank you for your trust,” Camilla said. “BLC won’t disappoint p>
Next to the desk, The Gates Group’s proposal was already crumpled and tossed in the trash.
Camilla and Daniel signed the new contract. This time, there were no strings attached, no ties to The Carter Group at all.