Chapter 247
Their eyes locked for a moment, and Camilla could see a darkness settle over Barnard’s face. He asked, “Other than this, Mrs. Carter, you really have nothing else to say to me p>
“Mrs. Carter? You know exactly what we are now. Don’t act like we’re anything but strangers at this point. Other than picking a date for the divorce, there’s nothing left for us to discuss,” Camilla replied, her voice cool.
Barnard raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? I thought you sneaking into Saddlebrook Estates today, walking in like you owned the place and getting my documents so easily, meant you had something else in mind p>
His sarcastic tone made her feel sick. She shot back, “If your goal was just to come here and make me nauseous, congratulations. Mission accomplished p>
Barnard started drumming his fingers against the table, slow at first, then stopping as Camilla’s sharp words seemed to catch him off guard. He stared at her for a few seconds before speaking again.
“I thought maybe you had something you wanted to ask me p>
The open safe and that file labeled 10.10—he was sure she’d seen it. He couldn’t imagine Camilla, sharp as she was, just letting that slide.
Inside her sleeves, Camilla’s hands curled tighter. It was happening again. Whenever something painful was about to be revealed, Barnard would show up with that same arrogant expression, acting like he held all the cards. The memory of the day she realized Jasper wasn’t his haunted her—he’d stood over her like a judge, crushing her with a single look.
What now? Was he planning to crush her again?
Camilla kept her face perfectly composed. She wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. Losing control would just make her look weak, and Barnard would love that. She could tell he hadn’t come here just to talk about documents. He wanted to push her buttons.
She took a seat on the small sofa across the room, putting a little space between them. Silent, calm, waiting to see what he’d do next.
A warm lamp cast soft light over Camilla, washing away the shadows around her and drawing a firm line between her and Barnard. It almost felt symbolic. She was on her side of the line. He was on his.
Barnard looked surprised that she could stay so calm. He let out a faint laugh. “You saw it, didn’t you? Aren’t you even curious what it’s about p>
“It’s just some dirty old secret. Honestly, I’m not interested. If you’re this eager, maybe you just want to show off one of your so-called accomplishments?” Camilla replied, her words sharp.
Her unbothered attitude seemed to throw him off again. Ever since things broke down between them, Camilla never gave him anything but cold indifference. When she spoke to him, it was always with this icy edge, her words like tiny knives aimed straight for the weakest spot.
But she didn’t realize—so long as he still had leverage, the power in their relationship stayed with him.
Barnard didn’t lose his composure for long. He folded his arms and said, “Camilla, I know you’re so desperate to divorce me because you have Abelard now, right? I bet he treats you like a queen. But let’s talk about Jasper for a second. Do you really think Abelard’s interest in your son is anything deep? Or is he just being polite for your sake, playing family until he gets bored? What do you think would happen if he found out the truth from that night? If he ever meets Jasper’s real dad, would he still want you—and your kid p>
His words hit like a series of punches. That same smug, threatening tone as always—it felt just like the day he’d broken her heart before. Inside, Camilla felt a wave of anger and hurt, but on the outside, she didn’t budge.
Mocking, she replied, “Are you confused? Since when am I with Abelard p>
“You don’t need to play innocent. I’ve seen his car pick you up more than once,” Barnard said, voice rising a little. “Let’s be real, Camilla. What if you really did end up with some other man, and he suddenly shows up at your door? Scandal like that—do you think Abelard would stick around if he found out p>
He twisted her denial into what he wanted to believe, deciding for himself she’d left simply for Abelard. Never mind that he’d sometimes seen Lance in Abelard’s car, or that it was Lance who’d had him thrown in jail. He’d always figured Lance was just doing Abelard a favor, looking out for his friend’s woman.
After all, in their world, someone like Lance was untouchable. He was at the very top, a world away from people like Camilla. The thought of Lance being interested in a divorced woman with a child? Impossible. That kind of thing just didn’t happen. Their crowd was all about background, matching status, marrying into the right family. Camilla barely survived getting into the Carter family—she would never fit in with the Charles family.
Barnard cleared his throat and tried to sound reasonable, though it only made his words sound even more manipulative. “Camilla, we’ve been together for years. I don’t want to destroy you. But you just won’t listen, always going on about divorce. I have no choice but to get tough. You can be reckless with your own life if you want, but what about Abelard? He likes you. Our family’s reputation is already trashed, stories come out about us every week, but The Lane family—they’re still spotless. You don’t want them dragged down into this mess, do you p>
Barnard’s tactics hadn’t changed—always finding the spot she most wanted to protect and squeezing until she broke. Even when he got the details wrong, he pressed all the right buttons.
When Camilla’s expression flickered for a split second, Barnard straightened up and his confidence grew even more. “Camilla, you must know the truth by now. I don’t want to divorce you. We were good together these five years. It’s such a waste to just let that go p>