Chapter 272
“It’s Jasper. I just saw a man leading him out of the house p>
Barnard’s suspicions solidified into certainty.
He jumped to his feet and hurried straight for the door.
Davina stepped in front of him, blocking his way. “Barnard, where are you heading off to? Your parents asked you to spend these days with me, remember p>
She was asking, but deep down she already understood. Jasper was here, so Camilla must be too.
The mystery of the family next door was suddenly not much of a mystery at all.
Davina couldn’t let Barnard run to Camilla just like that.
She decided to bring it up directly. “Barnard, I know what’s going through your mind. You think Camilla’s the one living next door, don’t you?
But even if she is, so what?
You two are already divorced, and you and I are getting married next month.
Her life isn’t your business anymore, right p>
She thought that being so clear would make him stay.
But Barnard just shook off her hand and headed outside without hesitation.
Davina couldn’t stop him, so she hurried after him. Right before she left, she shot Daisy a sharp glare.
All of this was Daisy’s fault. If she hadn’t run her mouth about seeing Jasper, Barnard wouldn’t have stormed off.
Inside the villa, the butler, Dane, had already organized the staff to finish packing up.
Jasper was off to the side, happily playing with Lance’s massive Alaskan Malamute.
Camilla had barely done anything since arriving, so she just listened as Dane explained Lance’s preferences and dislikes.
When Lance came in from the yard and overheard them, he interrupted with a lazy smile. “Dane, do you want to scare away the wife I chased for so long?
I don’t have some complicated preferences. My only habit is listening to her.
She never needs to fuss over me or remember a thing. Next time, please don’t go overboard like that p>
Barnard, bursting in from outside, caught those words perfectly.
Hearing Lance say “wife” felt like someone tossed a stone right into his chest, sending a mess of ripples and bitter regret through him.
His eyes went straight to Camilla.
She didn’t object to Lance’s words. In fact, the tips of her ears turned a little pink, and she threw Lance a half-playful, half-chiding look. “Don’t blame Dane. I was the one curious to know more about you p>
“You don’t have to know about me. Just be yourself. Whatever you like, I like too. Whatever you dislike, I’ll dislike.” Lance spoke like there was no one else around but the two of them.
Camilla rolled her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous, Lance. No couple has to bend completely for the other. I can’t stand cilantro, but you don’t mind it. Even so, you never put it in your cooking. You p>
“It’s just cilantro. It’s not like it matters. Why would I bother remembering something like that?” Lance grinned, but his chest tightened with emotion at the tiny detail she’d noticed.
He knew better than anyone—he was the one chasing this relationship, and Camilla was still guarded.
Yet she remembered these tiny habits of his. How could he not feel moved?
On the sidelines, Barnard’s hands curled into tight fists. Jealousy and something darker flashed in his eyes as he stared at Camilla.
He remembered how she used to remember his every preference. She always guessed the exact temperature he liked his milk.
Life with her had always felt perfectly ordered, every little detail taken care of.
Now, Camilla had started to give all that attention and tenderness to someone else.
Barnard couldn’t help it any longer—he called out her name, breaking into their world.
Camilla slowly turned. When she saw Barnard standing there, her warm expression vanished. Her face closed off and went cold.
She didn’t answer him.
She acted like he was just a stranger.
Barnard’s voice sounded tight. “Has he been living in this house all this time?
When did you two start hooking up?
I remember right after Davina moved in, you brought me some security footage recorded from this house’s second floor. You were in touch even back then, weren’t you?
How could you be so shameless? You even let him move in right next door to me. Is sneaking around like this really so exciting for you p>
The longer he talked, the angrier he got. He stopped caring how reckless his words sounded.
And when he thought about the timeline, everything added up. He’d never figured out who actually bought the house next door, but the sale happened around the same time people were gossiping about Lance coming back overseas.
So, the man everyone put on a pedestal was secretly this underhanded—moving in next door just to steal his woman.
Absolutely pathetic.
The word circled in Barnard’s mind, bitter on his tongue. He didn’t say it aloud, just stared at Camilla with pure anger in his eyes.