Chapter 250
He always knew Camilla was tough. She never needed anyone to fight her battles, and she sure didn’t want him stepping in. Even when he’d called her from overseas, Camilla refused to promise him anything.
Lately, news kept coming in about the Gates family making her life hell. If he wasn’t afraid of pushing her away, Lance might have already done something reckless to those jerks. But Camilla wasn’t the type to rely on anyone else. She was born to soar, and loving her meant letting her fly free, not clipping her wings to keep her close.
Lance kept telling himself he could respect her choices, let her handle things her way. Tonight, though, everything felt different. These people were crossing the line, way too far. He wasn’t going to stand by this time. Once it was all over, he could apologize to his queen.
The taxi raced down empty streets toward the edge of the city, where old warehouses sat forgotten in the darkness. Camilla sat in the back, knuckles white around her phone, eyes glued to the call screen. She’d called Dahlia over twenty times, and not one call had gone through.
Sweat trickled down her palms. “Please, can you drive any faster?” she begged the driver.
“Miss, this is as fast as we’ll get. We’re almost there, just try to hold on,” he replied.
Camilla stared out the window, fighting the panic rising in her chest. She’d just gotten a call from Dahlia’s assistant, frantic and breathless. Someone had shown up at the shop early this morning looking for Dahlia. Whatever they’d said, Dahlia left with them, looking shaken. She hardly ever talked to strangers and her assistant knew everyone she dealt with. The longer the assistant thought about it, the more wrong it felt, so she’d finally called Camilla.
Camilla’s heart hammered. She’d immediately called Mahoney and asked for a license plate check. When she found out the car belonged to the Gates family, she didn’t hesitate for even a second. Mahoney sent her the location, and here she was, chasing after her friend with only a gut feeling and a prayer.
This place brought a chill to her bones.
The taxi pulled up to the same warehouse Dahlia had once told her about, the same spot that had ruined her years ago. Five years had passed, but nothing about the place felt any less terrifying.
After paying the driver, Camilla followed her memory and her instincts past broken doors and rusted walls, making her way to the deepest part of the building.
The inside was thick with dust and silence, forgotten by everyone except the broken ghosts left behind. On the floor, curled tight like she could disappear, was Dahlia. Four tall men circled her, their hulking shadows trapping her in place.
Their eyes flicked over her like she was prey and they were just toying with their next meal. They didn’t need ropes or chains. She wasn’t going anywhere, and they knew it. The cruel smirks on their faces said everything.
“Don’t blame us, Dahlia. Maybe you should’ve learned your place by now p>
“Yeah. Pamela’s fiancé? Seriously, what made you think you could mess with him p>
A third guy—Neal, she thought—shook his head and laughed. “Give her a break. She had her moments back when her bestie got to play Mrs. Carter. Guess she thought she could do whatever she wanted p>
“Sure, but now that Mrs. Carter is busy getting divorced, you’re on your own. Too bad those old photos disappeared. Could’ve cashed in bigtime,” another chimed in.
“What’s to regret? She’s right here. We can do what we want, just like before p>
Their words scraped like nails along Dahlia’s nerves, each one louder, nastier, cutting her open. She squeezed her eyes shut, but it was all back—the nightmare, the helplessness, the scorn and shame. Five years, and she’d fooled herself into thinking she was okay, that it was all behind her.
She was lying to herself. It never really went away. She was still that scared girl, frozen and desperate.
Pamela didn’t even have to show up herself—these guys, her minions, were enough to send Dahlia right back to that place she’d never truly escaped.
“Stay away from me! Don’t… don’t come near! I’ll call the police, I p>
Her words barely sounded like her own, voice shaking, stumbling over panic. The lead guy just laughed, mean and low.
“Going to call the cops, Dahlia? After all this time, you’re still that stupid? Why do you think we didn’t bother taking your phone? There’s no signal out here. But p>
He stepped closer, and she pressed back against the cold concrete. “There’s no need to be scared. You won’t be alone for long. Your best friend is coming too. Maybe we’ll snap some photos of you both. Bet those would sell for a fortune p>
The way he said it almost broke her. Dahlia’s hands flew to her ears as she tried to block it all out, but she couldn’t. Desperation ripped through her voice as she screamed, “Where’s Pamela? Tell her this has nothing to do with Camilla, tell her to leave Camilla alone p>
All those memories came rushing back. She could hear the snap of a camera shutter, see Pamela’s cold, sneering smile. It all crashed down over her, leaving only fear and despair.